Is our Interstate Highway System a "government-run" program?

If so, why do so many anti-government people use it? Granted, they do pay taxes to support it so they do have the right to drive on it. But I wonder if they ever think of it as a government-run program as they whip by you in their SUV's with the "Support Our Troops" ribbon and their faded Bush/Cheney bumper stickers? In a hurry to get to their government job, I guess?

a public school teacher, a police officer, and a toll collector on the New Jersey turnpike. Go figure.

$100 to our friends to buy their votes for McCain - and we live in SC.

Talk about voting against yourself.

Cars only work if you have roads to drive them on.

governments build roads.

paid for mainly by taxpayers. But they do provide jobs.

It is something they don't want or already have.


They never oppose it when they take welfare, food stamps, have government jobs, and use the roads.
They only oppose it when it would provide other people with medical care, give other people a job, or cost them money.

is that it was built by REPUBLICAN President Eisenhower, you remember, the guy that warned against the military/industrial complex that we have succumbed to?.

But, as usual, it was passed by a Democratic Congress.

And, I would add, it's one from which the poor benefit little and the rich benefit a lot. Many poor people do not even own cars. Many can't drive at all. If they do have cars and they do drive, they seldom travel on the Interstate highways. They don't benefit from this government give-away nearly as much as the rich and the upper-middle classes do.

But they still pay for it with their taxes.

:dem:

-Laelth

And it may be that the Fed pays the vast majority of it, but I think there has to be at least substantial state involvement.

I think the federal tax on gasoline is intended to keep up the interstate hwy system? I don't believe the states have much to do with the upkeep of the Interstate Hwy System?

Here's what I've got floating around in my brainpan from foggy old memories that I haven't done a thing to improve - so don't take this as factual, more advisory - somehow the states come up with the projects and have to provide some very small portion of the funding. The state has to come up with the money first though, to show something or another, and then the Fed does a big end match and follows up with paying the state to do the maintenance ever there after.

As for the State highway system (which as a motorcycle rider is where I like to spend most of my traveling time) I believe there are heavy Federal subsidies for their upkeep that are provided by formula grant. Formula Grants, which most folks don't know much about, are Federal Grants that go directly to the states that aren't discretionary to the agencies who award them and the amount each state gets is defined by formula in statute. They cover all sorts of things. These are always big dollar, big picture types of areas of coverage so things like state highway systems fit nicely into the concept and practice.

interstate funds. (or was when I was in school)

People live in their cars in the modern age, they'd be reduced to mowing their neighbors yard and selling fruit on the side of the street if they didn't have the benefit of the nation's highways.

wouldn't you rather pay a toll every dozen miles or so?
wouldn't you rather some profit-motivated analyst weight the cost of repairing potholes against the likely lawsuit payouts?
wouldn't you rather they charge different tolls based on your car make/model in order to segment the market for further profit?
wouldn't you rather they charge a fee to handle cash at the toll booth?
wouldn't you rather they charge a fee to give directions at the toll booth?
wouldn't you rather they charge a fee to use the facilities at rest stops?
wouldn't you rather they charge a major fee if you have a break down or an accident?

JMHO