John Stossel: Government Spent Your Gas-Tax Billions on Urban Transit

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As big-government folks worry that Republicans will cut transportation spending, Republicans debate adding another $10.5 billion to the Highway Trust Fund to keep it going another year—without deciding how to reform it. And reform is needed, argues John Stossel. Too little federal transportation money goes to building and repairing roads and bridges, while Congress uses gas taxes to pay for things like bicycle trails and urban transit. 

It's part of the larger problem with urban planners, who work closely with government to try and herd people out of suburbs and into denser urban areas. How about going the opposite route? asks Stossel. Let people live where they choose, let private entities build roads and mass transit, and let user fees from commuters pay for roads and transit.