Menendez: Transit Agencies Need Help Escaping Tax-Shelter Trap
Lingering questions over the role that tax shelters played in the D.C. Metro crash continue to pique congressional interest in helping local transit agencies break free of lease deals with Wall Street.
June 26, 2009
The Wall Street Tax Shelter That Crashed Your Local Transit Agency
The D.C. Metro accident that killed nine riders this week has renewed calls for rail safety upgrades and reminders that car travel remains far riskier than transit. But the crash is also shedding light on a problem that goes beyond Washington: tax shelter deals between banks and struggling transit agencies -- deals that were given a retroactive pass by Congress even though the IRS considers them illegal.
June 26, 2009
Today’s Headlines
D.C. Metro crash casts a grim light on insufficient federal support for transit (Time) LaHood: Looming highway trust fund bankruptcy will leave states in crisis … (WSJ) … but the administration is proud of how quickly it’s allocated highway money (AP) Rep. John Mica (R-FL) talks up the need for infrastructure investment (PBS) DeFazio suggests … Continued
June 26, 2009
Voinovich: Business Buy-in Can Get a New Transportation Bill Done
George Voinovich (R-OH) may be the only senator who wants to forget about an 18-month extension of existing transportation law and move ahead quickly on broad reform. But that doesn't mean he's giving up.
June 25, 2009
Boxer and Inhofe Agree: Transportation Policy Reform Can Wait
Green transportation advocates are pressing Congress to refuse any new spending that's not tied to reform of the existing system -- a call that influential senators in both parties ruled out today.
June 25, 2009
Today’s Headlines
House transportation committee clashes over the speed of stimulus spending (USA Today) D.C. Metro crash sharpens focus on aging transit equipment (NYT) Dems go after senior GOPer Cantor on high-speed rail (Culpeper Exponent) Democratic lawmakers write to Obama to back up Wednesday’s transportation hearing (AP)
June 25, 2009
Senate Poised to Move on Climate Bill
Barbara Boxer (D-CA), chairman of the Senate environment committee, isn't yet ready to start debating a long-term transportation bill -- but she is reportedly prepared to move on climate change legislation that includes targets for diminishing auto dependence and encouraging transit use.
June 24, 2009
Your Unlikely Reasonable Voice of the Day
Rep. Don Young (R-AK) is not known as a friend of green transportation -- and that's putting it mildly.
June 24, 2009
House Transpo Leaders and Obama DOT Run Off in Opposite Directions
The conflicted state of federal transportation policy-making was on vivid display today, as House lawmakers pressed ahead on a $500 billion bill that still lacks a funding source while the Obama administration scrambled to find $20 billion for a bailout of the highway trust fund.
June 24, 2009
Today’s Headlines
D.C. Metro crash becomes a factor in the debate over a new federal transportation bill (The Hill) Oberstar’s $450 billion proposal includes strong provisions for monitoring drug and alcohol abuse by truckers (The Trucker) Fellow Floridian lawmakers lobby Rep. John Mica (R) on increasing the state’s gas tax reimbursement (McClatchy) Congressional audit concurs with transportation-finance … Continued
June 24, 2009