Democrats bristle at Trump infrastructure plans

ABC 7 News ^ | April 6, 2017 | Joan Lowy (Associated Press)

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

WASHINGTON (AP) - Democrats had hoped the one big policy area they could find common ground with President Donald Trump on was infrastructure, but they don't like what they're hearing from administration officials about the transportation portion of the plan that's still in the works.

Trump has promised to generate $1 trillion in infrastructure spending over 10 years. With two of his other top campaign pledges in trouble - an effort to repeal and replace the Obama administration health care law has failed so far, and without savings to the government from health care changes there may not be enough money to pay for lowering tax rates - infrastructure appeared to be an area ripe for bipartisan compromise.

[BenLurkin]

“Democrats say they worry that Trump’s plan will focus on trying to entice more private investment in transportation projects and reduce regulations that require environmental reviews and community consultation on projects...”

Translation: “We Democrats have always used public spending as a way to line our pockets individually, and increase our power as a Party. An d that has to be part of your bill.”

[SecAmndmt]

We do not want any more TTC projects. Not interested in any infrastructure plans which benefit private interests while sticking it to landowners. The local coordination process protects the stakeholders from federal overreach.

[A_Former_Democrat]

Further proof they don’t care about anything but themselves

Any one of them would have worthy projects in their district, but that isn’t important

[KC_Conspirator]

No $hit. They spent how much with Porkulus years ago not a damn thing got done except lining pockets of democrat party special interests?

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Translation: “We Democrats have always used public spending as a way to line our pockets individually, and increase our power as a Party. An d that has to be part of your bill.”

+1

My VERY first thought, too!

*TRUMP BUMP* :)

[yldstrk]

Yes, the democrats want control over the graft and corruption that goes with construction bidding process and contracts.

[Polyxene]

DemocRATs bristle at everything Republican or Trump! Bunch of frickin’ hedgehogs!

[BOBWADE]

I really don't remember there were its repeal in your place until after he had won the nomination and was set to win the election. Up to that point the Republicans have been promising to just repeal. I think we just need to set up a high-risk pool for all those who got screwed out of personal insurance and can no longer buy private coverage. Do this to protect those that were screwed by the Obama zero care plan then we can just outright change the Senate rules and repeal the entire Obamacare package. Repeal and replace is a term that was manufactured by The Establishment Republicans. If you look back over the last eight years, the word repeal was seldom used with the term replace.

[DoughtyOne]

Wow, so much misinformation in this one.

[TheCipher]

there may not be enough money to pay for lowering tax rates

Sick of this liberal talking point of having to pay for lowering tax rates. Lowering tax rates brings in more money to the treasury. There is no need to pay for lowering rates.

[spokeshave]

Hedgehog eh....roll in mud...roast slow. ...when done. ..peal off the clay and bristles. ....yummy bit gamey.

[SoFloFreeper]

With two of his other top campaign pledges in trouble - an effort to repeal and replace the Obama administration health care law has failed so far, and without savings to the government from health care changes there may not be enough money to pay for lowering tax rates....

[Moonman62]

Translation: “We Democrats have always used public spending as a way to line our pockets individually, and increase our power as a Party. An d that has to be part of your bill.”

...

Yep. Crooked politicians love big expensive construction projects because it’s so easy for them steal the money and not get caught.

[Revolutionary]

One of the key reasons for the infrastructure initiative is to show what happens when you actually spend the money on infrastructure instead of it going into the cesspool of liberal corruption.

[rb22982]

It depends where on the laffer curve we are.

[tumblindice]

We need to remind them, as often as possible/necessary, that we won: And next election they don't get to claim dead voters, voters here illegally, voters in rest homes counting their toes and their community organizers and friends voting multiple times.

[sheana]

Obamas stimulous bill has been built in to the continuing resolutions ever since. It wasn’t just a one time thing. The politicians have had that much more money every year ever since. What have they done with it? I say cut all the departments and use the money saved if they want more. No more infrastructure bills.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

And remember, in the final tally in December, Trump only lost 2 e.v.'s while Hillary lost 5.

WINNING!

[Kellis91789]

Isn’t there a disconnect between “rebuilding infrastructure” and “permitting and environmental impact studies” ? If the infrastructure — highway, bridge, port, dam — already exists but needs upgrading, what is the point in requiring studies or permits ? Screw the “streamlining” from 10 years to 2 years. Request bids for a month and then award the contract.

As far as public/private partnerships go, all I ever hear about is “toll roads”. In the 19th century, the railroads were granted land and rights of way, and built the railroads out of their own pockets and for their own use.

We should trade some of the public lands to businesses to develop in exchange for them building the infrastructure — roads, rails, water, power — we need. No federal spending, just land grants. One benefit of a private company building infrastructure on their own dime, and then gifting it to the government, is the amount of graft and union padding and cost overruns would be less.