Thanks Mike!

It seems our new Congressman from the 9th District, Mike Sodrel, knows how to deliver the goods. The 109th Congress approved the $286 billion transportation budget Friday, which includes a windfall for the residents of Bloomington, Indiana to the tune of $4 million. The funding will be dedicated to support new or improved public transportation facilities and or new buses. There is already discussion underway the money could be utilized for a new downtown transportation facility to replace the one at Fourth and Washington.

Included in this new budget bill is more than $800 million per year for Indiana, a 34% increase in the rate of return on the federal gas tax receipts. This is reported to put Indiana number eight on the list of the states with the largest percentage of increase. Also included in the bill is partial funding for the I-69 project with a minimum of $400 million to be shared among the states involved in the highway extension.

In the past our representatives to Congress have done little to fight for Indiana’s fair share of the federal gas tax money. This money is divvied up by the Congress and dispersed in whatever manner they see fit. For years a significant portion of Indiana’s gas tax receipts have been used to fund highway projects in states like California and New York, all the while our roadways and highways have rapidly deteriorated, not to mention become antiquated by comparison. Bringing back our tax dollars to Indiana is a huge step in the right direction. Obviously Congressman Sodrel is a quick study by his ability to succeed where others have failed especially considering he has only been playing the game for a little over six months. Thanks to Mike’s hard work in Washington, Bloomington will soon have a better public transportation system with improved facilities and newer, more fuel efficient buses. This should go along way in assisting with local sustainability efforts of the current administration by making transportation more readily available to a larger segment of the population with a reduction in fuel consumption. Congressman Sodrel is doing a great job and deserves our support and our thanks.