Dear Congresswoman Tauscher,
The Obama Administration has pledged $767 billion to the Economic Stimulus Act of 2009. The main themes of this undertaking are increasing domestic employment, and infrastructure expansion and rehabilitation. I am writing to you to plea for a bit of infrastructure spending in your own congressional district. Specifically, I am requesting you submit, for consideration, the remediation of the Interstate 680 Freeway between Walnut Creek and Pleasanton. Its current state of repair is an embarrassment, to say the least, for a major urban highway in a developed country. I have driven on better roads in third world contries.
You are the congressional representatve to one of the most prosperous and wealthiest constituencies in California, if not the entire U.S. Your district contributes far above the national average of tax dollars to the U.S Treasury. We are self-sufficient, and rarely ask much, if anything, from the United States Federal Government. However, in this matter, I seriously don’t think local school bake sales are going to raise enough revenue to fund, in my estimation, what would be about a $50 million project, (or approximately 0.015 0f 1% of the $767 billion spending plan).
The teeth jarring 45 minute commute I endure has become a dreaded daily routine. With all the potholes, pavement fissures, dips, and uneven patchwork, the simple pleasure of listening to a CD while driving has become quite a challenge. A little money spent on slapping a new coat of asphalt on this abonination of a highway, might even lead to the renaming of this stretch of road to the “Ellen Tauscher Freeway”.
You have been lauded as a no-nonsense and pragmatic leader. Taking care of this matter before assuming your new appointment as Undersecretary of State for Arms Control, would be greatly appreciated by all.
Respectfully,
David R. Hughes
Lafayette, CA
