Our citizens spend more time stuck in traffic than ever before - and the congestion just keeps getting worse. Wasting time sitting in traffic makes it harder to find family time, harder for businesses to operate efficiently, and pollutes the environment. North Carolina needs new thinking on environmental and transportation issues. We also need straight talk and clear vision on the problem of growth that outpaces infrastructure. The Liberal Democrats aren't addressing this issue because they have presided over the deterioration of our current roads and the slow pace of new construction.

One reason the Liberal Democrats haven't been getting the job done is their willingness to raid the Highway Trust Fund for additional monies to increase state spending from the General Fund. The Democrats recently raised the gas tax 10%, the biggest one-time jump in nearly 20 years. While they say they are bringing in gas tax money to build roads, their record says something else. The Liberal Democrats keep raiding these same monies from the Highway Trust Fund to feed big government. I believe that investing in good roads is critical for economic success - and have repeatedly called on the Liberal Democrats to stop abusing the public trust and restore integrity to our highway financing system.