Pence backs trillion-dollar infrastructure bill, says America 'elected a CEO'

[musiclady]

btw, what about all the money going for infrastructure in Obama's stimulus plan THAT TRUMP FULLY SUPPORTED??

Oh, yeah.............. it went into a Dem slush fund.

Wonder where Trump's is going to go??

[driftdiver]

Perhaps we all need to remember to be respectful towards one another. The name-calling and personal insults are not welcome. I've been a member of this forum for awhile and have found that this forum is usually above the rest for a reason. I'd like to see it stay that way.

@libertybele

Funny how folks like you always direct those comments at the person who responds and not the initiator.

[driftdiver]

And I'd like to see conservatives have the courage to be conservative but courage seems to be very lacking in the Trumpenreich.

@Cripplecreek @libertybele

How is it a conservative value to let our bridge, roads, water systems and other vital infrastructure rot away?

[Cripplecreek]

@Cripplecreek is a "worthless person" because he doesn't agree with you about Trump, @driftdiver ?

My opinions don't change according to the whims of the cult leader.

If these people from Trump on down were anything near conservative they would be actively seeking any way other than more tax money that will also disappear down a black hole. They should be looking for what happened to the last trillion dollars and trying to recoup that to pay for infrastructure. However that might shine a light on the fact tat Trump is only suggesting that we give another trillion to the magicians who made the last trillion disappear.

Same thing with the Clinton investigation. At the first suggestion that Trump not pursue it they toss the Benghazi victims overboard and start waxing poetic about the need to heal.

Trump could nominate Obama to the supreme court and these same toadies would educate us all on what a brilliant strategy it is.

[libertybele]

btw, what about all the money going for infrastructure in Obama's stimulus plan THAT TRUMP FULLY SUPPORTED??

Oh, yeah.............. it went into a Dem slush fund.

Wonder where Trump's is going to go??

One thing for sure is if Trump isn't going to make or think he's going to make some money, he's not going to venture forward with such a massive project.  Perhaps he sees what mistakes were made and is seizing the opportunity. This is Trump's statement on the bailouts:

"I'm not sure that it's going to work. You know, it is trial and error. This is very complicated. This is more complicated than sending rockets to the moon.

"Nobody really knows what impact it's going to have. Maybe it works, and maybe it doesn't. But certainly it is worth a shot. I don't love the idea that the government's buying back all the bad loans. How about some of the good loans? You know? I don't like the idea that the government, frankly, is going to be negotiating with people to sell those loans, because maybe we'd be better off having the best bankers in the world do that.

"But I think overall, it's a probable positive, other than you have to control the price of oil. Because if you don't, whatever happens with the bailout, if you want to call it the bailout, whatever happens with the bailout, is will have no impact, no positive impact."...

http://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2015/sep/15/club-growth/did-donald-trump-support-wall-street-bailout-club-/

[Maj. Bill Martin]

They should be looking for what happened to the last trillion dollars and trying to recoup that to pay for infrastructure.

I've previously posted a link to the 2009 stimulus bill.  Even when it was passed, only about $50B out of the $200B was ever designated to go to bridges and roads.  The largest part of the rest was bailouts for state and local governments so they wouldn't have to lay off or reduce pay for their Democrat-voting unionized employees, for various crappy green-energy pork projects, etc..  That $50 infrastructure "stimulus" was only about half what we spend in a normal year anyway.

In any case, that $800B is gone into the pockets of state employees, etc..  There's no real mystery of where it went.

[Cripplecreek]

@Cripplecreek @libertybele

How is it a conservative value to let our bridge, roads, water systems and other vital infrastructure rot away?

I never said anything about letting infrastructure fall apart but you couldn't squat out a strawman fast enough.

So show the class where I said we should let infrastructure fall apart. If you can't, well......

[Night Hides Not]

I never said anything about letting infrastructure fall apart but you couldn't squat out a strawman fast enough.

So show the class where I said we should let infrastructure fall apart. If you can't, well......

Would it be too much to ask if we don't rush headlong into this? Haven't we learned from the mistakes of such projects of the Big Dig and the Minnesota I-35W bridge?

In the case of the bridge, it was found the support plates were half as thick as they should have been, and unable to support the added weight of new paving.

[Cripplecreek]

Would it be too much to ask if we don't rush headlong into this? Haven't we learned from the mistakes of such projects of the Big Dig and the Minnesota I-35W bridge?

In the case of the bridge, it was found the support plates were half as thick as they should have been, and unable to support the added weight of new paving.

There is a short little bridge near me that has guardrails talking up half a lane on either side to force traffic into a single lane across the middle. The guardrails keep drivers from hitting holes big enough to drop 55 gallon drums through. 50 to 100 thousand dollars could have repaired that bridge a decade ago but it never saw a dime of that trillion dollars in infrastructure spending. I just about guarantee that bridge will be completely closed by spring.

Only a fool would give the same bunch of politicians, bureaucrats and contractors another trillion dollars to squander.

[Jazzhead]

I've previously posted a link to the 2009 stimulus bill.  Even when it was passed, only about $50B out of the $200B was ever designated to go to bridges and roads.  The largest part of the rest was bailouts for state and local governments so they wouldn't have to lay off or reduce pay for their Democrat-voting unionized employees, for various crappy green-energy pork projects, etc..  That $50 infrastructure "stimulus" was only about half what we spend in a normal year anyway.

In any case, that $800B is gone into the pockets of state employees, etc..  There's no real mystery of where it went.

Quoted for truth.  But just because the Dems did "infrastructure spending" the wrong way doesn't mean that Republicans can't do it the right way.   

[Maj. Bill Martin]

50 to 100 thousand dollars could have repaired that bridge a decade ago but it never saw a dime of that trillion dollars in infrastructure spending.

For about the trillionth time, the 2009 Stimulus bill was a pork-filled disaster, more than 90% of it was never even intended to be spent on roads/bridges.  Senate Republicans actually tried to amend the bill to send less money to Democrat interest groups, and instead spend another $50B on roads/bridges, but they were shot down.

Claiming that the $1T was all wasted "infrastructure" money is ridiculous -- it was never infrastructure money.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

Quoted for truth.  But just because the Dems did "infrastructure spending" the wrong way doesn't mean that Republicans can't do it the right way.

I agree.  I am absolutely not a fan of government "make work" jobs.  But I do view roads, bridges, dams, airports, border security etc. as being legitimate federal responsibilities, and if there are projects that are actually needed, and we can finance them via the repatriation of some of that cash stashed overseas, it seems like a reasonable idea.

What Bannon is talking about is over the top nuts as far as I'm concerned, but something more modest might be reasonable.

[musiclady]

Would it be too much to ask if we don't rush headlong into this? Haven't we learned from the mistakes of such projects of the Big Dig and the Minnesota I-35W bridge?

In the case of the bridge, it was found the support plates were half as thick as they should have been, and unable to support the added weight of new paving.

And didn't the money designated for bridge repair go toward the rapid transit to the Mall of America and airport?

And didn't the money for rebuilding the levies in NO, go for other pet projects?

Money designated and then given to liberals doesn't end up fixing infrastructure problems.  It goes to projects that make politicians look good.

[Idaho_Cowboy]

"There’s a lot of ways to get to that trillion dollars," Pence told Fox News' Sean Hannity on "Hannity." "Utilizing public and private partnerships, utilizing bonding authority and enlisting private capital, there’s ways that you can do this that are gonna be fiscally responsible, but also give us the resources that we need to rebuild America."

That's some nice doublespeak there

At the end of the day you either print it or you steal it through taxes.

[driftdiver]

I never said anything about letting infrastructure fall apart but you couldn't squat out a strawman fast enough.

So show the class where I said we should let infrastructure fall apart. If you can't, well......

@Cripplecreek

I stopped reading after you threw out insults and failed to make any case.   

[driftdiver]

At the end of the day you either print it or you steal it through taxes.

How should roads be paid for?

[ABX]

@Cripplecreek @libertybele

How is it a conservative value to let our bridge, roads, water systems and other vital infrastructure rot away?

[ABX]

Let's put this 'trillion dollar' plan into perspective.

Remember the devastation from the Honsu earthquake in Japan and following tsunami.

The estimated cost to rebuild all of that was $133Billion in USD.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-17219008

[geronl]

The US has a Constitution, it does not have a CEO position. The "stimulus" bill needs to die

[ABX]

The US has a Constitution, it does not have a CEO position. The "stimulus" bill needs to die

Bingo. The job is Commander in Chief of the United States Armed Forces.

Plus, most of the infrastructure referenced isn't under the authority of the fed to fix, its the State's authority.

[HonestJohn]

Infrastructure spending within the context of growth-oriented tax and regulatory reforms can finally get this economy moving again.   I think that's the combination that Trump and Ryan will collaborate on, and it could be a winner, if - and it's a big if -  Trump doesn't ruin it all with his protectionist nonsense. 

The UK yesterday signaled the start of a war to lower corporate tax rates,  proposing a drop to 17%.   We should see that and raise it to 15%,  and let companies repatriate foreign earnings stateside for a bargain rate of 10%.  Couple that with regulatory relief and the increased tax revenues from the resulting growth (including the one-time spike from the repatriation tax) can pay for the bulk of the infrastructure spending.

Why the infrastructure spending?  Well, in part, to gain the Democratic support needed to obtain the tax and regulatory relief,  intelligently fix the Affordable Care Act ,  and address Medicaid spending by means of block grants to the states.         

I'd only agree to that if all deductions are ended.

[libertybele]

@libertybele

Funny how folks like you always direct those comments at the person who responds and not the initiator.

Hmmm.... "folks like you" ... ??   Please note that my comment wasn't directed towards anyone in particular; thus the words "ALL"; meaning everyone!  We've got a great forum here, I'd like for it to stay that way.  We went through a really rough period for awhile with people slinging mud with verbal insults and name-calling.  It is totally unnecessary and uncalled for an actually against forum rules.  Spewing ugliness is for other forums. PEACE! 

[driftdiver]

@AbaraXas
He didn't have an argument.   Arguing against everything is not a conservative value.

[txradioguy]

The reality is that our nation has a lot of unsafe bridges and crappy roads.  People die every day because of the inadequate roads.  As long as it isn't a pure welfare program and doesn't involve high speed rail just exactly what is the problem with spending money here in the US rather then sending it to China or some other country?

The last time we got told our bridges and roads were in dire need of repair was just a mere 8 years ago and the American taxpayers (the few that are left) got stuck with a bill for $800 billion that is now a permanent part of the fiscal budget every year. 

Yet those bridges and roads are still in dire need of repair?

Someone should ask Pence how he as Governor spent the money allocated for those repairs in his state and why they still need to be fixed.

[driftdiver]

Hmmm.... "folks like you" ... ??   Please note that my comment wasn't directed towards anyone in particular; thus the words "ALL"; meaning everyone!  We've got a great forum here, I'd like for it to stay that way.  We went through a really rough period for awhile with people slinging mud with verbal insults and name-calling.  It is totally unnecessary and uncalled for an actually against forum rules.  Spewing ugliness is for other forums. PEACE!

@libertybele

Again, it's funny you are spending all your time focused on me and not on the guy who initiated it.