One can even claim that Washington deserves a larger than average share because we’ve proven we can put it to good use. Washington has steadily improved its non-automobile infrastructure over the past two decades, partly with its own investments. Most other states have not done as much.

One issue might be whether Cantwell is bypassing the decision process to favor Washington, as opposed to letting all states come equally to the grant board. I don’t know the details of this situation enough to know whether this is the case.

I am against goverment funding any religious institute. Not for the reasons you think. This, like gay marriage, will lead to goverment take over of religion. I am against goverment recoginizing marriage. Marriage is a religious institute. As far as I am consern if it not religious it is not marriage.

So, you think only rich, white male landowners should be allowed to vote, then?

You’d support government funding for Jewish & Muslim institutions along with Christian institutions?

You’d support stripping away corporate “personhood”?

Since major religious institutions in this country (see Episcopalianss, UCC Church, Reform Judaism, and others) support not only LGBT people, but same-sex marriage, you’re fine with the federal government recognizing marriages solemnized by those faiths?

8-)

And there are as many shades of libertarianism as there are ‘liberalism’ or ‘conservatism.’

Also you seemed to have missed my point that Washington State is net contributer not a leacher. So basically this is just Washington State getting some of it’s money back.

FWIW, “poor” and “stupid” don’t necessarily go hand in hand, though I recognize that in some political philosophies they do. In reality, poverty (or relative poverty) and intelligence/motivation/potential are less linked by poor character and/or ability than resources at hand.

So personally, I have no problem with a state like New York partially funding infrastructure in Alabama for example.

“One nation, indivisible”, remember?

Some people think taxes should be spread out, going to rural areas that don’t have the base to otherwise pay. Some people think taxes should stay where they came from. Some think taxes shouln’t exist at all.

I will say this though: You really think disaster relief should be left in the hands of private charities?

The FEDERAL government has a reasonable interest in ensuring that a comprehensive network of roads and rails exist across the entire country, built to roughly an equivalent level of quality and standards. This is because we acknowledge that economic goods travel from region to region, that citizens wish to get from place to place. We can also look from a purely federal standpoint an the need to move troops and military equipment around as well as provide access to federal services such as the post office.

It’s not a question of whether STATES are “poor” or “uneducated.” States like Montana or Wyoming with small populations are not equipped to provide the level of funding to match the construction and maintenance of the network that crowded places like California or Massachusetts can afford.

I see nothing wrong with that, in general; but feel free to complain about stupid projects and special earmarking…