2012 Long-Term Reauthorization?

[Grzrd]

With the current short-term extension expiring on March 31 and November elections approaching, time is running short for possible passage of a long-term surface transportation reauthorization bill.  Jan. 25 Washington Post article reports that Ray LaHood is pessimistic that passage will occur this year:

"I believe we'll probably have to wait until next year to get to a surface transportation bill because of the huge differences,"  LaHood told a conference of transportation experts meeting in Washington. "Given the politics, the number of days that remain, the differences between what the Senate and the House are looking at, I think it's very unlikely that we'll have a surface transportation bill during this year."

Jan. 25 The Hill article reports that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce started an advertising campaign on Jan. 25 to promote passage of the bill.  I'm encouraged that, in balancing the political reality that most of the public does not want an increase in the gas tax with the economic reality that an increase in the gas tax probably makes sense as part of the solution of funding infrastructure improvements, the Chamber is open to the notion of promoting a gas tax increase (although not this year):

The Chamber will spend roughly a half a million dollars on Web, print, radio and television ads calling for passage of the legislation that will run in Washington and at least nine states. The "Make Transportation Job #1"  campaign will also include grassroots action by the Chamber and other groups ...
"We have got to let members know that this is a top priority for business,"  Janet Kavinoky, the Chamber's executive director of transportation and infrastructure, told The Hill. "It's time to go ahead and move the bill."  ...
President Obama renewed his cal for infrastructure spending in Tuesday's State of the Union address, telling lawmakers they need to invest in America again.
"So much of America needs to be rebuilt,"  Obama said. "We've got crumbling roads and bridges, a power grid that wastes too much energy, an incomplete high-speed broadband network that prevents a small business owner in rural America from selling her products all over the world."  
Kavinoky said many of the goals the president outlined in his address can be helped by passage of a new highway bill.
"If you want to double exports, increase manufacturing and provide relief for the construction industry, pass a long-term transportation bill,"  Kavinoky said. "I listened to the president and even though he didn't connect the dots, we will do it for him." ...
One of the biggest hurdles for the highway bill is finding a way to pay for it. The Chamber is open to an increase in the gas tax to help pay for the bill, though Kavinoky said that seems unlikely.
"Ideally, we want user fees to pay for the transportation bill, but I'm enough of a realist to know that's not realistic at the moment,"  she said.

Hate to be negative, but I think it's wait 'til next year ...

[Revive 755]

Might not be such a bad thing to wait another year depending upon where one lies on the political spectrum.

But there's no guarantee the same political gridlock won't remain even after the November elections anyway.