Obama calls for 50 Billion in Infastructure Upgrades

[MrMatt]

cnn Link

Milwaukee, Wisconsin (CNN) -- President Barack Obama unveiled on Monday a $50 billion plan to renew the country's transportation infrastructure, create jobs and spark economic growth.

His address is the first of two speeches the president plans to make this week in an attempt to frame his administration's response to the recession, less than two months ahead of midterm elections where Democratic majorities in the House and Senate are in jeopardy.

"Today, I am announcing a new plan for rebuilding and modernizing America's roads, and rails and runways for the long term," said Obama, who spoke on Labor Day in Milwaukee, Wisconsin -- a state that has extremely competitive gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races. "I want America to have the best infrastructure in the world."

The proposal envisions rebuilding 150,000 miles of roads, constructing and maintaining 4,000 miles of railways, and restoring 150 miles of runways for air traffic while modernizing the nation's air traffic control system in an effort to reduce delays and travel time.

Obama plans to work with Congress to enact a $50 billion "up-front investment," and then pair it with "a long-term framework to reform and expand our nation's investment in transportation infrastructure," a White House statement said.

The long-term framework includes the establishment of an Infrastructure Bank "to leverage federal dollars and focus on investments of national and regional significance that often fall through the cracks in the current siloed transportation programs," the White House added.

The administration hopes that both parties can work together on the transportation initiative.

"This is a plan that will be fully paid for. It will not add to the deficit over time -- we're going to work with Congress to see to that," said the president. "This will not only create jobs immediately. It's also going to make our economy hum over the long haul."

Obama is focused this week on the economy, following a week in which his administration concentrated on Middle East peace talks and the end of America's combat role in Iraq.

Senior aides have said the president recently asked his economic team to come up with various proposals he could roll out to show that amid high anxiety across the nation, he's working hard to jump-start the economy -- including more federal spending on infrastructure projects and tax cuts popular with the business community, such as a permanent extension of the research and development tax credit.

However, a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Friday suggests the White House still has some work to do to win over the American public on its ability to manage the economy.

The poll indicates that the public gives the president poor marks -- with four in 10 giving him a thumbs up on the economy and nearly six in 10 disapproving of his track record on the issue, which remains No. 1 in the minds of Americans.

On Wednesday, the president is scheduled to deliver an economic speech in hard-hit Cleveland, Ohio -- a state that has very competitive gubernatorial, U.S. Senate, and U.S. House battles that will help determine control of both chambers of Congress.

I do NOT like Obama at all, but I don't disagree with this idea at all. Our infrastructure is ridiculous in this country. What I wish he had done was not concocted you know..the..trillions of dollars he threw at shit before this.

 

[waggy]

i agree. i don't mind the money being spent as long as its something right. bailing out company's is not it.

 

[Freshgeardude]

agreed with both above.

I am perfectly fine with this, creates jobs, and improves stuff.

i am not fine with throwing money at companies unorganized and having millions swallowed up as bonuses and such

 

[MotF Bane]

Wasn't infrastructure supposed to be part of the original "stimulus" bill? :hmm:

The long-term framework includes the establishment of an Infrastructure Bank "to leverage federal dollars and focus on investments of national and regional significance that often fall through the cracks in the current siloed transportation programs," the White House added.

Ah, so another federal agency to keep more paper-pushers on the public payroll.

"This is a plan that will be fully paid for. It will not add to the deficit over time -- we're going to work with Congress to see to that," said the president. "This will not only create jobs immediately. It's also going to make our economy hum over the long haul."

Yeah fucking right.

 

[spidey07]

Que up the gif of him throwing money all around. What happened to all that stimulus money that was supposed to be for infrastructure? Did it just disappear?

 

[alphatarget1]

Yeah, how much $$$ are we going to piss away on "infrastructure projects"?

http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_16001817?source=rss&nclick_check=1

They want to build a monorail of some sort from a BART station in Oakland, CA to the Oakland airport. for $484 MILLION dollars. That's 1/2 a billion dollars.

Of course, the Feds will fund "infrastructure projects" because they can just print money to feel good about themselves.

Infrastructure projects aren't about making sound engineering/societal decisions anymore. It's about paying off the biggest, richest contractors.

 

[Fear No Evil]

Que up the gif of him throwing money all around. What happened to all that stimulus money that was supposed to be for infrastructure? Did it just disappear?

Yes.. yes it did. As will this money.

 

[Narmer]

So he wants to upgrade our infrastructure. But he also wants to let the illegals flow freely into the country. I think this may stimulate the Mexican economy more than our own with these bastard construction companies trying to maximize profits...

 

[cubby1223]

Too much of the plans are bullshit, though.

Like here in Illinois we're going to build a high-speed train line from Chicago to St. Louis. The current line runs trains with a top speed of 80mph. We are going to spend over a billion dollars of our tax money to replace that line for a train with a top speed of *gasp* 110mph!!! What a damn waste of money if I ever saw one.

Don't you think for a billion dollars the goal should be the bullet trains that run max speed of 150-200mph? You know, something that would actually succeed in getting people to buy train tickets instead of driving?

It's one thing to say, hooray for infrastructure upgrades!!! The devil is always in the details.

 

[jpeyton]

Awesome news. Our infrastructure is old.

 

[JSt0rm]

How about we go to war instead? Will you all feel safe then?

 

[Engineer]

Que up the gif of him throwing money all around. What happened to all that stimulus money that was supposed to be for infrastructure? Did it just disappear?

I see all kinds of road construction (even near Louisville) with the big sign stating it's stimulus money. As for stimulus money, CNBC stated Friday that 50% of it had been spent so far. Not sure why he needs NEW money (assuming it is) when the old money hasn't been spent yet.

 

[hal2kilo]

Wasn't infrastructure supposed to be part of the original "stimulus" bill? :hmm:



Ah, so another federal agency to keep more paper-pushers on the public payroll.



Yeah fucking right.

Pretty much had to trade that away to givie everybody $400 (single) or $800 (married) so a couple Repugs would vote for it.

 

[Fenixgoon]

I see all kinds of road construction (even near Louisville) with the big sign stating it's stimulus money. As for stimulus money, CNBC stated Friday that 50% of it had been spent so far. Not sure why he needs NEW money (assuming it is) when the old money hasn't been spent yet.

always reminds me of this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZmHDEa0Y20

ibm had a few other commercials just like it.

 

[Hacp]

Total BS. Just another disguise to fund overpaid union workers.

 

[Robor]

Total BS. Just another disguise to fund overpaid union workers.

LOL... Yes, it's the evil unions again. Have you ever even had a job?

 

[Zorkorist]

Where's the President that called for reducing the size of Government?

Stopping spending, stopping taxes.

Oh yeah, it was Reagan...

Too many Presidents ago.

-John

 

[OCGuy]

Hopefully the Chinese will agree to fund another round.

Oh wait, maybe they dont have to! We can "buy" our own bonds again. AKA print fucking money.

I believe what Obama is doing is called "doubling down."

 

[Zorkorist]

He's shooting our wad...

And paying any one that will take his money.

-John

 

[Robor]

Where's the President that called for reducing the size of Government?

Stopping spending, stopping taxes.

Oh yeah, it was Reagan...

Too many Presidents ago.

-John

LOL

 

[Zorkorist]

Too bad, the only people taht will take his money are the Chinese, that love to speculate.

He's got to be saying to himself, where are all the stimulus dollars going?

-John

 

[Zorkorist]

LOL

You might laugh, but it isn'y funny.

You do realize that Obama will top that list, while achieving niothing?

-John

 

[IGBT]

billions and billions,billions and billions,billions and billions,billions and billions, bushes fault,billions and billions and I'll spend billions and billions and tax billions and billions of your earned income. 1000000000000 and 1000000000000 and 1000000000000 of money we don't have.

 

[Zorkorist]

Too bad, the only people taht will take his money are the Chinese, that love to speculate.

He's got to be saying to himself, where are all the stimulus dollars going?

-John

The way to bring America back, is not more spending.

It's less spending and less taxes.

-John

 

[spidey07]

LOL... Yes, it's the evil unions again. Have you ever even had a job?

He has a very valid point. How much of this is going to union labor? I'd say a conservative estimate of 90% would be damn close. I deal with major construction all the time.