Congress is so divided it can't even pass a highway bill anymore
 

"Do we really want to live in a country where we have to stop and count how many barnacles are on your bridge before you decide whether to rebuild the bridge?"

David Lightman - MCCLATCHYDC - April 5, 2012

At one time, both parties could find common ground on things like highways. Is partisan bickering on everything better for our country? --Ed.

Washington — Providing money for highways and infrastructure historically has been one of Congress' easiest tasks. After all, it gives every lawmaker a chance to go home, stand in front of a bumpy highway and explain how he or she is making life better.

Not anymore.

When Congress returns to Washington in mid-April after a spring recess, it plans to resume one of the fiercest and most consequential battles of this year: funding highways and infrastructure.... [Read More]

Re: Congress is so divided it can't even pass a highway bill anymore
 

It isn't the funding for the highways that gets the fighting going it is all the useless stuff these idiots try to fund by hiding it in these appropriations bills. Like all of us remember the bridge to nowhere up in Alaska? This is the problem in Congress there is so much garbage getting hidden in these bills, if the average constituent realized what the elected moron in his or her district was wasting money on they would be voted out at the next election.

We had one of those in my district at the state level. He was one that pulled the old 3:00 am on Sunday morning, lets vote ourselves a nice fat pay raise. Well once it got out the next week almost all of the elected officials involved gave back the raise. This guy said he deserved it and wasn't giving it back. Well Mr. I've been in politics over twenty years and they would never vote me out was replaced by a twenty something four years ago. Ask the Republicans in 2006 and 2008, ask the Democrat's in 2010 and in November if this type of arrogance towards the public and their unbridled spending doesn't have ramifications.

Re: Congress is so divided it can't even pass a highway bill anymore
 

The more the majority continue to vote extreme on both ends, the more commonplace (if it could even get more) this is going to become. The government and politics has become so much a disagreement with anyone but your own ideas and party that doing what is best for the country has totally disappeared. In the past, the parties were able to do something extremely unheard of: compromise. Those in congress had disagreements about how they felt things needed done and what needed done, but they would each give a little and come to an agreement. This has become so much a bickering contest, that sometimes I wish I could legally go up and punch them all in the face. I unfortunately don't sense that this is going to change anytime soon, and then we'll all be pointing the finger at each other as to the cause.

Re: Congress is so divided it can't even pass a highway bill anymore
 

^ Well said!

If I could, everybody on Capitol Hill would be sent home.

Re: Congress is so divided it can't even pass a highway bill anymore
 

I've seen the problem for years now. Even my brother has demonstrated the serious problems by wanting the government to build the bridge to nowhere. It's too his property and he doesn't care about his own family. It's a brain malfunction that causes a son to screw his mother and father and their other kids to get ahead. Don't tell me it's both sides, it's the Republican brain set:

http://www.alternet.org/story/154709...global_warming

GaryG

Re: Congress is so divided it can't even pass a highway bill anymore
 

I'm not to the point where everyone would be sent home. However, anyone that's served over 8-10 years, absolutely. What really gets me, is those in DC are supposed to be looking out for the country as a whole, but they're each too worried about what each bill is going to bring to their backyard. Their goal is to make sure the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. I feel like they've lost their way over the years, and need to get back to what their purpose was intended to be.

Re: Congress is so divided it can't even pass a highway bill anymore
 

I think the point of kicking them all out and starting fresh is to send a message. "Play nice, our every one of you bums is out on your keister". These folks need to be taught that they're working for the good of the American people and NOT the highest bidder.

Re: Congress is so divided it can't even pass a highway bill anymore
 

No, it's not the earmarks. Earmarks are an inefficiency, but they're a small slice of the pie. Here there is general agreement that there is not enough spending on infrastructure. The fighting is about transportation policy, taxation and oil.

Democrats don't want more US oil production, want to raise fuel taxes and want fuel taxes also to pay for public transportation, cycle lanes and sidewalks because they want to see reduced dependency on oil and cars.

Republicans want more US oil production, don't want to raise fuel taxes and don't want fuel taxes to pay for anything except pavement for cars because they think that it would be better for the economy and personal freedom.

Now add unwillingness to compromise in a political system that requires either consensus or compromise (either of manifesto or principle) to pass a bill and you have stalemate.

Re: Congress is so divided it can't even pass a highway bill anymore
 

Sorry, but that's the mindset that has gotten us where we are today.

Re: Congress is so divided it can't even pass a highway bill anymore
 

I was on my computer and the TV was on when I started hearing this interview with the author of "The Republican Brain". As questions went back and forth, I seen many of the answers to why Republicans have a completely different mindset than me. Later I googled The Republican Brain and read more. Here are some of the links I found:

http://dangerousintersection.org/wp-...ain-lo-res.jpg

http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/...-brain/3923772

The future doesn't look good!

GaryG