Did you know that every time you fill up a tank of gasoline you're sending money to Washington, D.C?
The Highway Trust Fund is funded by American taxpayers via gasoline taxes. The money is sent to Washington, wrapped in red tape and mandates, and then sent back to the states as long as the states agree to play ball.
The Daily Signals describes it like this:
The current system of using federal taxes to raise funds for grants to states primarily generates benefits for politicians, leaving taxpayers with the bill. State officials receive funds that are taxed at the federal level, and federal officials get to tout any benefits from the spending.
Elected officials should put the public good ahead of political concerns by reducing federal highway taxes and spending, and allowing state governments to take on a greater role. That would improve the value of highway spending by making projects faster, more efficient, and less dependent on Capitol Hill.
This is how the federal government has turned state legislatures into nothing more than local offices for federal agencies. By taking money from the states and then dictating how the states can spend their own money, the feds control everything from transportation policy to healthcare.
As Sen. Tom Coburn has pointed out, most states only control about 40% of their state budgets. The rest is hijacked by the feds via taxes and mandates.
It's time for the people and the states to take back control of their own futures -- and budgets.
Washington, D.C., will never willingly cede this control because they believe they know better than local and state governments. That's one of the many reasons why millions of patriotic Americans have joined the Article V Convention of States movement.
A Convention of States is called and controlled by the states and has the power to propose constitutional amendments. These amendments, once ratified by 38 states, can (among other things) limit the jurisdiction of the federal government.
This means that a Convention of States can reduce the number and types of things on which the U.S. Congress can collect and spend money. Under current constitutional law, Congress can spend money on virtually anything, from healthcare to transportation to housing.
Once the feds are no longer involved in these areas, regulatory control will transfer to the states, where local citizens can more easily affect how their money is spent.
A Convention of States is the only way to stop the feds from hijacking state budgets. The Founders included the Convention of States option in Article V for exactly this reason, and it's time we used it.
Sign the Petition below to show your support!
