In today’s early edition of “Morning Consult,” an online digest of relevant public policy activities in the nation’s capital, the journal highlighted the disparities between the Senate and House versions of legislation to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). In April, the Senate passed their version overwhelmingly (95-3), while the House bill (approved by the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee) has not made it to the floor yet.
Flying High(er): Much-Needed Aviation Infrastructure Reform on the Horizon
Thanks to some thoughtful leadership on Capitol Hill, the skies could soon get a little friendlier for the travelling public and taxpayers, if innovations envisioned for the aviation industry come to fruition as the result of legislation being considered over the next several weeks. On February 3, 2016, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) introduced H.R. 4441, the Aviation Innovation, Reform, and Reauthorization (AIRR) Act. The current authorization of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) expires on March 31.
From Boondoggle to Bailout: Governor Hogan’s Wrong Turn on the Purple Line
The March 2015 edition of WasteWatcher included an article about local transit projects, “Transportation Boondoggles: Streetcars and Other Things Lacking Desire.” One of the culprits was the proposed Purple Line, a bait-and-switch,* multi-billion dollar, 16-mile light-rail line connecting New Carrollton and Bethesda, two Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C.
Gas Guzzling Highway Bill Chugs to the White House
Late on December 3, 2015, the Senate passed the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act with a vote of 83-16. Needing only a signature from the President to become law, the FAST Act is a hasty solution to a long-term problem without concern for the amount of taxpayer money it wastes. The FAST Act is […]
Blundering TSA Needs a Mid-Course Correction
In this post-9/11 world, Americans would not argue that the government should do everything possible to protect them from harm. However, an agency tasked with that mission has tallied a frightening number of failures in nearly every area of its mandate and is in need of more significant reform.
Sen. Warren Goes it Alone in Her War on Auto Dealers
Sen. Warren is having trouble getting anyone to support her war on auto dealer lending. A June 1, 2015 Politico article stated that Warren has been actively trying to garner cosponsors for legislation that attempts to bring the auto finance industry under the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s regulatory jurisdiction. The only problem? Even her fellow Democratic senators […]
The Ghoulish Amtrak Blame Game
Within hours of the deadly crash of an Amtrak train in Philadelphia, big spenders from Washington and New York pounced on the tragedy as a reason to throw more taxpayer money Amtrak’s way. Let’s begin with the fact that eight people lost their lives in this accident. More than 200 were injured. Politicians and liberal […]
Transportation Boondoggles: Streetcars (and Other Things) Lacking Desire
The road to hell may be paved with good intentions, but in the “DMV” (not the Department of Motor Vehicles, but a local acronym describing the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia), it is lined with ill-conceived transit projects, some of which are being given greater scrutiny by chastened elected leaders.
Keeping the Skies Safe
As air travel becomes ubiquitous, the federal government must ensure that the crowded skies are both friendly and safe. In order to reassure the public that these objectives can be achieved, the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) air traffic control system must be modernized and air traffic controllers must be adequately trained.
McAuliffe’s Shakedown in Charlottesville: Highway Robbery
“Road to Rio” was a popular 1947 installment of the “Road” series of comedies starring Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, and Dorothy Lamour. But in 2015, it is “Rio Road” that is not sitting well with audiences in Charlottesville, Virginia.