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My favorite cabinet secretary is the one who knows how to play hardball with Republican obstructionists, who knows the leverage he holds and is not afraid to use it. I guess that’s because he’s the only Republican in the cabinet*.
In some post-election hardball between the Obama administration and newly-elected Republicans, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is threatening to take back stimulus funds from states if they do not follow through on proposed rail projects.
CNN obtained copies of letters LaHood sent to incoming Republican governors in Ohio and Wisconsin who have stated their opposition to rail projects already underway in their states. In the letters, LaHood said a rail link between Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati in Ohio, and a high-speed rail connection between Chicago, Illinois, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, are vital to economic growth in both regions.
Lahood wrote that he respects the power of governors to make decisions for their states, but, “There seems to be some confusion about how these high-speed rail dollars can be spent.”
To Wisconsin’s Gov.-elect Scott Walker, LaHood said that none of the funds can be used for roads or any other projects. He went on to say, “Consequently, unless you change your position, we plan to engage in an orderly transition to wind down Wisconsin’s project so that we do not waste taxpayer’s money.” That letter was delivered on Monday.
These Republican governors are engaged in a little game. They want to decry “wasteful spending” without reducing that spending one bit. They just want to move the high speed rail money into fixing roads and bridges. I imagine this is because that will be completed faster and with a higher profile than the longer-term HSR projects. So they get to keep their tea party base pleased while also giving the impression that they’re “getting things done.”
Surely LaHood would recycle this money by giving it to a high speed rail project that’s moving forward. I know we’d have our hands up out in California.
We’ve seen this game of chicken play out over the past two years, with governors who appear far more ideologically committed than Walker and Ohio Governor-elect John Kasich. Rick Perry, Mark Sanford and even Sarah Palin all made rumblings about not accepting stimulus funds, and they all buckled in the end. Walker and Kasich appear sincere about killing the rail projects, but now that LaHood has told them that the money is “use it or lose it,” let’s watch and enjoy.
LaHood hasn’t always won this game; just last month, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie canceled the largest infrastructure project in the country, the Hudson River rail tunnel. Now, to make his threat credible, LaHood is asking for the federal money back.
Now the feds want their money back from New Jersey. On Monday, a letter was sent from the Federal Transit Administration to New Jersey Transit, the state’s public transportation authority, requesting an immediate repayment of $271 million in federal funds already spent on the project. The letter stated the funds were obligated for the ARC tunnel and because the project was terminated, the money most be returned.
New Jersey Transit officials responded by saying they are reviewing the request and they do not agree that the issue is as clear-cut as portrayed in the FTA letter.
Poor Christie, he seems to have found a cabinet secretary who won’t take his garbage. Maybe he can go book himself into a five-star hotel while he sulks.
Ray LaHood, being a Republican, knows how to deal with Republicans – make them responsible for the consequences of their actions. They hate that.
* – My understanding is that Robert Gates is now an independent.
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LaHood’s that rarity, an Obama hire who whales on Republicans and conservatives harder than on progressives and Democrats.
And I approve.
you guys get the atrios link, I’m the one writing letters to lahood every day:
…and so on and so forth.
Imagine that — one of my former congress critters actually has a spine.
Nice to see at least one politician behaving responsibly and potentially doing something useful. Seems like a novel concept these days.
And NY Senator Gillenbrand has already written to LaHood requesting the NJ tunnel money be moved to NY State rail projects (particularly on Long Island, which needs it) and Andy Cuomo lost no time after he won the governor’s election to send a formal request for Wisconsin’s money for New York State for rail projects. And I hope LaHood gives their requests serious consideration and maybe some of the money. Because I think that it’s important for these pinheads to understand that they can’t have it both ways.
maybe the answer to the teabaggers and gooperland is always:
dont like big government?
dont take the money
dont like federal spending
give it back
want to shrink govt?
dont cash your federal pension and paycheck and cancel the federal health insurance, dont collect your ss, accept medicare or medicaid to pay for your mother’s nursing home.
I know it sounds ridiculous. But is just as logical as anything they say–like cutting taxes doesnt have to be offset because of, you know, voodoo.
There’s an important tie-in here with the current heated debate — mostly among Republicans — over earmark reform. And there’s a huge umbrella discussion that needs to happen on the appropriate use of transportation funds.
In the past, the primary push for progressives on transportation spending has been to secure money for things like mass transit, bike paths, pedestrian trails, etc. — spending that supposedly helps to wean America of our addiction to cars. Unfortunately, progressives have done next to nothing to curtail wasteful spending on new pork highway projects and bridges to nowhere that drive sprawl.
LaHood was known as the King of Earmarks while a Republican member of Congress. Yes, he undestands how to play the tit-for-tat game with appropriations. Can progressives learn how to play the game with earmark reform?
I cross-posted a diary that touches on this topic at FDL, Dagblog, and RedState.com. Didn’t get much attention at FDL or RedState. Here’s a link to Dagblog. More to come.
http://dagblog.com/reader-blogs/building-bridge-earmark-reform-7436
I say take the money from Ohio and Wisconsin and build that “sin express” from Disneyland to Las Vegas, moohaha.
how about some dem signage outside the clocked NJ tunnels and bridges reminding folks:
Traffic Jam Courtesy Gov. Christie.
Yea, Christie, who spent federal dollars wildly on luxury hotels when he was a US Attorney.
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/11/gov_christie_cited_as_us_attor.html
shush! Obama will decide that LaHood isn’t being bipartisan enough and overrule him.
and here you see proof that obama intentionally watered down bills and attacked progressives for speaking up.
why?
because the president has immense powers to “sway” those refusing to work with him yet obama never once used any power or stood up to republicans or even democrats that attempted to water down bills etc., that helped average people.
I was thinking the other day how much Jay Leno looks like Fred Flintstone. Now, I’m thinking that Christie looks a lot like Barney Rubble.
Neither of them has any attribute in their faces that denotes intelligence.
Never doubted O’s intentions for a moment, but you picked a good example for those who do.
Don’t insult Barney Rubble. At least his cartoon character gave us some chuckles, unlike Christie.
Now there’s a good idea.
Masaccio has a fresh cross-post up: A Modest Proposal: Gold Plate Banks with Cash from Retirees
Thanks David, what a joy reading of those schmucks getting it handed to them by LaHood.
*G*
Xclent!
*G*
Ray LaHood, though, deserves some praise for being tough on his former colleages… it’s so UN-Republican of him to do that.
I’m not comparing their characters, just their appearances.
Folks,consider how screwed we are…when a member of the cabinet,a few pegs down the leadership rung shows more gumption & makes more sense than the leader of the cabinet.
Did I say we are screwed ?…Oh!,I did.
A Republican in a Democratic Administration who happens to be the only one there with a backbone. Why are Democrats such wimps? Why do they need to hire Republicans to fight for them?
Gooosh! it’s so funny it can make you cry…The guy leading the charge can’t even withstand a stiff breeze…. cartoon-ish but that’s who is leading the party.
Our long nightmare continues…..(sigh)
I think a high-speed line from St. Paul to Chicago would be nice.
Finally, an action from the Administration I agree with! I hear so much grumbling from republicans about high speed rail, until it is built in their area. Then they use it as much as anyone does.
While it’s necessary to maintain existing roads, adding more roads or lanes is not a long-term transportation strategy. Our global competitors (like China) are investing billions in infrastructure, including high speed rail, while we talk about cutting infrastructure budgets…
The U.S. is still 50 years behind the rest of the world that has committed to high speed rail. It’s really laughable. Surely the Indian and and Chinese engineers will get the U.S. up to speed in no time.
Gov elect (R) Scoot Walker has no future vision for building this state, other than paying off the road-builders who are quite a lobby in WI. Before significant highways were built to the northern half of WI, (pre WWII) one of our state’s largest industries, tourism, derived extraordinary benefit from train service.
Re-establishing train service (and tie-in mass transit) eventually to the entire state could be instrumental to sustainability of one of our largest industries, and could be featured in promotion efforts to vacationers who might soon be unable to purchase an auto or afford fuel for a trip.
Anyone wishing to get a perspective on Walker and other WI news/opinion from two intelligent resources might want to check out these two sites .
The Political Environment and Cognitive Dissidence
Unless you are a Walker supporter you won’t be disappointed.
“Consequently, unless you change your position, we plan to engage in an orderly transition to wind down Wisconsin’s project so that we do not waste taxpayer’s money.”
Too late, the fact these projects ever started were a waste of taxpayer’s money.
These clowns are playing the political version of the immortal scene from “Casablanca”, when the Claude Rains character is closing down Rick’s because he is shocked, SHOCKED! that gambling is going on, as the croupier hands him his winnings. Good on LaHood for calling their bluff, especially Christie and that sanctimonious asshole Kasich.
Selah.
Ray was our US Congressman from the district I live in for many years. In talking to him, I think toward the end of his 16 year tenure he saw the GOP as self serving rather than serving the public interest. He got tired of their naked hypocrisy and decided to be a servant first and a partisan second by being in Obama’s cabinet. It did not play especially well with the backassward GOP toads here in Peoria but they have never publically challenged him on his decision. In fact, Ray has bluntly challenged THEM to clean up their act. At least nobody can say that Ray La Hood is a hypocrite like most of his GOP colleagues who say do what I say, not what I do.
I hope he takes back the $$$ from WI and OH and gives it to us here in IL or to others who will put these funds to their intended use. And I hope this stupid political stunt by political neophytes Kasich, Christie, and Walker backfires on them and they pay dearly for it.
I must say this is the best news I’ve read since Obama’s inauguration. I wonder if Obama even knows that Lahood plans to do this and if Obama will make him back down when he gets back from his trip. I have no faith that Obama has a clue yet about what he’s done wrong.
I took that idea, and ran with it…Tunnel vision
Kasich(R-Wall St.)is vehemently anti passenger rail.”There is no passenger rail in Ohio’s future”,he screams.This is his ONLY issue thus far.He may,ala Taft,try to stop Amtrak from stopping or passing through Ohio.The 3C Project,as it’s called,is not HSR,but would link Ohio’s largest cities,create jobs,and establish feasability for a future HSR corridor.But the outsourcing Fox Newser will have none of it.