Rank Has Its Privileges

The Arizona Sun breaks down some of the highway bill spending based on committee rank.

The higher the rank, the more money for your district:

• The Transportation Committee Chairman -- Don Young (R-AK) -- got nearly $1 billion in highway money for his district.
• The senior Democrat -- Rep James L. Oberstar (D-MN) -- landed $150 million for his district
• Senior committee members -- got between $60 million & $90 million each
• Other Representatives averaged $16 million each

The highway funds come from gasoline taxes you pay at the pump. That tax money goes to Washington and Congress decides how to spend it. Most of it goes back to state highway or transportation departments to spend as they see fit. But Congress members pad their districts with "earmarks" for specific projects -- requiring more money go home for that.

Rep John Shadegg (R-AZ) and Rep Trent Franks (R-AZ) propose changing the way the money's doled out. They want the earmarks ended and the money turned over to the states for better planning and control.