From President-elect Trump's speech last night:
We are going to fix our inner cities and rebuild our highways, bridges, tunnels, airports, schools, hospitals. We’re going to rebuild our infrastructure, which will become, by the way, second to none. And we will put millions of our people to work as we rebuild it.The inner cities will be fixed (!) under the Trump administration. Well, that's good news.
The federal government will rebuild our highways, bridges, tunnels, airports, schools, hospitals. (Why would anyone think that bridges, tunnels, airports, schools and hospitals should be a local responsibility? Obviously, Washington, D. C., knows better than the local folks do.)
And millions of people will be put to work on short term federally-funded projects. That should fix unemployment.
Lots of money running through the federal trough. That should drain the swamp.
Lots of money that won't get funded through taxation but through borrowing. That should help the national debt.
This was a "bring us together" speech, and it certainly did the trick. Why, oh, why didn't Republicans not only back but encourage a big increase in Obama's meager "second stimulus" in 2010? We could have been on the same page six years ago. Our economy would have been humming by now.
7 comments:
What if we close the Education Department? As a start.
And every federal dollar we take away from federal agencies is either returned to the people, or used for Defense or infrastructure?
Just a thought.
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And a good thought, OG! Palin used to say she would close the Department of Energy if appointed Secretary of Energy. Somehow, I don't think she'll get the appointment, or if she does, be allowed to do that.
Though I think the feds would screw up infrastructure stuff at the bridge, tunnel, airport level not to mention schools and hospitals. Imagine all the nifty Tilikum Crossings and what the feds would think schools should include (and not include). These decisions are made and funded so much better at the local level where the community has to literally buy into the project.
I'm for closing the Department of Vegetation and seriously cutting back the EPA.
These decisions are made and funded so much better at the local level where the community has to literally buy into the project.
Except in Portland.
"Except in Portland": thus, the Tilikum Crossing, light rail lines (though they had a lot of federal money invested too).
Mostly federal money. Portland's been doing this sort of thing for quite a while; Vera Katz (D-NY)got a job as mayor here. She and her buddies used federal gas-tax funds to build the floating "East Bank Esplanade" for pedestrians and bike riders. They designated that section of the river a "transportation corridor".
Given how loopy Portland is not getting federal funds might not stop stupid big $$ projects, but then again sometimes those things lose even in Portland when people realize the money comes from them. Not often, but sometimes.
I should say even if it didn't have a practical impact of being more likely to promote stupid projects, by principle I'm against federal funding and control when state or local government can do the job. Lowest unit, closest to the people who are impacted is my conservative (or classical liberal) position. :-)
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