4 FEB 2008: Kit Bond sponsoring megahighway/anti bicycle-walking-transit amendments

Update 6 Feb 2009: The Bond amendments and the Boxer/Inhofe amendments all appear to be dead now--thanks to a public outcry that reached the ears of Senator Boxer in California and Senators Bond and McCaskill in Missouri. Thanks to all who took time to contact the senators on this issue--your input really did make a difference this time.

It ain't over 'til it's over--meaning (in this case) that these ideas could re-surface any time before the bill is finally agreed to and passed by both the House & Senate--which should happen some time the week of Feb 9th. But for now these amendments appear to be dead.


Our own Missouri Senator Kit Bond is sponsoring or co-sponsoring a series of amendments to the stimulus bill to

- Take up to $50 billion more of stimulus money
- Take away up to $8 billion currently slated for transit
- Put all $58 billion in a special "highway-only" fund
- Say it is AOK to just go ahead and use that new money to build a whole lot of new highways without worrying about bicycling, walking, transit--or even maintenance of the current system

These proposals may come to a vote as soon as TODAY in the U.S. Senate.

--> Please take 2 minutes to send your senators a message

Senator Bond needs to find out that he will lose votes back at home when he makes these kind of proposals.

Missouri Senator McCaskill is a true swing vote on this type of issue--so it's very important to let her know that Missourians support spending our transportation dollars in a far smarter way.

--> And you can contact both senators in 2 minutes here

Tell your senators that road and highway repair is important but we don't need a huge amount of highway expansion now.

We need more rail, transit, bicycling and walking now so people can save money, become energy independent and have a cleaner environment.

As it is, they are barely funding bicycling and walking and giving some to rail and transit.

Worst of all, $8 billion of the proposal is actually to take money away from transit proposals already in the stimulus package and move it to building new highways.

Right now Missouri's transit systems are dealing with record-high usage while facing major budget cuts. Shouldn't that be a signal to *increase* transit funding to meet demand?

More info/details about the issues
We are urging senators to fight amendments that would raid high-speed rail and turn the recovery into a slush fund for highways. The Senate will finalize their proposal this week.

We have a real chance to create millions of jobs, reduce our dangerous dependence on foreign oil, protect our environment, and make America competitive again in world markets. I want to see streets that are safe for pedestrians and cyclists, high-speed trains, updated metro lines...not billions of dollars dumped into expanding the old highway system!

It's up to you and me to make sure that the Senate doesn't just write another blank-check bailout. We need to throw away the old playbook and start making transportation investments that really count, but we have to start now.

--> Please, join me and write your senators today!

Thanks so much for your help!