Tea Partiers Requested More than $1 Billion in Earmarks

The clock is ticking on a popular way to pay for infrastructures and the Deficit Commission wants to raise the gas tax by 15 cents. Read more on this in Infrastructure in the News.

National News

Streetsblog Capitol Hill: Clock Ticks on a Popular Way to Pay for Infrastructure 
Unless Congress acts quickly, the program will expire at the end of this year. Should advocates for transportation reform care whether local governments can keep on using BABs to finance infrastructure projects?

Infrastructurist: Deficit Commission Wants to Raise the Gas Tax 15 Cents 
The gasoline tax drives fear into the hearts of most politicians. But Keyser Soze is popping his head out more and more these days. The last time the gas tax surfaced, Senators Tom Carper and George Voinovich had written a letter to the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform (known simply as the deficit commission) suggesting it be raised. Since then a trio of think tanks has thrown its support behind raising the tax. And on Monday the deficit commission recommended a plan to reduce the country’s debt some $3.8 trillion by 2020 that includes hiking the gas tax 15 cents between 2013 and 2015.

CBS: Tea Partiers Requested More than $1 Billion in Earmarks 
Influenced largely by the Tea Party, Republicans in Congress this year have taken a firm stance against earmarks to show their commitment to cutting back government spending.

State News

AltTransport: Christie Diverts $1.25 Billion of ARC Money To Roads 
When Governor Christie canceled the ARC rail project that would have linked New Jersey to New York, critics were worried that Christie wanted to use New Jersey’s share of the money to replenish the state’s almost empty transportation fund.

The Columbus Dispatch: Feds unlikely to let Ohio divert rail money
Following meetings yesterday with President Barack Obama and his advisers, Gov.-elect John Kasich acknowledged that he does not expect the administration to allow Ohio to divert $400 million in passenger rail money to rebuild freight rail lines in the state.

South Florida Times: Public hearing will focus on $3 billion transportation plan
The Florida Department of Transportation is planning to spend $3 billion over the next five years to improve transportation infrastructure in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties.