Your Opinion: Investigate federal highway trust fund spending

Dear Editor:

We no longer need a wake up call. For years taxpayers have succumbed to illusions that are warm and fuzzy and that federal dollars are free money. The change has resulted in the Trump phenomenon.

Voters have minimal access to real facts. The media does little investigative reporting. Special interest groups and legislators generate what is reported.

Real change happens only if voters drill down on specifics and challenge legislators. The federal highway trust is a prime example of why the establishment in Washington, D.C., does not want change.

The trust fund had a noble beginning. Build the interstate, which is complete. The federal fuel tax should have been eliminated or directly returned to the states.

Instead your legislators invented many ways using your money to buy voters such as building bicycle paths ($250,000,000 in Missouri). Their campaign finances are enhanced through special programs especially for large cities and regulations benefiting special interest.

The result is that for every fuel tax dollar (over $50,000 a year for Missourians) about 50 cents can be spent on state highways. Worse news is that the real value is less than 40 cents after you comply with federal regulations. A very poor return on a federal program that no longer has a national purpose.

An example of how the real political system works was a visit to my senator. Working with private industry cost would be reduced, pavements improved and contractors held responsible for their performance while helping in financing

Before I returned home his office called our home office for money. We declined. This is general operating procedure in political offices.

Killing the federal program would add over $400,000,000 a year to the state highway program if these funds were dedicated to state highways

As president of a large national organization with the support of other states I pressed for a devolution of the federal program. Other states were supportive. I later met with my congressman. No action.

Millions for a bicycle path across a bridge and hundreds of thousands of dollars for signs to find your way in downtown Jefferson City is not priority for your tax dollars. Dual lanes on routes 50 and 63 would save lives, injuries and improve the local economy.

The legislators you send to Washington, D.C., are responsible. State legislators should protest not celebrate these projects.