Kern County's Highway Coup

6 August 2005 - 7:00am

Representative Bill Thomas scores over $722 million from the Federal Highway Bill for Kerns County -- a move that has many in California perplexed.

"Despite its massive traffic-congestion problems, Los Angeles County got steamrolled in the recent fight for federal highway funds by nearby Kern County, which scored more than 15 times as much money per capita.

The difference was powerful Republican congressman Bill Thomas, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, whose clout paved the way for Kern County -- population 744,325 -- to receive more than $722 million in the federal transportation spending bill approved Friday."

Source: Los Angeles Daily News, August 3, 2005
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Even if the report overestimates the costs by a factor of two and underestimates the tax-benefit by a similar amount, the conclusion would be pretty much the same: destination resorts cost local government and taxpayers money.