IT'S ONLY MONEY, RIGHT?

        About a year ago I wrote a letter to the Journal about voters approving bond issues and that they contribute to the financial problems of the state. Well the other day I received my handy dandy Voters Information Handbook, as many of you did, and last  night I got a look at it. I couldn't believe what I was reading. The transportation bond, $86,866,140 interest $64,610, 579. That's not all hold on Cost of issuance 348,860, interest $259,444. TOTAL, Principle $87,215,000, interest $64,861,023, Total cost,$152,076,023.

         Even with matching federal fund we only come out about $20,000,000 ahead but we pay for this thing for the next 20 years. I f you think about it We're paying $152,076,023 to get $20,000,000. MAKE SENSE TO ME.

        Now lets see where the money will go. $80,000,000 will be used to match federal highway funds to provide direct funding for improvements to the state highways,rods and bridges. These improvements better be good because we'll be paying for them for the next 20 years.

       $3,570,000 will be used to match AVAILABLE matching funds to provide funding for a commuter rail and $2,645,000 will be used purchase new buses or to rehabilitate existing buses.

        If you read down there is a section titled USEFUL LIFE. Here is the kicker. The Dept of transportation estimates that the useful life of these improvements is 10 to 30 years which means we probably be voting on an other Bond before this one is paid for to do the some of the same improvements. The commuter rail use full life is 20 to 30 years, not much better.

       Here's the real kicker, they want over $7,000,000, That's if they get matching funds to fix or buy buses who's useful life is only 10 to 12 years which we'll be paying for for 20 years. This means we'll still be paying for these buses even after they've been scraped and turned into soup cans. Makes sense to me.

       The other they want is for open space and recreational development. ONLY $2,500.000 for which we'll pay, when all is said an done, only $4,359,000 BUT WHAT THE HELL IT'S ONLY MONEY, RIGHT?