The Charlotte Observer has an excellent piece on the editorial page from a couple of weeks ago about the gas tax and the state highway budget funds and how they are used. It gives a lesson of fairly recent legislative history that serves to shine a light on the ignorance of many critics of the gas tax and how the money is used by the legislature.

Revenues for roads/highways goes into one of two funds in the state budget. The Highway Fund is used to pay for general maintenance and repairs of state-owned roads. It also pays for some smaller construction projects and transportation programs. Revenues that support this fund come from the state motor fuel tax and vehicle registration fees. No money from this fund is transferred to the General Funds in the state budget.

Howard Dean coming to Durham on the 31st? Dent says so.

It's the Upright Citizens' Brigade's take on the 2006 SOTU. It will hit you like a hurricane nobody could have predicted.

The Tar Heel Tavern is a showcase for North Carolina bloggers. This week, it's also something to read during the Superbowl that there's no real point in watching now anyway. We've got low-quantity/high-quality today at the Tavern, so I'll get right to the good stuff.

Nothing Could Be Finer: "Fighting Prostitution in Charlotte: 'Like squeezing a balloon...'" — It makes sense: you crack down in prostitution in one neighborhood, and you can expect to see the business move to nearby areas. This concept escaped the Charlotte City Council, though, so blogger Cicero has taken the time to document the results. My favorite part is the quote from Police Capt. John Diggs, discussing the possibility that sex workers will just move down the street: "We're hoping that this will inspire a lifestyle change on their part." Good plan, John.