[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 111 (Thursday, July 31, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H6620]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            STEP 21 FOUNDATION BASED ON GREED, NOT FAIRNESS

  (Mr. WALSH asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, in the debate over the future of 
transportation in this country, STEP 21's continuing refrain that ISTEA 
is unfair because some States receive less Federal transportation money 
than they collect in Federal gasoline taxes is an invalid, misleading 
comparison.
  If the STEP 21 States believe that fairness in these matters is best 
defined by the amount of money a State sends to Washington, then such 
logic should be used on all moneys that pass between the Federal 
Government and the States.
  According to a study prepared by a major university, ISTEA works 
States send over $1,000 per person to Washington more than the STEP 21 
States. The average amount of taxes STEP 21 States send to Washington 
is $4,400 per capita, while the average ISTEA State sends $5,400 per 
capita. Where is the fairness in that?
  The study done annually on the balance of payments to the States 
clearly shows that when all funds are considered, most STEP 21 States 
are receiver States while ISTEA works States are the real donor States.

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