Those who live in North Carolina know what a problem the roads have become. 15 years ago, the state was consistently rated top in the country for roads. It was even briefly known as the "good roads state." In the past 15 years, however, all that has changed. The Ogre has driven up and down the east coast and as far west as the Mississippi -- and seriously, North Carolina has the worst roads.

Why? Because the Democrat-led legislature continues to tax the highest gas taxes in the southeast and use them for other things. Seriously. The state collects billions of dollars in gas taxes, but that money is NOT being used for roads. Each year the Democrats in the legislature introduce a bill to take money from the highway trust fund and plop that money in the general fund. This has been happening for the past 16 years, so the roads are literally billions of dollars short money.

This has resulted in massive congestion and delays in completing road projects. It has resulted in roads that are so full of potholes that it is difficult to drive on them in a car (as opposed to a 4WD). People are finally speaking up about the roads. However, the legislature will not admit they did anything wrong.

Now, a group with a MASSIVE vested interest (they would get enormous piles of cash) has come up with a solution. No, the solution isn't to stop taking money from the trust fund -- that will continue as long as there is a Democrat majority in the legislature. Their solution is to BORROW A BILLION DOLLARS!

Yes, that's right. Since the legislature already spent well over a billion dollars that was supposed to be used for roads, we should just borrow the money. After all, it's government, and they don't have to actually pay back that money, right? And, well, if they do, it's at a good rate, right?

That's okay, the vested-interest group has a way to pay for the loan -- by using more of the money that's already being taken from the highway trust fund! Instead of actually supporting using gas taxes for roads, they suggest diverting it to pay off the loan instead of putting it in the general fund. Great. Then the legislature will take EVEN MORE from the highway "trust" fund.

And if that's not enough money, this group also suggests continuing to raise even more money by raising taxes on gasoline and on car sales and on auto title transfers.

The group, NC GO! is nothing more than yet another interest group that seeks to gain gigantic piles of cash from the working people of North Carolina. Don't listen to them, they have ONE interest in mind -- taking YOUR money and YOUR labor by using the force of government. These kind of people used to be considered criminals. Now they're "coalitions." Maybe I can form a "coalition" and "raise" money from the bank where I don't have an account. If I call myself government, it would be legal.

Posted by: Ogre at 01:09 PM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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1 Seriously, have you ever been to PA? We have the worst roads. Every year about this time, we have a new phenomenon - Road crews. They patch damage only to leave behind more damage, and they are never done!

Posted by: oddybobo at April 20, 2006 02:00 PM (6Gm0j)

2 Yes, I have. I drive through PA at least once a year (I-79, 81, and/or 84) -- your roads are awesome. Really. And our roads don't often get freeze lumps in them, either.

Posted by: Ogre at April 20, 2006 02:11 PM (/k+l4)

3 I disagree, but I only have time for this comment: in your RSS teaser, you call NC lawmakers (or NC GO, I'm not sure) "Scum-sucking leeches." But leaches suck from their hosts, which in your analogy would be you and me. You see the problem? It's probably a phrase to be avoided. It's kind of like saying that something "makes me nauseous."

Posted by: Lance at April 20, 2006 02:32 PM (ceP10)

4 I was trying to avoid the stronger words that I really felt about this sort of person/group, Lance. And thanks for letting me know there's people actually reading the RSS briefs! Oh, and the term, although it could be applied to both, was directed at the NC GO group. Then again, maybe the term fits -- they're leeches so low that they only use scum as hosts...

Posted by: Ogre at April 20, 2006 02:41 PM (/k+l4)

5 Ogre, I live off I-79. Next time you are in my neck o' the woods, I'll buy you a beer!

Posted by: oddybobo at April 20, 2006 02:51 PM (6Gm0j)

6 I should be headed down that road the weekend after July 4th this year, I think...

Posted by: Ogre at April 20, 2006 02:52 PM (/k+l4)

7 Whoo Hoo!

Posted by: oddybobo at April 20, 2006 06:36 PM (6Gm0j)

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