Come and Take It

Sorry, I couldn’t help using the war cry of the Heroes of Gonzalez in response to the bit of news that the Obama Administration has $31 million in federal highway funds designated for Texas, if only if they would come on down and ask for it.

That’s all they have to do, ask for it.

$31 million in “free money.”

That’s a lot of pot holes.

Yes, here and now, when our infrastructure is starting to crack and crumble, we have been given the option of collecting $31 million in federal dollars to be used to fix our roads…or not. It is, after all, an option, and one that our governor has been known not to exercise from time to time.

Sometimes he gives the reason that there are too many strings attached to collection of the federal dollars, strings that tens of other states don’t mind tying themselves to. This time, there doesn’t seem to be any strings at all outside of the fact that the money must be spent on highways.

And must be applied for.

And must be applied for just weeks short of the General Election.

Strings, in other words.

But in this case, it isn’t money Texas can simply blow off and no one is the wiser. In this case, should Texas not participate in this nearly half a billion dollar government giveaway, other states will get to slice up the pie into larger and fewer pieces.

In other words, no grandstanding on TEA Party principles of opposition to government handouts. The money is going to be spent irregardless of what Texas does.

Now the point is, does Texas go for its slice of the pie or does it end up with egg on its face again?