How has Obama improved your life in the last 4 years?

[One Brow]

I thought it was the taxes that I pay on gas and transportation that fixes roads. What does this have anything to do with Obama? I don't recall ant presidential order declaring that the feds should fix roads in E. St. Louis.

Federal gas taxes pay only for federal roads (generally interstates and a few other highways). State and local roads are normally maintained through state gas taxes, property taxes, etc. Not one dime of federal gas tax money went to local road repair; federal stimulus money was used.

 

[One Brow]

Obama's road plan just bumped a bunch of projects that were already scheudled up on the schedule. The moneys used to pay for teh 'shovel ready' projects was 'borrowed' from future budgets. Basically he took all transportation funding for several years to hurry and make everyone look busy now.

The first two sentences are technically accurate, but when combined with the false third sententence, present a false image.

Yes, the road plan bumped up projects that were ready, but they were also projects that lacked funding. Yes, the money was borrowed (increasing our debt), and will need to be repaid. No, it was not removed from transportation budgets in the future, because transportation budgets don't cover local roads and similar projects.

 

[One Brow]

One more item for the original question:

Anyone reading this thread who earns wages received a payroll tax cut for the last two years. Mine amounted to better than $100/month between my two jobs.

 

[Stoked]

The prices of most basic necesities in my life have gone up. Gas, food, insurance...


Not blaming Obama alone. The problem goes far beyond him. Just an observation.

 

[mellow]

The first two sentences are technically accurate, but when combined with the false third sententence, present a false image.

Yes, the road plan bumped up projects that were ready, but they were also projects that lacked funding. Yes, the money was borrowed (increasing our debt), and will need to be repaid. No, it was not removed from transportation budgets in the future, because transportation budgets don't cover local roads and similar projects.

Yes they do. FHWA pays for some local roads through the state DOTs. Not all local roads mind you but some. The road has to meet criteria such as being part of a regional transportation plan, and after construction the local government takes over the upkeep and maintenance.

My statement was accurate, the DOTs all have several projects on 3, 5, or 10 year horizons. To say the projects lacked funding is true but is far more misleading than anything I said. None of the state DOT projects have funding when they start. The DOTs start planning for projects based on moneys they anticipate but have not yet been allocated by the feds. The DOT's all hope to capture some of the fedral dollars so they push the congress & jockey for funding their projects. All OBama did was take the top layer of jobs and fund them in a big rush, paid for everything in year one, and told the DOT's in years 2 & 3 'sorry you got an advancement in year 1 call me next year. '

 

[Dr. Jones]

Good stuff, Mellow.

 

[One Brow]

Yes they do. FHWA pays for some local roads through the state DOTs. Not all local roads mind you but some. The road has to meet criteria such as being part of a regional transportation plan, and after construction the local government takes over the upkeep and maintenance.

My statement was accurate, the DOTs all have several projects on 3, 5, or 10 year horizons. To say the projects lacked funding is true but is far more misleading than anything I said. None of the state DOT projects have funding when they start. The DOTs start planning for projects based on moneys they anticipate but have not yet been allocated by the feds. The DOT's all hope to capture some of the fedral dollars so they push the congress & jockey for funding their projects. All OBama did was take the top layer of jobs and fund them in a big rush, paid for everything in year one, and told the DOT's in years 2 & 3 'sorry you got an advancement in year 1 call me next year. '

FHWA cites the source of funds as the ARRA monies, not future highway monies:
https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/economicrecovery/1yearredist.htm

FHWA reports three separate infusions of cash from the General Fund, the largest from ARRA being in FY2010. No additional subsidies from the general fund are seen for FY2011/12. Based on that, and the subsequent outflow of funds depected, it certainly seems as the ARRA pushed extra money into the system, as opposed to just rearranging when money was available.
https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/highwaytrustfund/

Are the local roads you refer to part of the national Hishway System? I didn't see anything else on the FHWA about local roads that was not directly connected with ARRA or bridge safety.
https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/national_highway_system/

I don't make any claim to expertise on all this, though. I could easily be missing something.