Posted on 10/11/2010 8:39:04 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama is pushing a $50 billion plan to upgrade the nation's transportation networks and create jobs, bringing governors and mayors to the White House to help him make the case.
Obama said Monday that clogged roads and crumbling infrastructure are costing American lives, eroding productivity and hindering economic growth. He spoke from the Rose Garden after meeting with state and local officials and Cabinet officials, who stood behind him for his comments.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
I may be wrong but isn’t that what the stimulus was for? Did all that get spent?
If the idea was any good it would come up through and would be paid for by the states; it would be voluntary and wouldn’t carry any mandates...
And then there is the whole issue of spending money we don’t have for things we don’t really need either...
Of course, Zer0 cares nothing for these issues. It’s bread and circuses and the ever-eager readiness to expand power.
This is the proposal of a tyrant.
There is something like 200+ Billion unspent!
I CAN SEE NOVEMBER FROM MY BACK DOOR!
Obama said Monday that clogged roads and crumbling infrastructure are costing American lives, eroding productivity and hindering economic growth
Given how much money we’ve spent on clogged roads and crumbling infrastructure, we should all be living in the newest most high tech buildings in the world. In fact, that’s been Obama’s impetus for basically every spending bill he’s signed except for healthcare. It’s like he thinks we live in Cuba or something.
I wish someone would just hollow him out and make a wet suit
Governments Don’t Create Jobs
Most of us who’ve objectively studied economics, history, business, and politics know that no government can create an abundance of sustainable and wealth-producing jobs. If governments could create jobs, then a private-sector economy wouldn’t be needed. This has been tried in economic systems such as communism, socialism and fascism, and we all know how well those kinds of economies have worked out.
Not surprisingly then, Obama’s economic “stimulus” has amounted to little more than “creating” jobs that are the modern-day equivalent of a hole-digging-hole-filling operation, with miniscule positive benefit to the currently stalled economy. That’s because, by definition, jobs “created” by government “stimulus” are jobs the private-sector economy didn’t/wouldn’t/couldn’t create because such jobs would not result in the creation of economically useful goods and services.
Worse, when the government stimulus stops as it invariably must, the government-created jobs will cease to exist because their only rationale for existence in the first place was government subsidy.
Even worse, the Obammunists have had to borrow the money for their various stimuli, obligating future generations to pay back this money with interest. Such wasteful borrowing is economically quite destructive in the long run for multiple reasons.
First, because government-stimulated jobs are not sustainable, the money has in fact been wasted, meaning the money could have been spent for something far more useful. For example, if the Obammunists had permanently reduced tax rates on private-sector job-creators, then real and sustainable private-sector job growth could have occurred. And while the deficit impact would initially have been the same as deficit “stimulus” spending, tax rate reductions would have produced new taxable wealth from the private-sector economy, creating new tax revenue that would offset the tax rate reductions.
Second, borrowed money has to eventually be paid back and with interest. Debt repayments reduce what the government has to spend in the future, and this weakens the government’s ability to fund essential projects such as the military, national security, law enforcement, medical research, consumer protection, national infrastructure, etc.
Finally, when too much borrowing has occurred, the government is forced to increase tax rates and/or promote inflationary policies to make it possible to both pay back its creditors and continue to operate. Both of these strategies are extremely detrimental to economic growth, plus inflation produces additional injury by wiping out the savings of those who were thrifty enough to delay gratification in exchange for a way to survive when they became too elderly to work full time.
Thus, while deficit “stimulus” spending may produce an initial ephemeral gain, it pretty quickly damages the future economy and everyone who participates in it.
The bottom line is that deficit stimulus spending is like a powerfully addictive drug. At first, the short term artificial improvement seems delightful, but then you’re forced to maintain, or even increase, the dose. If you stop cold-turkey, the resulting crash is awful, and yet the longer you go without stopping, the worse the crash. The problem of course is that eventually you must stop or otherwise you meet a fatal end.
So think about the above as the leftist media hammer their incessant drumbeat for continued, and even increased, deficit “stimulus” spending. How well has deficit “stimulus” worked out so far, and how well do you think more of the same would help? And finally, who are you going to support in the upcoming elections? Those who have promulgated wasteful and addictive deficit government “stimulus” or those who claim they will put our economy back on a self-sustaining course via private-sector growth?
We, as a nation, have spent huge amounts on intrastructure over the past 20 years. If the infrastructure is still "crumbling," it has been money very poorly spent and we have no reason to think this boondogle will do any better. As for "crowded roads," that is a function of development. We build roads an then development springs up along the roads. We expand roads and then more development springs up around those roads. Its a never-ending battle. The bottom line is that "crumbling infrastructure" and "crowded roads" are mindless slogans that the Dems and other transportation boondogle supporters use wtih little, if any, basis in reality.
this is the 4th one?
the $800 billion stimilus
and a few months ago, $30 billion for teachers
and then wasn’t there another $50b for infastructure a few weeks ago? I remember John Stewart made fun of it. Now its ANOTHER ONE?
YOU HAD A TRILLION DOLLARS TO SPEND!!! WHAT DID YOU DO WITH IT?
“obama...hates and wants to punish all who are considered to be rich...”
Except for himself and any rich donors, of course.
No, roughly half of the Stimulus monsy has not yet been spent.
The last breakdown I saw showed over $400 billion of the original Stimulus money still not spent.
The administration has a lot of double-talk explanations why that is the case, but effectively it is being held as a slush fund for Obama to buy patronage and votes in the run-up to his 2012 re-election campaign.
“Obama said Monday that clogged roads and crumbling infrastructure are costing American lives, eroding productivity and hindering economic growth.”
Women and children most hurt.
“Obama said Monday that clogged roads and crumbling infrastructure are costing American lives, eroding productivity and hindering economic growth.”
So clogged roads and crumbling infrastructure have the same agaenda as he does? :)
You forgot minorities. ;-)
Payback to Warren Buffett.
Buffett supported NObama from his earliest political days.
Buffett bought the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad last year.
Using tax payer dollars to repair/improve the PRIVATELY owned railroads is just plain wrong.
High speed rail is just as stupid as using corn for fuel.
Anyone born in Kenya hates a rich person.
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