421 CHRONICLESnTrust Fund comes from highway users.nNo matter where you drive, or whatnthe state motor fuel taxes are there,nyou pay a federal tax of nine cents angallon when you buy gasoline, 15ncents a gallon for diesel, and threencents a gallon for gasohol. (There’s ansix-cents-per-gallon federal tax exemptionnon gasohol, which is another storynitself) The money goes to Washingtonnand into the Trust Fund, to be returnednto the states strictly for surfacentransportation purposes. User fees:nWhat a brilliant concept, hey?nExcept that those boys in Washingtonnget their hands on that money andnkind of lose hold of reality. They makensome states “donor” states, meaningnthat they get back from the Trust Fundnless than the federal motor fuel tax thatndrivers in their state contributed to it.nOther states are “recipient” states andnget back more than they put in. (Naturally,ndonor states feel more stronglynthan recipient states about getting thenfederal government out of their hair.)nThe feds also put unrelated stipulationsnon the states’ getting back thenmoney they have coming to them.nCompliance with clean air and waternstandards, the national speed limit, andna 21 -year-old drinking age are some ofnthe current hoops states must jumpnthrough before Washington tossesnthem the bone it took away from them.nBut that’s not the worst of it. Evennwhen all the criteria are met, statesndon’t receive permission to spend allnthe money they get. For instance, mynstate has been “authorized” aboutn$100 million in highway federal aidnthis year. That’s like being told that wenhave $100 million in the bank. But ourn”obligational authority” — the amountnwe can actually spend—is only aboutn$60 million. It’s this way for all 50nstates: a total of almost $10 billion sitsnuntouchable in the Trust Fund. Andnnot one of the transportation experts Inknow can offer a better explanationnthan that because of federal accountingnprocedures, spending the moneynwould make it look as if the nationalndeficit had been increased. All together,nclass: Highway transportation doesnNOT contribute to the national deficit.nThe Highway Trust Fund is selfsustaining.nFor one thing, the ByrdnAmendment prohibits spending morenthan comes into the Fund — anothernbrilliant concept.nThe money Congress so arrogantlyndribbles back to the states comes fromnpeople who live in or drive through thenstates. These people have been promisednthat the rather high motor fuel taxnthey pay will be used to improve andnmaintain the American surface transportationnsystem, so crucial to ourndefense and economic well-being. Butnnot only is the money taken from usnand then used to tease us into conformitynon unrelated issues, it’s also inndanger of being squandered on othernthan transportation purposes. Congressnperiodically considers using currentnHighway Trust Fund money, ornraising federal motor fuel taxes andnspending the increase, to balance thenbudget. This would mean, just forninstance, that highway user fees wouldnpay for abortions, divorces (by meansnof welfare and AFDC checks), and artngrants to the criminally untalented.nThen there’s research: The Departmentnof Transportation is reluctantlynconcluding a long, congressionallynmandated study of how to stop bigntrucks from splashing rain water ontonpassing cars. (Their conclusion: Youncan’t.) This oft-proposed raiding ofnJunior’s hard-earned college fund tonthrow an orgy is just not the behaviornof conscientious adults — but, then, isnanyone surprised? Remember, thesenfellows — and gals, I’m reminded tonsay — sneaked themselves a substantialnsalary increase while they sat on thenhighway bill and let the states sweat itnout for six months.nThe feds’ interference has turned ansimple, honest concept—users payingnfor the services they receive — intonsomething complicated, arbitrary,nand more than slightly malevolent.nThey’ve insinuated themselves into anfunction that the states could do better,nand hold us hostage by threatening usnwith the loss of money they have nonethical claim to. It’s unconscionable,nand it’s S.O.P. Live free or die? Go,nNew Hampshire!nJane Greer’s household will pay closento $100 in federal fuel taxes thisnyear.nnnLetter From Albionnby Andrei NavrozovnThree Days in Sodom, Two innGomorrahn”Party for a book? I’d love to,” Inmutter to my host as we land innSodom. Five days of vacation lie beforenme, and as we drive to the place —n”Where the old McAlpin used tonbe, downtown,” the limousine drivernreminisces — it is pleasant to think thatnpeople here still publish books. After anride in a freight elevator, a strangenscene greets us. A merry-go-round isnspinning in a giant cavernous spacenilluminated with colored lights. Youngnwomen in festive dress are standing inngroups of two or three. Some of them,naccompanied by middle-aged men, apparentlynthe guests, are already blurrednin the dizzying flight of the carousel.nThe Wilhelmina Agency is throwing anparty for a “booker.” A what? I see, Inhad misunderstood. The booker arrangesnthe engagements of an agency’snmodels. This is a modeling agency.n”So there is no book?” “What book?”nThe merry-go-round is spinning evennfaster now, an image out of a horrornmovie, a dream sequence in an artnfilm. A few of the women are screaming,nobligingly. Others stroll about thenfairground, talking to the guests. Vendorsnare on hand with ice-cream, hotndogs, cotton candy. I see, I am in anbordello. I am one of the guests.nI think of the book I read on thenplane, John Langdon Davies’ forgottenntreatise on nudism. The Future ofnNakedness (1929). One of the problemsnhe anticipates with nudism as anway of life: “… though in these daysnof clothes we can get on well without itnbeing possible to distinguish at a glancenbetween a prostitute and a leader ofnaristocratic society, it is perfectly clearnthat it would be impossible to get on ifnwe could not distinguish between anprostitute and a woman policeman.”nNext morning at Bergdorf’s, as instructed,nlooking for a formal shirt. Anman wearing a beaver coat looks like ancockroach from behind. He turnsnaround — now he looks exactly like ancockroach! Other shoppers — beasts,nvultures. Clawing, shrieking, pushingninto the unknown, tickling the brocadenwith one hand and feeling the lizardnwith the other. This counter isn