Subject: House passes speed limit abolishment

From: [email-masked] (Kenneth E. Long)
Date: 20 Sep 1995 22:37:05 -0700

Well, the House of Representatives has finally passed that bill to let 
the states set their own speed limits.  Some Democrat politician said 
that this would turn our nation's highways into "killing fields."  They 
just can't stand to see this little bit of power they have slip through 
their fingers!  Is it too much to hope that more reasonable speed limits 
are on the way?

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From: [email-masked] (Toan Tran)
Date: 22 Sep 1995 17:10:59 GMT

> their fingers!  Is it too much to hope that more reasonable speed limits 

What do you mean by that?  I thought the states has always been able to
set their own speed limit (that is, if they decided to ignore the highway
fund).  What's in the bill?  Do you have a number, a description, or the
text of the bill.

--
 Toan Tran
 Hewlett Packard, California Design Center
 [email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (George Grapman)
Date: Sat, 23 Sep 1995 00:20:55 GMT

Kenneth E. Long ([email-masked]) wrote:
: Well, the House of Representatives has finally passed that bill to let 
: the states set their own speed limits.  Some Democrat politician said 
: that this would turn our nation's highways into "killing fields."  They 
: just can't stand to see this little bit of power they have slip through 
: their fingers!  Is it too much to hope that more reasonable speed limits 
: are on the way?

    Actually the 55 MPH legislation(a Nixon creation) never prohibited 
states from setting their own speed limits. It just took away federal 
highway funds from those states which did not impose the limit and not 
even the most ardent backers of states rights were ready to leave the 
federal trough.

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From: Rahul Dhesi <[email-masked]>
Date: 23 Sep 1995 01:04:56 GMT

In <[email-masked]> [email-masked] (George Grapman) writes:

>It just took away federal 

'Federal highway funds' is, of course, a euphemism for 'funds collected
from the People in the various States'.  The trough properly belonged
to the People (and the States) to begin with.  What could be a stronger
statement of States' rights than to insist that the State get at least
a piece of its own pie, if not all of it?
-- 
Rahul Dhesi <[email-masked]>
"please ignore Dhesi" -- Mark Crispin <[email-masked]>

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From: [email-masked]
Date: 22 Sep 1995 19:37:23 -0700

[email-masked] wrote:
 =     Actually the 55 MPH legislation(a Nixon creation) never prohibited 
 = states from setting their own speed limits. It just took away federal 
 = highway funds from those states which did not impose the limit and not 
 = even the most ardent backers of states rights were ready to leave the 
 = federal trough.

What federal trough?  It's money extorted from us and then some of it 
is given back if we promise to be good.  Anybody have any figures on 
federal gas taxes from California vs. highway funds for California?

BTW, does anyone else remember that ALL the California state gas taxes 
used be devoted to highway-related uses?

Bev                               [email-masked] 
*****************************************************************
"Let them eat shit."
               -- Marcel Antoinette, Marie's little-known brother

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From: [email-masked] (Michael Adams)
Date: Sat, 23 Sep 1995 17:08:29 GMT

This must have been a tough thing for the liberals to swallow.  They are 
not much for freedom.

Let us all know when Montana eliminates their daytime speed limit which 
they have been talking about.  I personally want to see what freedom 
feels like again.

Michael Adams
-- 
                                             [email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (George Grapman)
Date: Sat, 23 Sep 1995 20:11:55 GMT

Michael Adams ([email-masked]) wrote:
: This must have been a tough thing for the liberals to swallow.  They are 
: not much for freedom.

: Let us all know when Montana eliminates their daytime speed limit which 
: they have been talking about.  I personally want to see what freedom 
: feels like again.

    Actually the 55 MPH was a Nixon creation. If Montana or any other 
state chose to ignore it they were free to do so as long as they did not 
accept any federal highway funds.
   The concept of states rights,to some supporters,stops whenever it 
might incur any sacrifice.