Lipinski Wants To Raise Taxes for Transportation This Summer

Press Release

"If you thought the days of nasty, nail-biting financial crisis in Washington were over, or at least on temporary hiatus, guess again. A beaut of a financial meltdown may be coming this summer, and U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski is warning that it could impact billions of dollars in critical road, bridge and public transit projects here. The problem is with the federal bill that allots tens of billions of dollars for surface transportation projects. Not only is the multi-year funding bill due to expire Sept. 1, but the source of money for the trust fund that pays for the projects -- gasoline taxes -- is running short and, by some counts, will run out by July or so."

"In prior years, Congress patched over the problem, temporarily extending spending authority and shoring up the trust fund with a diversion of money from the general treasury. But for a variety of political and financial reasons, that's going to be tough this year. Ergo, concerns are rising that the pipeline will be turned off right in the middle of a construction season."

""I am trying to wake up my colleagues to this coming crisis," said Mr. Lipinski, "Illinois already is cutting back based on this expectation that federal reimbursement dollars will be limited.""

"Guy Tridgell, spokesman for the Illinois Department of Transportation, said that's not true, at least not yet. Even if the federal tap was shut off July 30, "We believe we have enough balance to carry us through for three or four months.""

"At a time in our nation where taxes raised and revenues received by the Federal Government is at an historic all-time high, Dan Lipinski wants more taxes to be levied. If the spokesman for IDOT says they have sufficient money to work into the late fall/early winter months (which esentially finishes off the entire year), what is the urgency to raise taxes? As member of the Federal Transportation Committee he needs to do his job and raise awareness and allocate funds from another project. Pork project spending, in Washington D.C., roughly amounts to over $20-Billion each year. Certainly there are funds that can be moved from one project to Lipinski's transportation "crisis," and we can avoid the need to raise taxes! As a Candidate for Congress, I understand fiscal responsibility and the need to spend tax dollars wisely. It's something the 3rd Congressional District hasn't had, under current leadership, for the past 10 years."- Sharon Brannigan.

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