Republicans 40 Year Refusal To Invest In Infrastructure Begins To Cripple US Economy

[skews13]

The ideological blinders that have guided the Republican party since the Reagan administration are slowly but surely crippling our economy. One area where that is most evident is in our transportation infrastructure where the Republican refusal to consider any federal investment as valid has led to the deterioration of the very pathways that fuel our economy.

In one of its last acts of stupidity for 2017, the Trump administration has cancelled the agreement that the federal government had with the states of New York and New Jersey to not only restore the badly damaged rail tunnels between those two states but also build a new, third tunnel as well to relieve the congestion at that critical rail hub. The agreement meant that the federal government would split the cost of that project with the two states.

This is the second time an agreement to restore this important rail link and the busiest transit hub in the entire country has been sabotaged by Republicans. In 2010, then New Jersey Governor Chris Christie backed out of a similar project, saying the state could not afford it. Instead, he funneled the money saved into the state’s own dwindling transportation so he would not have to raise the state’s gas tax and position himself for a presidential run.

Amtrak estimates that the two existing tunnels have less than 15 years left before they totally breakdown and there is no guarantee that one or both of these salt-ravaged tunnels might fail earlier. It is estimated that if just one tunnel failed, it would slow rail traffic through the Northeast by 75% and create a regional economic crisis.

The truly sick part of all this is that, if Christie had gone ahead with the plan in 2010, there was a possibility that the new tunnel would be coming into service this year. Instead, it will be another decade before this restoration project will be completed, if at all. It is thought that this current cancellation may be yet another political ploy by Trump and the Republicans and that this will be folded into the so-far mythical Trump infrastructure plan in order to woo Democratic votes. But even that might be a tough sell if Trump’s plan is just another corporate giveaway in the form of public-private partnerships.

This isn’t the only major rail project that the Trump administration has kiboshed. In July, the federal government backed out of an agreement with the state of Maryland and the rail company CSX to raise the height of the Howard Street Tunnel in Baltimore in order to allow double-stacked rail cars to easily access the Port of Baltimore. Double-stacked rail cars comprise over 75% of intermodal rail traffic in the country and this will only increase in the future. This will be especially true on the East Coast in both Baltimore and New York as shipping traffic from Asia increases with the opening of the expanded Panama Canal.

This refusal to recognize any valid investment by the federal government, which Republican have engaged in since the Reagan administration, has led to the slow but steady erosion of our transportation infrastructure, which was once the envy of the world. And that erosion will soon begin to cripple this country economically.

Republicans’ 40 Year Refusal To Invest In Infrastructure Begins to Cripple US Economy

 

[Preacher]

The ideological blinders that have guided the Republican party since the Reagan administration are slowly but surely crippling our economy. One area where that is most evident is in our transportation infrastructure where the Republican refusal to consider any federal investment as valid has led to the deterioration of the very pathways that fuel our economy.

In one of its last acts of stupidity for 2017, the Trump administration has cancelled the agreement that the federal government had with the states of New York and New Jersey to not only restore the badly damaged rail tunnels between those two states but also build a new, third tunnel as well to relieve the congestion at that critical rail hub. The agreement meant that the federal government would split the cost of that project with the two states.

This is the second time an agreement to restore this important rail link and the busiest transit hub in the entire country has been sabotaged by Republicans. In 2010, then New Jersey Governor Chris Christie backed out of a similar project, saying the state could not afford it. Instead, he funneled the money saved into the state’s own dwindling transportation so he would not have to raise the state’s gas tax and position himself for a presidential run.

Amtrak estimates that the two existing tunnels have less than 15 years left before they totally breakdown and there is no guarantee that one or both of these salt-ravaged tunnels might fail earlier. It is estimated that if just one tunnel failed, it would slow rail traffic through the Northeast by 75% and create a regional economic crisis.

The truly sick part of all this is that, if Christie had gone ahead with the plan in 2010, there was a possibility that the new tunnel would be coming into service this year. Instead, it will be another decade before this restoration project will be completed, if at all. It is thought that this current cancellation may be yet another political ploy by Trump and the Republicans and that this will be folded into the so-far mythical Trump infrastructure plan in order to woo Democratic votes. But even that might be a tough sell if Trump’s plan is just another corporate giveaway in the form of public-private partnerships.

This isn’t the only major rail project that the Trump administration has kiboshed. In July, the federal government backed out of an agreement with the state of Maryland and the rail company CSX to raise the height of the Howard Street Tunnel in Baltimore in order to allow double-stacked rail cars to easily access the Port of Baltimore. Double-stacked rail cars comprise over 75% of intermodal rail traffic in the country and this will only increase in the future. This will be especially true on the East Coast in both Baltimore and New York as shipping traffic from Asia increases with the opening of the expanded Panama Canal.

This refusal to recognize any valid investment by the federal government, which Republican have engaged in since the Reagan administration, has led to the slow but steady erosion of our transportation infrastructure, which was once the envy of the world. And that erosion will soon begin to cripple this country economically.

Republicans’ 40 Year Refusal To Invest In Infrastructure Begins to Cripple US Economy

Infrastructure deal if you democrats stop flooding the country with illegals who use BILLIONS in welfare deal?

 

[whitehall]

Wait a minute, Bill Clinton was president after Reagan. What did he do besides grope Monica under the desk, sell nuclear technology to N.K. and bomb freaking Europe? What did democrats address when they gained the majority half way into George Bush's 2nd term? The economy, infrastructure, foreign policy? Nope, they undertook a McCarthy like tribunal about ....wait for it.....steroid use in baseball. Barry Hussein promised to "wean America off fossil fuel" so we wouldn't need infrastructure while we were riding bicycles and horses like other 3rd world countries. President Trump reduced unemployment to a near twenty year low, brought jobs back to America and promised to fix the infrastructure but the crazy and angry left isn't listening as usual.

 

[Auld Phart]

40 years?

The Republicans have held Congress for the last 40 years?

 

[WillowTree]

Wait a minute, Bill Clinton was president after Reagan. What did he do besides grope Monica under the desk, sell nuclear technology to N.K. and bomb freaking Europe? What did democrats address when they gained the majority half way into George Bush's 2nd term? The economy, infrastructure, foreign policy? Nope, they undertook a McCarthy like tribunal about ....wait for it.....steroid use in baseball. Barry Hussein promised to "wean America off fossil fuel" so we wouldn't need infrastructure while we were riding bicycles and horses like other 3rd world countries. President Trump reduced unemployment to a near twenty year low, brought jobs back to America and promised to fix the infrastructure but the crazy and angry left isn't listening as usual.

Clinton x 8 years, Obama’s x 8 years! Infrastructure?

 

[Desperado]

Wow I did not realize that the Republicans controlled the house, the senate and the presidentcy for the last 40 years!
One might consider the lack of progress on US infrastucture as proof that the two parties are the flip side of the same coin.

 

[Avatar4321]

1) obama passed a stimulus package in 2009 focused on infrastructure. So unless Democrats lies and didn’t use it for infrastructure how can you claim infrastructure has been neglected for 40 years?

2) trump claims the next legislation is an infrastructure bill so will Democrats be helping to pass it?

 

[JGalt]

Wasn't Obama supposed to fix all of our infrastructure problems? Wasn't that part of the reason for his massive bailouts and stimulus spending?

Looks like he lied to you..

Updated - The Obameter: Create a $60 billion bank to fund roads and bridges

Scandal: Less than 7% of Trillion-Dollar 'Stimulus' Spent on Infrastructure | Human Events

 

[Avatar4321]

Oh and the gop has been supporting the keystone pipeline which Democrats oppose. This is important energy infrastructure

 

[EvilEyeFleegle]

Wait a minute, Bill Clinton was president after Reagan. What did he do besides grope Monica under the desk, sell nuclear technology to N.K. and bomb freaking Europe? What did democrats address when they gained the majority half way into George Bush's 2nd term? The economy, infrastructure, foreign policy? Nope, they undertook a McCarthy like tribunal about ....wait for it.....steroid use in baseball. Barry Hussein promised to "wean America off fossil fuel" so we wouldn't need infrastructure while we were riding bicycles and horses like other 3rd world countries. President Trump reduced unemployment to a near twenty year low, brought jobs back to America and promised to fix the infrastructure but the crazy and angry left isn't listening as usual.

Clinton x 8 years, Obama’s x 8 years! Infrastructure?

Hello? Do nothing Congress? Esp. with Obama..after his first two years--that was that. Blame aside..Trump could have kept the deal..and that is right now.

 

[EvilEyeFleegle]

Oh and the gop has been supporting the keystone pipeline which Democrats oppose. This is important energy infrastructure

Of course...it is not between two solidly blue states, now is it?

 

[DarkFury]

The ideological blinders that have guided the Republican party since the Reagan administration are slowly but surely crippling our economy. One area where that is most evident is in our transportation infrastructure where the Republican refusal to consider any federal investment as valid has led to the deterioration of the very pathways that fuel our economy.

In one of its last acts of stupidity for 2017, the Trump administration has cancelled the agreement that the federal government had with the states of New York and New Jersey to not only restore the badly damaged rail tunnels between those two states but also build a new, third tunnel as well to relieve the congestion at that critical rail hub. The agreement meant that the federal government would split the cost of that project with the two states.

This is the second time an agreement to restore this important rail link and the busiest transit hub in the entire country has been sabotaged by Republicans. In 2010, then New Jersey Governor Chris Christie backed out of a similar project, saying the state could not afford it. Instead, he funneled the money saved into the state’s own dwindling transportation so he would not have to raise the state’s gas tax and position himself for a presidential run.

Amtrak estimates that the two existing tunnels have less than 15 years left before they totally breakdown and there is no guarantee that one or both of these salt-ravaged tunnels might fail earlier. It is estimated that if just one tunnel failed, it would slow rail traffic through the Northeast by 75% and create a regional economic crisis.

The truly sick part of all this is that, if Christie had gone ahead with the plan in 2010, there was a possibility that the new tunnel would be coming into service this year. Instead, it will be another decade before this restoration project will be completed, if at all. It is thought that this current cancellation may be yet another political ploy by Trump and the Republicans and that this will be folded into the so-far mythical Trump infrastructure plan in order to woo Democratic votes. But even that might be a tough sell if Trump’s plan is just another corporate giveaway in the form of public-private partnerships.

This isn’t the only major rail project that the Trump administration has kiboshed. In July, the federal government backed out of an agreement with the state of Maryland and the rail company CSX to raise the height of the Howard Street Tunnel in Baltimore in order to allow double-stacked rail cars to easily access the Port of Baltimore. Double-stacked rail cars comprise over 75% of intermodal rail traffic in the country and this will only increase in the future. This will be especially true on the East Coast in both Baltimore and New York as shipping traffic from Asia increases with the opening of the expanded Panama Canal.

This refusal to recognize any valid investment by the federal government, which Republican have engaged in since the Reagan administration, has led to the slow but steady erosion of our transportation infrastructure, which was once the envy of the world. And that erosion will soon begin to cripple this country economically.

Republicans’ 40 Year Refusal To Invest In Infrastructure Begins to Cripple US Economy

Infrastructure deal if you democrats stop flooding the country with illegals who use BILLIONS in welfare deal?

If the state backed out of the deal how is that Trump's fault?

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

The ideological blinders that have guided the Republican party since the Reagan administration are slowly but surely crippling our economy. One area where that is most evident is in our transportation infrastructure where the Republican refusal to consider any federal investment as valid has led to the deterioration of the very pathways that fuel our economy.

In one of its last acts of stupidity for 2017, the Trump administration has cancelled the agreement that the federal government had with the states of New York and New Jersey to not only restore the badly damaged rail tunnels between those two states but also build a new, third tunnel as well to relieve the congestion at that critical rail hub. The agreement meant that the federal government would split the cost of that project with the two states.

This is the second time an agreement to restore this important rail link and the busiest transit hub in the entire country has been sabotaged by Republicans. In 2010, then New Jersey Governor Chris Christie backed out of a similar project, saying the state could not afford it. Instead, he funneled the money saved into the state’s own dwindling transportation so he would not have to raise the state’s gas tax and position himself for a presidential run.

Amtrak estimates that the two existing tunnels have less than 15 years left before they totally breakdown and there is no guarantee that one or both of these salt-ravaged tunnels might fail earlier. It is estimated that if just one tunnel failed, it would slow rail traffic through the Northeast by 75% and create a regional economic crisis.

The truly sick part of all this is that, if Christie had gone ahead with the plan in 2010, there was a possibility that the new tunnel would be coming into service this year. Instead, it will be another decade before this restoration project will be completed, if at all. It is thought that this current cancellation may be yet another political ploy by Trump and the Republicans and that this will be folded into the so-far mythical Trump infrastructure plan in order to woo Democratic votes. But even that might be a tough sell if Trump’s plan is just another corporate giveaway in the form of public-private partnerships.

This isn’t the only major rail project that the Trump administration has kiboshed. In July, the federal government backed out of an agreement with the state of Maryland and the rail company CSX to raise the height of the Howard Street Tunnel in Baltimore in order to allow double-stacked rail cars to easily access the Port of Baltimore. Double-stacked rail cars comprise over 75% of intermodal rail traffic in the country and this will only increase in the future. This will be especially true on the East Coast in both Baltimore and New York as shipping traffic from Asia increases with the opening of the expanded Panama Canal.

This refusal to recognize any valid investment by the federal government, which Republican have engaged in since the Reagan administration, has led to the slow but steady erosion of our transportation infrastructure, which was once the envy of the world. And that erosion will soon begin to cripple this country economically.

Republicans’ 40 Year Refusal To Invest In Infrastructure Begins to Cripple US Economy

Dems held the House, Senate and Presidency in 1978.

 

[skews13]

1) obama passed a stimulus package in 2009 focused on infrastructure. So unless Democrats lies and didn’t use it for infrastructure how can you claim infrastructure has been neglected for 40 years?

2) trump claims the next legislation is an infrastructure bill so will Democrats be helping to pass it?

If you had reading comprehension skills, you would have noticed at the very beginning of the article

In one of its last acts of stupidity for 2017, the Trump administration has cancelled the agreement that the federal government had with the states of New York and New Jersey to not only restore the badly damaged rail tunnels between those two states but also build a new, third tunnel as well to relieve the congestion at that critical rail hub. The agreement meant that the federal government would split the cost of that project with the two states.

Everything after would be a fail.

 

[Manonthestreet]

Every Company budgets for maintenance.....sounds like poor management

 

[EvilEyeFleegle]

Wasn't Obama supposed to fix all of our infrastructure problems? Wasn't that part of the reason for his massive bailouts and stimulus spending?

Looks like he lied to you..

Updated - The Obameter: Create a $60 billion bank to fund roads and bridges

Scandal: Less than 7% of Trillion-Dollar 'Stimulus' Spent on Infrastructure | Human Events

From your politifact link:

One example is the work done with the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) program, a federal effort started in 1998 that has provided $122 million in loans annually for infrastructure projects across the country, and the Railroad Rehabilitation & Improvement Financing Program.

Puentes said that although funding hasn't increased for these programs, the administration has been innovative in linking them together to fund large projects, one example being a $300 million project funded by loans from the TIFIA and RRIF programs to restore and improve transit at the Denver Union Station in Colorado.

When it comes to the promise, though, although the administration has repeatedly attempted to create a national infrastructure bank, it appears unlikely to happen by the end of Obama's first term. For now, we rate this a Promise Broken.

So yeah..he tried and failed..kinda different from lying, eh?

 

[Darkwind]

1) obama passed a stimulus package in 2009 focused on infrastructure. So unless Democrats lies and didn’t use it for infrastructure how can you claim infrastructure has been neglected for 40 years?

2) trump claims the next legislation is an infrastructure bill so will Democrats be helping to pass it?

If you had reading comprehension skills, you would have noticed at the very beginning of the article

In one of its last acts of stupidity for 2017, the Trump administration has cancelled the agreement that the federal government had with the states of New York and New Jersey to not only restore the badly damaged rail tunnels between those two states but also build a new, third tunnel as well to relieve the congestion at that critical rail hub. The agreement meant that the federal government would split the cost of that project with the two states.

Everything after would be a fail.

I think I see the problem.

The rest of the countries infrastructure is going to take priority over the greed of NY/NJ and you don't like it.

We'll work on the infrastructure for the rest of the country first. If there are funds left over, by all means, build your self-centered tunnel.

In other words, get to the back of the line. NY/NJ just aren't that important.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

1) obama passed a stimulus package in 2009 focused on infrastructure. So unless Democrats lies and didn’t use it for infrastructure how can you claim infrastructure has been neglected for 40 years?

2) trump claims the next legislation is an infrastructure bill so will Democrats be helping to pass it?

If you had reading comprehension skills, you would have noticed at the very beginning of the article

In one of its last acts of stupidity for 2017, the Trump administration has cancelled the agreement that the federal government had with the states of New York and New Jersey to not only restore the badly damaged rail tunnels between those two states but also build a new, third tunnel as well to relieve the congestion at that critical rail hub. The agreement meant that the federal government would split the cost of that project with the two states.

Everything after would be a fail.

Why are my tax dollars being spent to enrich people in New York and New Jersey?

 

[Indeependent]

The ideological blinders that have guided the Republican party since the Reagan administration are slowly but surely crippling our economy. One area where that is most evident is in our transportation infrastructure where the Republican refusal to consider any federal investment as valid has led to the deterioration of the very pathways that fuel our economy.

In one of its last acts of stupidity for 2017, the Trump administration has cancelled the agreement that the federal government had with the states of New York and New Jersey to not only restore the badly damaged rail tunnels between those two states but also build a new, third tunnel as well to relieve the congestion at that critical rail hub. The agreement meant that the federal government would split the cost of that project with the two states.

This is the second time an agreement to restore this important rail link and the busiest transit hub in the entire country has been sabotaged by Republicans. In 2010, then New Jersey Governor Chris Christie backed out of a similar project, saying the state could not afford it. Instead, he funneled the money saved into the state’s own dwindling transportation so he would not have to raise the state’s gas tax and position himself for a presidential run.

Amtrak estimates that the two existing tunnels have less than 15 years left before they totally breakdown and there is no guarantee that one or both of these salt-ravaged tunnels might fail earlier. It is estimated that if just one tunnel failed, it would slow rail traffic through the Northeast by 75% and create a regional economic crisis.

The truly sick part of all this is that, if Christie had gone ahead with the plan in 2010, there was a possibility that the new tunnel would be coming into service this year. Instead, it will be another decade before this restoration project will be completed, if at all. It is thought that this current cancellation may be yet another political ploy by Trump and the Republicans and that this will be folded into the so-far mythical Trump infrastructure plan in order to woo Democratic votes. But even that might be a tough sell if Trump’s plan is just another corporate giveaway in the form of public-private partnerships.

This isn’t the only major rail project that the Trump administration has kiboshed. In July, the federal government backed out of an agreement with the state of Maryland and the rail company CSX to raise the height of the Howard Street Tunnel in Baltimore in order to allow double-stacked rail cars to easily access the Port of Baltimore. Double-stacked rail cars comprise over 75% of intermodal rail traffic in the country and this will only increase in the future. This will be especially true on the East Coast in both Baltimore and New York as shipping traffic from Asia increases with the opening of the expanded Panama Canal.

This refusal to recognize any valid investment by the federal government, which Republican have engaged in since the Reagan administration, has led to the slow but steady erosion of our transportation infrastructure, which was once the envy of the world. And that erosion will soon begin to cripple this country economically.

Republicans’ 40 Year Refusal To Invest In Infrastructure Begins to Cripple US Economy

Why rebuild America when your investments grow better from making off-shoring more lucrative?

 

[Wyatt earp]

The ideological blinders that have guided the Republican party since the Reagan administration are slowly but surely crippling our economy. One area where that is most evident is in our transportation infrastructure where the Republican refusal to consider any federal investment as valid has led to the deterioration of the very pathways that fuel our economy.

In one of its last acts of stupidity for 2017, the Trump administration has cancelled the agreement that the federal government had with the states of New York and New Jersey to not only restore the badly damaged rail tunnels between those two states but also build a new, third tunnel as well to relieve the congestion at that critical rail hub. The agreement meant that the federal government would split the cost of that project with the two states.

This is the second time an agreement to restore this important rail link and the busiest transit hub in the entire country has been sabotaged by Republicans. In 2010, then New Jersey Governor Chris Christie backed out of a similar project, saying the state could not afford it. Instead, he funneled the money saved into the state’s own dwindling transportation so he would not have to raise the state’s gas tax and position himself for a presidential run.

Amtrak estimates that the two existing tunnels have less than 15 years left before they totally breakdown and there is no guarantee that one or both of these salt-ravaged tunnels might fail earlier. It is estimated that if just one tunnel failed, it would slow rail traffic through the Northeast by 75% and create a regional economic crisis.

The truly sick part of all this is that, if Christie had gone ahead with the plan in 2010, there was a possibility that the new tunnel would be coming into service this year. Instead, it will be another decade before this restoration project will be completed, if at all. It is thought that this current cancellation may be yet another political ploy by Trump and the Republicans and that this will be folded into the so-far mythical Trump infrastructure plan in order to woo Democratic votes. But even that might be a tough sell if Trump’s plan is just another corporate giveaway in the form of public-private partnerships.

This isn’t the only major rail project that the Trump administration has kiboshed. In July, the federal government backed out of an agreement with the state of Maryland and the rail company CSX to raise the height of the Howard Street Tunnel in Baltimore in order to allow double-stacked rail cars to easily access the Port of Baltimore. Double-stacked rail cars comprise over 75% of intermodal rail traffic in the country and this will only increase in the future. This will be especially true on the East Coast in both Baltimore and New York as shipping traffic from Asia increases with the opening of the expanded Panama Canal.

This refusal to recognize any valid investment by the federal government, which Republican have engaged in since the Reagan administration, has led to the slow but steady erosion of our transportation infrastructure, which was once the envy of the world. And that erosion will soon begin to cripple this country economically.

Republicans’ 40 Year Refusal To Invest In Infrastructure Begins to Cripple US Economy

How come Obama's shovel ready jobs stimulus didn't do it?