Progress-Related Budget Activities

Via demoinesdem, WaPo on stimulus: "Rep. James L. Oberstar (D-Minn.), chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, has circulated a 41-page memo seeking $85 billion worth of projects over the next two years. The largest chunk of that money, more than $30.2 billion, would go toward highway funds, while $12 billion would go to local public transportation funds. ... Smart-growth advocates are happy that the percentage of funds in Oberstar's proposal devoted to roads is not the 80-20 split in the current highway funding formula, but they still see a system tilting toward old-fashioned projects." And indeed it is. But then again, suburban and rural members outnumber urban members even in the House Democratic caucus, so unless your commuter rail projects go into a number of districts, rail is in trouble. But we're already up to 70-30, and that just Congress's first offer! With a little luck, the White House will want something closer to a 50-50 split, and we can compromise at 60-40, and dare Arlen Specter to vote against the SUPERTRAIN (with Franken winning, we just need one vote in the Senate).