Transportation: Passing the Buck - Again

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Caught between his campaign promise not to raise taxes and a general aversion to political risk, George Bush unveiled his "transportation strategy" last week. The glossy 129-page document is long range and comprehensive, but it may not help many Americans get to work faster. Like the education strategy announced earlier this year, the transportation plan indicates that Bush is more adept at identifying the nation's problems than at solving them.

Drafted by Transportation Secretary Samuel Skinner, the blueprint for repairing America's crumbling roads and easing airport congestion is almost silent on how to pay for what it recommends. Where it is specific, the plan proposes new or additional "user fees" and surcharges for air travelers and new authority for states to turn federally financed highways into toll roads. Translation: Bush wants to improve Americans' mobility, but he would prefer that local politicians raise the funds needed to break the transportation gridlock.