Fletcher & Beshear's courageous stand...NOT!

From the front page of yesterday's C-J, Marcus Green reports on the position of the gubernatorial candidates on transportation issues, especially the Louisville bridge projects.

Incumbent Gov. Ernie Fletcher and challenger Steve Beshear both say the project is important to Louisville and the state...[But] both oppose raising Kentucky's gasoline tax to help pay for building and maintaining the state's roads and bridges. They also are against tolls as a potential method of financing the Ohio River bridges project...

So, they're for the benefits but against the costs. Thanks guys! In the next article, we'll probably read about how they support "sunshine on a cloudy day".

On top of that, the C-J's front section editor let them both off the hook by titling the article "Candidates favor bridges" with a much smaller sub-title on their opposition to tolls and gas taxes to pay for it.

"I have worked hard to eliminate tolls in Kentucky, and am committed to do everything I can to fund those bridges without tolls," Fletcher said...

So Fletcher is also proud of eliminating user fees for roads, preferring the money to come from the general treasury instead. Why is it preferable to take money from average taxpayers from across the state-- rather than those who will benefit from the bridge?

Beshear also said he's against tolls, yet acknowledged that the size and cost of the Louisville bridges venture and other "megaprojects" -- roads or bridges that typically cost at least $1 billion -- will require innovative approaches.

"We must bring state government, the federal government and the Jefferson County community together to look at our options and find an answer which will work," Beshear said. He did not elaborate.

"Innovative approaches". Blah, blah, blah. Bring the state, federal, and local community together to look at options. Blah, blah, blah. He didn't elaborate? No kidding...

It's a good thing that we don't rely on effective government for very much...