Ed Bobit's Publisher's Page

Because there can be no real individual freedom in the presence of economic insecurity, liberalism carries a heavy responsibility in fighting continuously to expand our economy and to put into effect the economic bill of rights. Chester Bowles; New Republic, July 22, 1946.

The highway program in the United States is in serious jeopardy. History has shown clearly that the economic and social well-being of any nation is directly related to its level of mobility.

Today, American drivers are witnessing the deterioration of our highway system at rate nearly 50-percent faster than we are rebuilding it. In 1954 the total spent by all levels of government (federal, state and local) to engineer, design, build, operate and maintain the highway system in the U.S. came to $7 billion according to J.R. Coupal, Jr., deputy federal highway administrator. In 1974, just 20 years later, we spent a total of $24.8 billion. Converted to the purchasing power of the 154 dollar, however, we spent only $9.5 billion of constant dollars, says Coupal.

The number of vehicles using this system rose from 58.5 million in 1954 to 130.7 million in 1974. The expenditure for highways by all jurisdictions, per registered vehicle, in constant dollars, dropped from $119 to $74. Think about that.

My good friend, John C. White, executive Vice-President of the Private Truck Council of America describes it well. He has a grave concern also.

Only the Holy Roman Empire's pre-Christian Via Appia and Germany's modern day Autobahn can even remotely compare with America's awesome Interstate System of transcontinental highways. Construction began soon after the ambitions idea of such a system was enacted into law in 1956.

At the time and for many years hence, the construction fund for building this system was clearly understood to be inviolate for used other than highways. It was truly, in name and practice, a Highway Trust Fund.

However, the very simplicity of the Fund and the easy manner in which its coffers were kept filled, was its own worst enemy. Politicians literally drooled at the mouth when they contemplated all those billions of dollars so effortlessly and painlessly collected.

Within minutes of the passage of the interstate System law, groups and individuals began circling the Fund like buzzards over carrion. When the DOT bill was before Congress 10 years later, it contained a cleverly worded provision which would have meant the early demise of the Highway Trust Fund. Fortunately, watchful eyes caught the attempted subterfuge and it was eliminated before the DOT was allowed to breathe the air of life.

As the years went by, a new generation grew up. It does not understand the reason for the sanctity of the HTF. It does not know the conditions of the Nation's highways before the interstate System was constructed. It does not understand the value of the tremendous mobility the System gave Americans. It does not realize secondary highways received scant attention, because of the interstate's higher priority, and that the former is now in critical need of financial attention. It does not understand the billions in impounded funds are not "surplus" funds. It thinks all that money can best be spent elsewhere-on streetcars and streetcar tracks, for example.

As a consequence of all this, the Highway Trust Fund is now being drained. Like the hole in the dike, once a drip starts, torrents soon follow.

Since this trend now appears to be irreversible, it is only a matter of time (and very short at that) before a massive effort is mounted to scuttle the Fund entirely by withdrawing or eliminating all the taxes which presently flow into it. Then, highways will fend for themselves in obtaining revenues from the General Fund. And the street car boys will have to do the same, because they will no longer have the HTF to build their archaic systems for them.