The Biden infrastructure plan

[Homerboy]

Damn, imagine how quickly we would've gotten it if Joe wasn't so sleepy! Which, we waited what 4 years for Turmp to come up with one, so imagine how long it would've taken if he was as sleep as Joe!

Looks well done. I'm sure you could argue for different allocations, but lots to like there and it lays out a good framework for dealing with climate change and other externalities of that infrastructure.

That's the funny thing. It's not like Biden or any other President sits down and pens these things out themselves. Its the fact that Biden has competent staff in place and supporting congressmen/women and in the Senate as well. The whole reason Trump didn't get things done is because A) he was Trump B) his staff sucked C) GOP elected officials suck. All of them had no interest in moving the country forward - or even allowing it to just tread water. Biden (and the Democrats) just have a good team that actually works.

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

The difference is that despite the damage some semis do, they are far more essential and contribute far more to the economy than most passenger car miles.

There need to be limits though. Michigan allows up to 160,000 lbs for example, which needs to be cut back.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

And in particular, factoring in a non-linear GVW multiplier - as highway road damage more like a 4th order power exponent on each axle weight (often referenced as the fourth power law).

That is, doubling the axle weight, results in about 16 times as much damage. Or a single loaded rig putting 16,000 pounds on each of 5 axles causes about as much road damage, per mile, as roughly 10,000 average cars (each at ~2,000 pounds per axle) over that same mile of highway.

I bet we'd have more rail in the US if it cost 100k in additional fees to transport a truck load of material.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

The difference is that despite the damage some semis do, they are far more essential and contribute far more to the economy than most passenger car miles.

There need to be limits though. Michigan allows up to 160,000 lbs for example, which needs to be cut back.

That's kind of like saying that IT is a cost center because it brings in no revenue. People driving in passenger vehicles *is* the economy.

 

[manly]

Doesn't anyone here care about the jerb creators??

I mean I know the chamber is going to be anti-tax but this does seem like the wrong approach. Try to scare people that prices will go up or something instead.

Higher taxes on corporations are quite popular and they got a big gift in the TCJA that Americans quite disapproved of.

What difference does it make how popular a policy is when approximately half the federal legislature will never vote to raise a cent in taxes? The modern GOP doesn't even exhibit the pretense of actual governance anymore; it's obstruction and court-packing when possible, all day every day.

The last time Obama tried to negotiate a "Grand Bargain" with the GOP, he put entitlement cuts on the table (SS was always thought to be an untouchable third rail) in exchange for new revenues. Both parties sensed a deal was within striking distance, until Speaker Boehner yanked back new taxes because he couldn't get his caucus to agree. As much as I disagree with Boehner's politics, he was at least a person you could sit down and negotiate against. The GOP has only gotten more kooky since.

 

[brandonbull]

A republican mandate is winning a majority in the government with a minority of votes.

And a Liberal mandate is to keep importing voters from other countries until you can manipulate the vote.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

And a Liberal mandate is to keep importing voters from other countries until you can manipulate the vote.

Wut?
Exactly how, I am interested in how this works without being detected

 

[ivwshane]

And a Liberal mandate is to keep importing voters from other countries until you can manipulate the vote.

Keep importing voters? Do you even know how America works you fucking dumb ass traitor?

 

[eelw]

Lol not sure why I haven't ignored brandonbull$hit yet. Ready to ignore the one in the vaccine topic and idiot in the trial topic

 

[Pohemi]

And a Liberal mandate is to keep importing voters from other countries until you can manipulate the vote.

Holy shit, you're seriously stupid.

You don't/can't "import voters" unless they nationalize and become citizens, which takes years. And liberals don't need them to.
Democrats already hold a majority of voters. It's republicans clinging to minority rule that are more interested in passing laws to limit voting.

But you know that. You're just a dishonest shithead.

 

[Thump553]

Pretty interesting article referencing a whole lot studies showing how bad the US infrastructure is and how unfunded it has been for years, even decades:

The State of U.S. Infrastructure

The Joe Biden administration is implementing the largest federal investment in infrastructure in decades. Here’s why infrastructure matters for U.S. economic competitiveness.

www.cfr.org

For example, European countries spend roughly 5% of GDP on infrastructure, China is at 8% and climbing, while we are at 2.4%-not even enough to sustain what we have.

 

[Homerboy]

And a Liberal mandate is to keep importing voters from other countries until you can manipulate the vote.

So just Native Americans should get to vote? I'm Ok with that.

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

Didja' know the water utility delivery system isn't 'infrastructure'?

Kristi Noem's statement on pipes not being infrastructure sums up her party's confused reaction to Biden's plan

South Dakota's Republican governor told Fox News she was shocked at how much in Biden's bill wasn't infrastructure — including water pipes.

www.businessinsider.com

 

[skyking]

" Imagine living in Omaha and working in Chicago, with incredibly fast high speed rail making all that possible? "

No because pissing away energy like that is just redonkulous. Live near where you work.
We can't keep consuming energy like that, no matter if we generate it ourselves or not.

 

[compcons]

I agree, I bought a new house last year and I've been looking into rooftop solar, and it just does not seem to make economic since at the current prices. It would cost about 1/3 the cost of my house, and only last about 10 years.
When I worked out the math it was very nearly break even, if I could pay for it cash. If I have to finance it (which I would) it becomes much more expensive then just buying electricity.

There is a company in IL (sunrun I think) who does the door to door thing. Their deal is to cover the cost of the panels and recoup their cost by selling your excess electricity. They essentially finance the cost and take your electricity as payment while netting out your electricity usage. It is an interesting model, but didn't work for us. Panels aren't efficient enough and the majority of the roof exposure is facing south. Ideally, it is east west since it gets partial exposure all day. Until efficiency goes up, I can't counter the ridiculous electricity usage in my home.

Plus, panels are ugly. Until someone comes with an alternative to Tesla panels, I am going to
sit tight.

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

Plus, panels are ugly.

There is a plan to make them look like shingles or other traditional roofing.


What I don't understand is more more utilities haven't embraced the systems and installed them on their own properties. Every substation could have a 'solar panel canopy' over it for example.

 

[darkswordsman17]

That's the funny thing. It's not like Biden or any other President sits down and pens these things out themselves. Its the fact that Biden has competent staff in place and supporting congressmen/women and in the Senate as well. The whole reason Trump didn't get things done is because A) he was Trump B) his staff sucked C) GOP elected officials suck. All of them had no interest in moving the country forward - or even allowing it to just tread water. Biden (and the Democrats) just have a good team that actually works.

Duh?

Where's one of the pics about explaining the joke ruining it...

 

[Ken g6]

Breaking: Biden policy plans killed by Manchin (D?-WV)

Most of Joe Biden's policies were found dead in West Virginia this morning. Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia confessed to the murder.

I simply do not believe budget reconciliation should replace regular order in the Senate. How is that good for the future of this nation?

Though he seemed to be in a somewhat irrational state.

Republicans, however, have a responsibility to stop saying no, and participate in finding real compromise with Democrats.

Democrat Joe Manchin opposes eliminating or weakening the Senate filibuster under any circumstance

www.cnbc.com

So, Biden's green policies are pretty much completely dead. At this rate we might get an infrastructure bill with roads, bridges, and coal subsidies. More likely, Moscow Mitch will block everything.

The thing is, because green energy is so much cheaper than fossil fuels, the transition to it can't be stopped; only slowed down. So four years of green policies followed by Republican obstruction would actually be better than nothing, because the transition effects in those four years couldn't be reversed.

At any rate, the only path I see now to passing anything is blocking the use of reconciliation for everything, including the debt ceiling. Then attach green policies to a debt ceiling increase. I, for one, would rather default on the national debt than default on our children's climate.

 

[K1052]

Breaking: Biden policy plans killed by Manchin (D?-WV)

Most of Joe Biden's policies were found dead in West Virginia this morning. Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia confessed to the murder.



Though he seemed to be in a somewhat irrational state.

Democrat Joe Manchin opposes eliminating or weakening the Senate filibuster under any circumstance

www.cnbc.com

So, Biden's green policies are pretty much completely dead. At this rate we might get an infrastructure bill with roads, bridges, and coal subsidies. More likely, Moscow Mitch will block everything.

The thing is, because green energy is so much cheaper than fossil fuels, the transition to it can't be stopped; only slowed down. So four years of green policies followed by Republican obstruction would actually be better than nothing, because the transition effects in those four years couldn't be reversed.

At any rate, the only path I see now to passing anything is blocking the use of reconciliation for everything, including the debt ceiling. Then attach green policies to a debt ceiling increase. I, for one, would rather default on the national debt than default on our children's climate.

Manchin also said he wouldn't vote for a 2T COVID bill with checks. Then he did.

He's enjoying the attention.

 

[sportage]

I have a great idea.... For once, lets try doing it the democrats way. We always try it the republican way and look where that has taken us? The roads are a mess, the bridges are falling down, the banks are ripping us off, the schools are pathetic, corporations pay no taxes while the little people pay all the taxes, division flourishes, hate abounds, racism is the name of the game, and nothing ever gets done while the rich only get richer... So I say, lets try it Joe Biden's way just for a change. Lets create that high-speed railway, lets fix all the roads and bridges, lets wire up America for high speed internet, lets create solar energy and clean energy, and let us finally give every American universal healthcare where everyone has access to not only to affordable healthcare but to free healthcare paid for with eliminating the massive uncontrolled greed within the healthcare system. Lets try doing it the democrats way, then give it two election cycles, and just see where America is THEN.

There are the downsides, however... Old Mitch McConnell may only afford one house instead of several. And the new Humana building will actually look like an actual building instead of looking like some Mara-Lago resort hotel. And Amazon may actually have to pay their workers a decent wage. Damn the downsides....

 

[Pohemi]

I have a great idea.... For once, lets try doing it the democrats way. We always try it the republican way and look where that has taken us? The roads are a mess, the bridges are falling down, the banks are ripping us off, the schools are pathetic, corporations pay no taxes while the little people pay all the taxes, division flourishes, hate abounds, racism is the name of the game, and nothing ever gets done while the rich only get richer... So I say, lets try it Joe Biden's way just for a change. Lets create that high-speed railway, lets fix all the roads and bridges, lets wire up America for high speed internet, lets create solar energy and clean energy, and let us finally give every American universal healthcare where everyone has access to not only to affordable healthcare but to free healthcare paid for with eliminating the massive uncontrolled greed within the healthcare system. Lets try doing it the democrats way, then give it two election cycles, and just see where America is THEN.

There are the downsides, however... Old Mitch McConnell may only afford one house instead of several. And the new Humana building will actually look like an actual building instead of looking like some Mara-Lago resort hotel. And Amazon may actually have to pay their workers a decent wage. Damn the downsides....

Unless you can convince the GOP members in congress to go along with that... Great plan, but it reads like fantasy the way our Fed Gov has worked the past few decades. The GOP is THE party of obstruction.

 

[woolfe9998]

GOP counters Biden's $1.7 trillion offer with $925 billion.

GOP counters Biden's infrastructure plan with $928 billion offer as President's adviser slams opposition

Senate Republicans made a $928 billion counteroffer to President Joe Biden's sweeping infrastructure proposal Thursday morning as one of the President's closest advisers rallies allies to embrace the White House's proposals.

www.cnn.com

Problem isn't really the infrastructure package itself. In the end, they can probably come to an agreement on that.

It's how to pay for it. The repugs don't want to see an increase in corporate taxes.

 

[herm0016]

i do wonder what the money for some of this is actually spend on. like the semi conductor stuff, tax incentive to build a fab in the US? or housing... hopefully not making it easier to get a mortgage, we know how that works out.

i am supportive of most of this. just wonder how it actually gets used/spent.

 

[fskimospy]

GOP counters Biden's $1.7 trillion offer with $925 billion.

GOP counters Biden's infrastructure plan with $928 billion offer as President's adviser slams opposition

Senate Republicans made a $928 billion counteroffer to President Joe Biden's sweeping infrastructure proposal Thursday morning as one of the President's closest advisers rallies allies to embrace the White House's proposals.

www.cnn.com

Problem isn't really the infrastructure package itself. In the end, they can probably come to an agreement on that.

It's how to pay for it. The repugs don't want to see an increase in corporate taxes.

Also, it’s not actually $925 billion and this is a 100% bad faith effort that the democrats should reject. This is overwhelmingly money taken from other programs and repurposed, just $257 billion is new.

So what this means is their counter offer is about 15% of Biden’s bid - a comically unserious offer.

 

[fskimospy]

i do wonder what the money for some of this is actually spend on. like the semi conductor stuff, tax incentive to build a fab in the US? or housing... hopefully not making it easier to get a mortgage, we know how that works out.

i am supportive of most of this. just wonder how it actually gets used/spent.

The housing crash was not caused by the government making it easier to get a mortgage.