infrastructure plan now out - let the debates begin

[Indeependent]

The issue with Nassau County is that the larger roads are being repaired because lanes can be left open.
There are, however, smaller, but heavily used roads that require going almost a mile out of one’s way for several days.
Our electric poles are being upgraded and, on some heavy accident roads, are being installed underground.
Our water wells are being reenforced against saline erosion.

 

[Dragonlady]

And they were right, higher taxes on businesses was not the answer in a slow economy.

The Dow rose 300 percent during Obama's tenure, and that momentum is still going. You have a funny definition of "slow".

Special interest gifts in the tax code in exchange for donor cash is no way to run a country with crumbling infrastructure, kid.

So we didn't really have a recession?
I was taking about growth in business and jobs.
Kid?
I'm 65 .

Longest period of sustained growth in US history. Largest stock market gain under one administration too, I think.

Longest period of sustained growth which started during Obama.

Largest stock gain under one administration, you think? Did you just come out of a coma? The stock market rose 300 percent under Obama. From down in the 6 thousands up to the 18 thousands. Trump hasn't come close to either of those benchmarks.

so again - since you didn't choose to snark a reply back to me -

are you saying the money and jobs coming back TODAY from many groups, coupled with bonuses and other jobs being credited to trumps tax plan, are in fact NOT because of trumps plan but all obama did during his tenure?

that seems to be your implication but i wanted to verify before moving on.

I don’t think there’s any argument or question that capital is being repatriated because of the new tax law. And no one is arguing that there is.

What is at issue is whether changes to the tax code is behind Apple’s announced expansion and Amazon as well. I would say “No”.

Amazon is the biggest and most nimble of the online retailers. It’s expanding as bricks and mortar retailers are closing operations. Lowering their taxes has no impact on their expansion. This is the fastest growing segment of the retail economy.

Economically speaking, the bonuses being paid by companies like Walmart are a joke. Walmart originally announced the raise to $11 an hour in 2018, in January of 2016. So the raises aren’t above what they announced long before Trump was elected.

The bonuses were a one-time thing, but the tax relief isn’t a one-time thing. It’s a permanent reduction of the taxes paid on profits. Shouldn’t the increase of income increase tied to tax relief also be a permanent thing and not just a one-time bonus?

Apple is expanding because sales worldwide are strong. They’re expanding because the world economy is strong and stable. This expansion has nothing to do with tax cuts. The capital repatriation, yes, but not the expansion.

 

[danielpalos]

I have never seen the nations infrastructure this bad... Fix it if it takes trillions.

What is so bad and how is it the federal government's responsibility?

Let's see some examples please!

We need to upgrade our energy grid and add capacitance.

 

[koshergrl]

I have never seen the nations infrastructure this bad... Fix it if it takes trillions.

What red state do you live in?

have you seen Californias infrastructure?...

Horrible... The bay area has tripled in size but not is done to maintain a thing..

.

Do they pave roads every once in a while? Because then they've got most red states totally beat.

We need fewer highways.

 

[jknowgood]

Scoop: Read the draft White House infrastructure plan

will be interesting to see how this is twisted to be all bad because of trump or all good for same reason.

Trump's a Democrat. Of course he has an infrastructure plan. That's been a core Democratic bone for over a decade now.

It's like LBJ getting arising from the racist Southern Democrat bloc to pass the biggest civil rights bill in history.

It takes a real chameleon to get shit done.

what did obama do to fix it then?

He was blocked by the GOP.

Don't tell me you have forgotten all the ridicule over "shovel ready" projects!

ah - the old standby - "the meanines wouldn't let us".

It's a fact. I can't help it if you have forgotten, goldfish.

I remember Obama telling us, those shovel ready jobs. Weren't so shovel ready.

 

[jknowgood]

I have never seen the nations infrastructure this bad... Fix it if it takes trillions.

What red state do you live in?

have you seen Californias infrastructure?...

Yes. Have you seen the deep south's infrastructure?

have you seen the infrastructure in just about every state?....every states infrastructure needs some work...cals at one time was top notch,much of it now needs work,the 91 freeway was falling apart as was the 5.....so, so much for that stupid partisan comment you made ....

Let the states take care of their own infrastructure. Blue states pay in more federal taxes than they get. Let California spend its money on its infrastructure, instead of it going to the 3rd world infrastructure conditions you'll find in the likes of South Carolina, Mississippi, etc.

Roads here aren't that bad, heck there a lot better than Chicago's. Those roads are horrible.

 

[jknowgood]

For those who have been deliberately dumbed down by their propagandists to have a memory like a goldfish:

$478B Infrastructure Bill Blocked by Senate GOP

And they were right, higher taxes on businesses was not the answer in a slow economy.

The Dow rose 300 percent during Obama's tenure, and that momentum is still going. You have a funny definition of "slow".

Special interest gifts in the tax code in exchange for donor cash is no way to run a country with crumbling infrastructure, kid.

so now apple and many other companies are bringing $ and jobs back to the US because of what obama did?

please don't tell me even you believe that shit.

Yes they do. Lol

 

[danielpalos]

I have never seen the nations infrastructure this bad... Fix it if it takes trillions.

What red state do you live in?

have you seen Californias infrastructure?...

Horrible... The bay area has tripled in size but not is done to maintain a thing..

.

Do they pave roads every once in a while? Because then they've got most red states totally beat.

We need fewer highways.

How about upgrading all railroads to one hundred mph, as a Standard?

 

[edthecynic]

Will it be paid for with more tax cuts? Since we are in bizzaro world now.

Mexico will pay for it.

 

[danielpalos]

Will it be paid for with more tax cuts? Since we are in bizzaro world now.

Mexico will pay for it.

HomeDepot is in Mexico now; Buy American ladders!

 

[Jarlaxle]

I have never seen the nations infrastructure this bad... Fix it if it takes trillions.

What red state do you live in?

have you seen Californias infrastructure?...

Or Massachusetts. Bonus: roads in MA have the second highest per-mile cost in the country, despite being awful.

 

[OldLady]

Here is the GOP songbook from 2011:

NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE BANK: MORE BUREAUCRACY AND MORE RED TAPE

I couldn't read your link because I'm not a subscriber, so I googled it. It doesn't sound like a great idea, using an "infrastructure bank."
I remember during the campaign that Trump and a few other people mentioned getting private companies to invest in infrastructure, helping to pay for projects. I can't imagine why a road construction company would want to "invest" in repaving a highway. Do you know what they were talking about?

Yes. I read up on this. Companies could sponsor/pay for infrastructure improvements and get a tax credit for doing the work. They would also get to deduct the cost of materials and labour as a business expense so, in essence, they got double tax credits for such projects. What company wouldn’t want to do one of these projects?

Not only would companies get double tax credits for these projects (not well thought out), but the donor corporations would also get to pick the project. So paving or repairing access roads or bridges to their own plants and facilities would qualify for this double dipping, even if local councils think these are low priority repairs.

Thank you so much, Dragon Lady. So tax credits must be worth a LOT. Don't bother getting into the weeds on that though--what you explained is plenty for me.
That would be yet another "tax cut" in essence, though--can the country afford to keep doing that? If it gives us free roads and bridges, I suppose it's worth it, but someone's gotta pay the light bill. Know what I mean?

 

[Dragonlady]

Here is the GOP songbook from 2011:

NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE BANK: MORE BUREAUCRACY AND MORE RED TAPE

I couldn't read your link because I'm not a subscriber, so I googled it. It doesn't sound like a great idea, using an "infrastructure bank."
I remember during the campaign that Trump and a few other people mentioned getting private companies to invest in infrastructure, helping to pay for projects. I can't imagine why a road construction company would want to "invest" in repaving a highway. Do you know what they were talking about?

Yes. I read up on this. Companies could sponsor/pay for infrastructure improvements and get a tax credit for doing the work. They would also get to deduct the cost of materials and labour as a business expense so, in essence, they got double tax credits for such projects. What company wouldn’t want to do one of these projects?

Not only would companies get double tax credits for these projects (not well thought out), but the donor corporations would also get to pick the project. So paving or repairing access roads or bridges to their own plants and facilities would qualify for this double dipping, even if local councils think these are low priority repairs.

Thank you so much, Dragon Lady. So tax credits must be worth a LOT. Don't bother getting into the weeds on that though--what you explained is plenty for me.
That would be yet another "tax cut" in essence, though--can the country afford to keep doing that? If it gives us free roads and bridges, I suppose it's worth it, but someone's gotta pay the light bill. Know what I mean?

Exactly.

My bigger concern over and above all these tax cuts, is that the donor corporations get to choose which projects to fund. I can see companies taking on high profile projects or those which benefit their companies or sectors ahead of less visible but necessary work.

Trump is pushing public/private partnerships to fund infrastructure. We tried a few of those in Canada. They work out real well financially for the private sector. The public sector generally gets screwed though.