Obama calls for 50 Billion in Infastructure Upgrades

[Zorkorist]

Mother Earth wouldn't fuck you.

-John

 

[OrByte]

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.

as far as California and the ARRA money...with rrespect to transportation projects, all of it has been "obligated" while expenditures being reported is dismally low

But its the "obligated" funds that are off the table...I imagine most states are operating in the same scenario
If the Fed "awards" more stim money...then States can go back to "obligating" more fed funds for projects.

Expenditures....are really the ass end of a long funding process.

 

[Nemesis 1]

lol, are you giving us nthe environmentalist arguement anout how we are all fucked?

-John

No . Scientific facts friend scientific facts.

 

[Darwin333]

I'm saying that cutting taxes brought forth a roaring economy during the 2000's, did it not? Of course, the fundamental problem isn't taxes or cutting them, it's shipping jobs, real paying jobs, out of the country. But of course, nothing that a good ole tax cut, especially for those at the top, won't fix. Look how it fixed the last decade.

What I am saying is that revenue was around the norm, except for after 9/11 and the current recession. So how do your tax cuts correlate into what happened during the last decade? We can talk about tax cuts all we want but revenue is the only thing that really matters and anyone with an objective view would quickly realize that.

I do agree with the rest of your post though, our issue isn't taxation, it is exporting all the labor we can and importing cheaper labor for the stuff we can't export.

Look, I agree that we need to raise taxes on the tippity top, I do not agree that $250K/year is the tippity top, but that doesn't come close to solving any of our problems. Unfortunately, our real problems, while relatively easy to solve, are not politically viable (both sides).

 

[Nemesis 1]

as far as California and the ARRA money...with rrespect to transportation projects, all of it has been "obligated" while expenditures being reported is dismally low

But its the "obligated" funds that are off the table...I imagine most states are operating in the same scenario
If the Fed "awards" more stim money...then States can go back to "obligating" more fed funds for projects.

Expenditures....are really the ass end of a long funding process.

The town outside our village got some stimulas money. Decided to expand the road that goes threw our village . We had special meeting about it . I asked the engineer if they had counters up . I knew they did . He said yes . I asked what the average of both lanes were in a 24 hour period. He said 1900 . I said that doesn't justify the work your doing. He said ya jt doesn't seem like a lot of traffic . We have to install a new lift station . Our village at a cost to Us of 150.000 . That set off alarms with me so I contacted the state . The city of Austin MN recieved stimulas money for the road project. Than I inquired about the village I live in on the pump lift station . That is also in the package . But the county is still going to put that 150,000 on our taxes . I asked the State attorny not to say anything until the deed was done so all involved get whats coming to them .

 

[OrByte]

The town outside our village got some stimulas money. Decided to expand the road that goes threw our village . We had special meeting about it . I asked the engineer if they had counters up . I knew they did . He said yes . I asked what the average of both lanes were in a 24 hour period. He said 1900 . I said that doesn't justify the work your doing. He said ya jt doesn't seem like a lot of traffic . We have to install a new lift station . Our village at a cost to Us of 150.000 . That set off alarms with me so I contacted the state . The city of Austin MN recieved stimulas money for the road project. Than I inquired about the village I live in on the pump lift station . That is also in the package . But the county is still going to put that 150,000 on our taxes . I asked the State attorny not to say anything until the deed was done so all involved get whats coming to them .

what would be coming to them exactly?

I dont know how it is supposed to work where you live but here in California we have city boards approve projects that are spec'd out and submitted for work by regional transportation groups. The short story: these projects are vetted and before any federal money is olbigated toward a specific project these boards and commissions spend alot of time and effort making sure that all requirements are met for Fed $$. And thats not even taking into account the scrutiny these funds are unde by fed agencies (FHWA, FTA) which is crushing our local resources.

It sounds to me like your village is doing a good job of spending money that they were awarded...money that could have gone to neighboring towns and or villages if yours didnt spend it.

 

[Nemesis 1]

We don't need the new lift station . We don't need the road work the 2 lane highway is in great shape. Austin is a 1 horse town . SPAM town . No other big businesses allowed in Austin Hormel corp has the county locked up . Call any law enforcement in MN outside of Mower county and asked them about mower county . They will tell you the truth . Mowe county doesn't play by the same rules other counties play by in my state . Its like were our own country. Its unblieveable here . Ya have to experiance the corruption to understand.

 

[OrByte]

We don't need the new lift station . We don't need the road work the 2 lane highway is in great shape. Austin is a 1 horse town . SPAM town . No other big businesses allowed in Austin Hormel corp has the county locked up . Call any law enforcement in MN outside of Mower county and asked them about mower county . They will tell you the truth . Mowe county doesn't play by the same rules other counties play by in my state . Its like were our own country. Its unblieveable here . Ya have to experiance the corruption to understand.

I will take your work for it.

In which case any rule breakers should pay a price for their misdeeds, because they are the ones making the rest of us jump through many hoops these days all in the name of "transparency and accountability"

 

[Hacp]

These projects are just moving shovels. I have a local street that is getting repaved 100%. The roads are in perfectly good condition. Yet they decide to repave everything. For a couple hundred million I presume. What a waste of taxpayer money.

 

[OrByte]

These projects are just moving shovels. I have a local street that is getting repaved 100%. The roads are in perfectly good condition. Yet they decide to repave everything. For a couple hundred million I presume. What a waste of taxpayer money.

not really for a couple of hundred million...

and overlay projects are the quickest way to put those fed funds to work. CIties/counties all across California lined up their overlay projects first for ARRA money

frees up other money (local,state/bond) for other long term/extensive projects

 

[Hacp]

not really for a couple of hundred million...

and overlay projects are the quickest way to put those fed funds to work. CIties/counties all across California lined up their overlay projects first for ARRA money

frees up other money (local,state/bond) for other long term/extensive projects

Except many of the roads probably don't need any work. They're probably good for another 20-30 years before they show any signs of wear and tear.

 

[CallMeJoe]

Except many of the roads probably don't need any work. They're probably good for another 20-30 years before they show any signs of wear and tear.

You're as brilliant at pavement as you are at your other interests. 10 to 12 years is typical life expectancy for an asphalt overlay project.

 

[senseamp]

Long overdue and 50B is not enough. Need a second stimulus bill.

 

[Nemesis 1]

I take it the above person is low income and doesn't pay 20,000 a year+ in taxes.

 

[ProfJohn]

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

How about selling straw men? At least then you could get in on the action with all your expertise.

 

[senseamp]

I take it the above person is low income and doesn't pay 20,000 a year+ in taxes.

try again

 

[irishScott]

Yeah, whenever I hear anything out of DC with the words "long term" it usually means "we can play off the immediate downsides by telling people to wait 10+ years". Yeah, call me once these upgrades actually come in under budget, and I'll give Obama the credit.

Great theory, good idea, but I have absolutely no faith in DC to properly execute it.

 

[manimal]

These projects are just moving shovels. I have a local street that is getting repaved 100%. The roads are in perfectly good condition. Yet they decide to repave everything. For a couple hundred million I presume. What a waste of taxpayer money.

What may look absolutely fine to the untrained eye may be already costing taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars in repaving and patching. I have family that works in Road paving. My wife's dad basically paved the bottom half of the state of illinois before he retired. Try talking about something you know something about instead of spouting off nonsensical crap....


The state of the roads in this country is almost a crisis. There are some areas that are converting back to gravel roads because they cannot maintain their roads properly. Investing in our infrastructure is absolutely the right thing to do right now because if the economy stays the way it is for a protracted period these things will get much worse.

Remember those bridges that collapsed a few years ago? Get used to it.....

 

[senseamp]

They are repairing some roads here that are in bad need of repair, using stimulus money. Of course, right wingers would prefer that the roads stay unrepaired and workers unemployed. Small gubment > *

 

[Zorkorist]

You mean the World Trade Center?!

Obama could choose to cut spending, but here he is spending more.

-John

 

[senseamp]

You mean the World Trade Center?!

Obama could choose to cut spending, but here he is spending more.

-John

Every billion spending cut = ~20000 more unemployed.

 

[Nemesis 1]

What may look absolutely fine to the untrained eye may be already costing taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars in repaving and patching. I have family that works in Road paving. My wife's dad basically paved the bottom half of the state of illinois before he retired. Try talking about something you know something about instead of spouting off nonsensical crap....


The state of the roads in this country is almost a crisis. There are some areas that are converting back to gravel roads because they cannot maintain their roads properly. Investing in our infrastructure is absolutely the right thing to do right now because if the economy stays the way it is for a protracted period these things will get much worse.

Remember those bridges that collapsed a few years ago? Get used to it.....

So your wife is italian and father inlaw is mob . I wouldn't brag about that. Waste Management anybody. LOL. The reason the roads are so bad is your state is runn by criminals for along long time now your roads were not built with spec materials nor was the foundation done to spec

 

[charrison]

Every billion spending cut = ~20000 more unemployed.

If the govt could only create jobs that cheaply.


And remember every billion the govt spends is a billion the private sector cant spend.

 

[manimal]

So your wife is italian and father inlaw is mob . I wouldn't brag about that. Waste Management anybody. LOL. The reason the roads are so bad is your state is runn by criminals for along long time now your roads were not built with spec materials

Dont pretend to know anything. I may be of Italian heritage but my wifes family grew up in Oklahoma and were settlers during the land rush. Her Father was an oil man working fields breaking his back before starting his own paving company. He was an original bootstrapper who actually made something from nothing...

Let me make some assumptions about you... Your a disgruntled tech worker who has been downsized and you blame everything on the government because they didnt bail you out...

hmm lets see another baseless assumption. You have a fetish for children on toilets......


If you care to know anything you should try to read and listen without those blinders on...

 

[Nemesis 1]

They are repairing some roads here that are in bad need of repair, using stimulus money. Of course, right wingers would prefer that the roads stay unrepaired and workers unemployed. Small gubment > *

A contruction worker attemting to justify shabby work in the first place. I not right or left . But I know this is all about short term jobs to overpaid lackies. With hugh kickbacks .