I mean, what else can you do when the state of North Carolina gets all of $10m. in federal stimulus cash out of a $1.5b. jackpot?
The non-snicker part is the fact that a new $330m. Yadkin River bridge for I-85 is an absolute crying need. It is nothing less than a choke-point for the regional economy, a half-century old throttle on our economic engine. Yet as bad as all this is, it gets worse.
For one, state officials say they are shocked — yes, shocked — that the feds are not funding at least half the cost of the bridge. Just when you think they could not possibly be more out of touch. NC DOT’s official plan for building critical infrastructure was to buy a lottery ticket. Absolutely stunning.
Then we have the all-too snicker worthy spectacle of the North line. The $400m. project got a big goose egg from the feds. This prompted Cornelius Mayor and North line hardcase Jeff Tarte to issue this clip-n-save declaration:
It will require finding buckets of money. We’ll have to go dialing for dollars. We won’t get it from a single source.
Yes! When a lottery doesn’t work — a telethon! Please call now and make your pledge now to keep the North line alive. Gifts of over $50 receive this lovely tea cozy….
Seriously, now you see why the folks up North are so hacked off over Charlotte’s application for $25m. in federal streetcar lotto money. They might need that bucket too. Geez.
And dead serious now: What does it say about our crazy, whacked-out, upside down transportation priorities that a rump of a streetcar that might move a couple hundred people day while adding to congestion is still in the running for federal money but a vital Interstate bridge handling thousands of vehicles a day is not?
Take it away Nelson Muntz.
