Government Underground

The GAO has confirmed that we are WASTING $142,209,675 per year of our Colorado citizens’ money through the federal surface transportation program.

The GAO has identified Colorado as one of 27 “Donor” states that pay more in federal taxes and fees than they receive in federal-aid. No surprise there, since reports from ALEC show that Colorado gets $0.81 for every $1.00 we send to Washington.

The federal GAO published a report in March 2008 on ideas for restructuring the federal approach on surface transportation.  One of the ideas outlined was to “Turn Back” surface transportation programs and revenues to the states. Appendix III of the GAO report details the implications of this idea.

Bottom line: Turning back the surface transportation programs and revenues to Colorado would allow Colorado to manage these programs itself, without federal interference or funding, without the additional layer of federal government redundancy, spending the same amount of money as is currently being spent on surface transportation today and we would actually need to charge $.0457 less per gallon in taxes than the federal government is charging.

The fed tax is $0.184  per gallon. We only receive back from the federal government $0.1383 per gallon through current federal funding for surface transportation. We could either deliver the same programs we have today and charge Colorado citizens $0.0457 less per gallon for gas, or we could keep the additional $0.0457 per gallon of gas and use appropriately (reduce “fees”, enhance road maintenance, etc.) within the state’s constitutional limits, if any, for revenue attribution, etc.

To give you an idea of how much money this is, I looked at the state’s revenue from motor fuel in 2006-2007. It was $684,598,000. Doing a back of the envelope calculation assuming all gasoline (simplifying here) that would indicate that 3,111,809,091 gallons of gas were taxed in that year. 3,111,809,091 gallons x $0.0457 = $142,209,675 per year.

I think the GAO has come up with a good idea – perhaps we should take them up on it? This would be an excellent step toward reducing the unconstitutional burden that the federal government places upon the citizens of Colorado.

In reading about the National Governor’s Association meeting, I saw that Pat Quinn, Governor of Illinois, was leading the all-too-typical uninformed charge of history revisionists. Pat stated that “We need more help from Washington to protect against job cuts and health care cuts. If we don’t do that, we’re following Herbert Hoover economics.”

My response was an email to Pat’s office.  I know that he won’t read it, but maybe some staffer will. Maybe it will plant a seed. My email follows:

Hey Pat, read a history book instead of blindly lying to the public. In campaigning against Hoover, FDR accused Hoover of “reckless and extravagant” spending and of presiding over “the greatest spending in peacetime in all history.” Rexford Guy Tugwell, one of FDR’s New Deal architects said that “We didn’t admit it at the time, but practically the whole New Deal was extrapolated from programs that Hoover started.” FDR won in a landslide in the 1932 presidential election on a Democratic platform that advocated a 25% reduction in federal spending, a balanced budget and a solid gold standard. Director of the Bureau of the Budget Lewis W. Douglas quit after 1 year due to FDR’s about face from what he had campaigned for. FDR & Congress unconstitutionally seized gold holdings and then overnight increased the price of gold, creating the greatest theft in history. I could go on about how FDR’s policies literally created 10 years of misery but I know that YOU will never read this email.  I only hope that some staffer of yours will read this who is probably young and intelligent and open-minded and might possibly be interested in actually digging for the truth for him/herself instead of listening to mindless crap that you’re spewing. People who actually think for themselves and find out the facts for themselves are what will save this country from pathetic politicians like you. Illinois is already in the pitiful position of having to borrow $2.2 billion from the federal government just to make unemployment payments.  Your solution? Gee, the federal government should just GIVE it to us. Where do you think it comes from? The government can only “give” to some people what it takes away from others. You’re a taker just like so many other politicians. Go get a real job and earn something by being a producer for a change instead of spending other peoples’ money for a living.