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Monday, August 08, 2005
Dangerous Provincialism
D
isparity in federal road funds shows politics beats policy.
C
alifornia's Kern County is a region on the move. As the metropolitan centers of the state push ever outward, this relatively desolate county north of Los Angeles with a low human-to-black-bear ratio is dealing with its own housing boom. As such, growing cities like Bakersfield have a real need for transportation infrastructure to handle a population that increases daily.
B
ut that's not why that High Desert/High Sierra county was the big winner when it came to slicing up the state's share of the federal transportation bill, giving it $722 million to Los Angeles' relatively paltry $625 million. That happened because the county has a powerful benefactor in Washington, D.C.: Rep. Bill Thomas, who, as the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, is one of the few keepers of the federal government's purse strings.
I
t's bad enough that the country consistently shortchanges needy California when it doles out federal funds, as it does once again in this particular bill. But when fellow neglected Californians then perpetuate the inequity when carving it up among regions, it's shameful.
T
his provincialism results in the bizarre allocation of funds, best exemplified by the pork monster project funded last year in rural Alaska. The $233 million "bridge to nowhere" is size of the Golden Gate yet links one barely populated island to another where the moose traffic is probably higher than motor vehicles.
I
n this year's bill, Alaska is again the big winner, receiving $425.9 million, or $649.84 per resident. By contrast, California will receive about $3.4 billion, or just $95.54 per resident. Breaking it down even further, residents of Kern County will receive about $1,000 per resident, while Los Angeles will receive about $60 per resident.
C
ertainly, we're grateful for the money which will help fund, among other things, an expedited car-pool lane on the 405. But year after year of settling for the dregs is starting to get old. Few places in the country have as dire transportation needs as Southern California, and that should be the No. 1 consideration in funding federal projects.
W
hat's most disturbing about the process is the sheer nakedness of the politicking behind the allocations. Congressional members don't even pretend their decisions about distribution of federal funds are based on policy. It's all about securing your district or state some pork -- as much as possible, even if it doesn't necessarily serve the larger idea of America.
A
nd the representative who can wrangle the biggest chunk of cash for their district -- deserving or not -- wins.
I
t's high time that this type of corrupt practice ended. Federal funds should be doled out according to need, not popularity.
Posted by fm on August 08, 2005 at 01:47 PM