Missing the Point

Blah blah Earmark blah.... Sound familiar? That's the sound of no context. Anyone else want an earmark story that discusses how our transportation funding is so broken that the only way for some places to get federal funding for transportation needs that George Will deems not important is through the earmark process? With a backlog of 50 years or more on the New Starts process, how many legislators are going to try to go through the back door to get something done? We all know what happens when there is an extreme shortage or overpriced good, a black market develops. In transportation funding world, the earmark system is just a black market for goods that are missing from the market. Is there a way to solve this issue? Perhaps if we figured this out, would earmarks disappear? Unlikely, but I believe there would be less need for certain types.