The U.S. Department of Transportation imposed new regulations on airlines Jan. 24 that were supposed to benefit consumers. The rules require all government taxes and fees to be included in advertised fares and allow passengers to withhold payment for 24 hours after making a reservation, if it’s one week before the flight’s departure. Some consumers might be jumping for joy that the nanny state is imposing new rules on airlines. But for low-cost carries like Spirit Airlines, Southwest Airlines and Allegiant Air, it’s grounds for a lawsuit against the federal …
On September 26, the Department of Transportation (DOT) published a rule requiring modification of airline Web sites and automated kiosks at airports “to ensure that individuals with disabilities can readily use these technologies to obtain the same information and services as other members of the public.” Accessibility criteria apparently do not apply to the DOT, however. The comment period for the DOT’s proposed rulemaking was extended on November 21, but the notice of rulemaking indicates that the agency’s online public comment form “is not easily accessed” by individuals with visual …
Yesterday, I wrote about the House-passed bill H.R. 2887, which would reauthorize expiring aviation and surface transportation programs for a few months. Senator Tom Coburn (R–OK) is expected to offer an amendment to remove a mandate that forces states to waste 10 percent of all Federal Highway Administration money on something called Transportation Enhancements (TE). TE is a program run by the Department of Transportation to force states to build bike paths, “highway beautification,” and transportation museums. From my blog post: In the past, federal funds have been used by …
The House passed today H.R. 2887, a bill to reauthorize expiring aviation and surface transportation programs for a few months. Senator Tom Coburn (R–OK) is expected to hold up the bill in the Senate because of something called Transportation Enhancements (TE) included in the legislation. TE is a program run by the Department of Transportation to force states to build bike paths, “highway beautification,” and transportation museums. In the past, federal funds have been used by states to build animal highways for salamanders, frogs, and turtles. And liberals say there …
President Obama is accustomed to having his way—like trying to dictate the date and time when Congress would assemble for him to address a special joint session. But that’s small stuff. The big stuff is the dictatorial flood of regulations that Obama is imposing. He can’t get his big-government agenda through Congress anymore, so now he does it through the executive branch. A regulation is a law made by the executive branch—permitted only because Congress over decades passed a multitude of vague laws that empowered bureaucrats. Obama is taking advantage …
As the President’s ambitious passenger rail program falters, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood is attempting to stem defections by presenting the train program as a jobs program. In a recent blog, LaHood stated: In Meridian, Mississippi, for example, a small town mayor leveraged $1.3 million of public dollars and $135 million of private dollars to build a downtown transportation hub. Now, Amtrak service comes to the station and brings 350,000 passengers a year through a town of only 40,000. Rail has breathed new life—and new business—into a historic community.
The Obama administration is still in denial about the message the American people sent Washington last Tuesday. In letters to Ohio Governor-elect John Kasich and Wisconsin Governor-elect Scott Walker, obtained by Reuters, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood threatened to take away stimulus money from the states unless they used it for President Barack Obama’s high-speed rail plans. LaHood wrote: I respect the authority of governors to make decisions for their states. If, however, you choose not to participate in the program, we would like to engage in an orderly transition to …
In the 18 months following approval of President Obama’s stimulus package, the Department of Transportation required recipients of government funds to post placards touting the economic recovery. As a result, signs prominently featuring the recovery act logo appeared everywhere — by the side of the road, in public transportation stations, as bumper stickers on government vehicles. Then, abruptly, on July 15, the Department of Transportation relaxed its requirements. No longer would government agencies require grant recipients to mount the by-then-familiar signs: They would simply encourage them to do so. The …
“But don’t expect anyone in Congress to admit that taxpayers are paying around $6,000 to provide a $4,500 rebate for a foreigner or illegal immigrant to buy a new car. “ That’s Lurita Doan. She argues: “First, DOT created and staffed an entirely new organization with three divisions to administer the clunkers program. Second, the funding was allocated to cover extensive Help Desk telephonic support, promotional materials, mailers, travel, Web site development and maintenance. Plus, extensive administrative and managerial staffing was also funded. There is staffing to manage the contracts, …
