Transportation bill: it’s hard to see into the dark Machiavellian chambers of the Statehouse

But what I can see through the toxic mist, the hang-up for the transportation bill is that Republicans shrunk the Senate version which had a $2.5 billion transportation bill to about a $2 billion transportation bill to get a few of the more extreme right wing house members in the boondocks to vote for the bill.

 I think that the SEPTA service extension to Atglen, Parkesburg and Coatesville may be covered either way but I’m not sure of that. Maybe we need more than a 2 billion-transportation bill to get SEPTA service here. 

Either way we’re not getting more new roadways in SE Pennsylvania. Public transit especially rail and light rail is the only way to move more people and goods in SE Pennsylvania. And even the PA boondocks that suck on the tax money that we generate in SE Pennsylvania depend on expanding transportation here in SE, PA. 

 Democrats appear to be gunning for a larger transportation bill. They don't appear to be very far apart. But then I am watching this through that toxic mist. 

 “The plan sets a higher spending level than Gov. Corbett’s initial proposal, which topped out at $1.8 billion by the summer of 2018; but less than package that would raise $2.5 billion in new money.”

From:

House committee approves transportation funding bill, andfuel tax increase to support

See Harrisburg Patriot News for the latest on the budget.