Biden's Infrastructure Proposal

Unless they poll the big individual components of the large bill, those polls are stupid and useless.  I imagine a big majority are for roads and bridges and airport funding but not so much the other nonsense in the bill.  

 
Archy1221 said:
What would be sucky about it 
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Looks like they just want to focus on roads and bridges and cut the bill by more than half, want to spend half a trillion. That will barely make a dent. No broadband for rural areas. No pipes and resodential infrastructure. No water structures to make sure Flint doesnt happen again. No green energy. Its a watered down bill that wont even make a dent in the issues. 
 

You mentioned the other day that this bill has a lot of nonsense in it. What is the nonsense in your opinion that can be cut out?

 
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Frott Scost said:
Looks like they just want to focus on roads and bridges and cut the bill by more than half, want to spend half a trillion. That will barely make a dent. No broadband for rural areas. No pipes and resodential infrastructure. No water structures to make sure Flint doesnt happen again. No green energy. Its a watered down bill that wont even make a dent in the issues. 
 

You mentioned the other day that this bill has a lot of nonsense in it. What is the nonsense in your opinion that can be cut out?
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They were looking to do a standalone broadband bill and that’s why it’s not included in an infrastructure package.  That’s how I wish more bills in my opinion.  Smaller and separated out.  
500 billion should make a pretty good dent into road and bridge repair along with money for airport improvements. 

 
Frott Scost said:
Looks like they just want to focus on roads and bridges and cut the bill by more than half, want to spend half a trillion. That will barely make a dent. No broadband for rural areas. No pipes and resodential infrastructure. No water structures to make sure Flint doesnt happen again. No green energy. Its a watered down bill that wont even make a dent in the issues. 
 

You mentioned the other day that this bill has a lot of nonsense in it. What is the nonsense in your opinion that can be cut out?
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This 
 

Build, preserve, and retrofit more than two million homes and commercial buildings, modernize our nation’s schools and child care facilities, and upgrade veterans’ hospitals and federal buildings. President Biden’s plan will create good jobs building, rehabilitating, and retrofitting affordable, accessible, energy efficient, and resilient housing, commercial buildings, schools, and child care facilities all over the country, while also vastly improving our nation’s federal facilities, especially those that serve veterans.

Solidify the infrastructure of our care economy by creating jobs and raising wages and benefits for essential home care workers. These workers – the majority of whom are women of color – have been underpaid and undervalued for too long. The President’s plan makes substantial investments in the infrastructure of our care economy, starting by creating new and better jobs for caregiving workers. His plan will provide home and community-based care for individuals who otherwise would need to wait as many as five years to get the services they badly need.

Revitalize manufacturing, secure U.S. supply chains, invest in R&D, and train Americans for the jobs of the future. President Biden’s plan will ensure that the best, diverse minds in America are put to work creating the innovations of the future while creating hundreds of thousands of quality jobs today. Our workers will build and make things in every part of America, and they will be trained for well-paying, middle-class jobs.

Create good-quality jobs that pay prevailing wages in safe and healthy workplaces while ensuring workers have a free and fair choice to organize, join a union, and bargain collectively with their employers. By ensuring that American taxpayers’ dollars benefit working families and their communities, and not multinational corporations or foreign governments, the plan will require that goods and materials are made in America and shipped on U.S.-flag, U.S.-crewed vessels. The plan also will ensure that Americans who have endured systemic discrimination and exclusion for generations finally have a fair shot at obtaining good paying jobs and being part of a union.

 
Archy1221 said:
This 
 

Build, preserve, and retrofit more than two million homes and commercial buildings, modernize our nation’s schools and child care facilities, and upgrade veterans’ hospitals and federal buildings. President Biden’s plan will create good jobs building, rehabilitating, and retrofitting affordable, accessible, energy efficient, and resilient housing, commercial buildings, schools, and child care facilities all over the country, while also vastly improving our nation’s federal facilities, especially those that serve veterans.

Solidify the infrastructure of our care economy by creating jobs and raising wages and benefits for essential home care workers. These workers – the majority of whom are women of color – have been underpaid and undervalued for too long. The President’s plan makes substantial investments in the infrastructure of our care economy, starting by creating new and better jobs for caregiving workers. His plan will provide home and community-based care for individuals who otherwise would need to wait as many as five years to get the services they badly need.

Revitalize manufacturing, secure U.S. supply chains, invest in R&D, and train Americans for the jobs of the future. President Biden’s plan will ensure that the best, diverse minds in America are put to work creating the innovations of the future while creating hundreds of thousands of quality jobs today. Our workers will build and make things in every part of America, and they will be trained for well-paying, middle-class jobs.

Create good-quality jobs that pay prevailing wages in safe and healthy workplaces while ensuring workers have a free and fair choice to organize, join a union, and bargain collectively with their employers. By ensuring that American taxpayers’ dollars benefit working families and their communities, and not multinational corporations or foreign governments, the plan will require that goods and materials are made in America and shipped on U.S.-flag, U.S.-crewed vessels. The plan also will ensure that Americans who have endured systemic discrimination and exclusion for generations finally have a fair shot at obtaining good paying jobs and being part of a union.
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Those are the things you think are nonsense? The only thing in there that I dont really understand is the essential home care workers thing. The other stuff you pointed out are essential parts of a good infrastructure bill. More needs to be done than just patch up

some roads and bridges and call it good. The republicans had a chance to make this bill happen, Trump even said he wanted an infrastructure bill and they didnt get it done. Its their MO not to get things done.

 
Archy1221 said:
Build, preserve, and retrofit more than two million homes and commercial buildings, modernize our nation’s schools and child care facilities, and upgrade veterans’ hospitals and federal buildings. President Biden’s plan will create good jobs building, rehabilitating, and retrofitting affordable, accessible, energy efficient, and resilient housing, commercial buildings, schools, and child care facilities all over the country, while also vastly improving our nation’s federal facilities, especially those that serve veterans.
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Not sure why this isn't considered infrastructure.  So, Republicans don't want to help veterans.  Interesting.

 
After watching the speech last night, I came away with these impressions:

1.  Biden comes across as more sincere, passionate, and much more "HUMAN" then the 'former guy'

2. Biden really wants to be a transformative president in the order of FDR, Eisenhower, LBJ or Reagan - the 4 most transformative presidents of the past century.

3. The pendulum has fully swung back from 'Reaganomics" & "End of era of Big Gov (Clinton) to  Big Govt is the answer to today's problems

4. I liked the emphasis that America is back and doesn't have to take a back seat to anyone - specifically calling out China

5. Buy American emphasis - this could be more effective than Trump's tariff war

6.  A lot of spending :o    Much more than I think most of us thought a 'moderate' Biden would spend. It really appears to me

that the Dems promised Biden the WH if he would then just step out of the way and allow the progressive wing to do all of the policy making. The moderate

Biden of the campaign and the very progressive Biden in the WH don't match up.  I am trying to reconcile those 2 characters.

7.  A lot of spending point 2 -  It can be OK if there is a method of paying for it that won't bankrupt the country.  Most of the programs he suggested are ok in that they seem to touch a real need in our country.  Some of the ideas may be 'negotiation fodder' only - throw away items in order to keep the meat of the proposal.   Often times, the spending forecast is exceeded and the revenue forecast is not met.   Maybe I'm use to the other mantra  "The tax cuts will pay for themselves with revenue growth'.  I don't have a problem raising the top 1% - those earning more than $400k and on corporations and returning taxes to the pre - GWB rate.  Will that pay for all of this? If not, how much deficit spending is needed on top of it? 

8. Let's consider the time we are in-  There are certain things only govt can do and govt can do well.  Providing infrastructure, providing seed money for R&D that changes the economy, building an educational structure, etc  Is this the time for 'thinking big' again?  FDR- thought big and rescued generations out of poverty.   Eisenhower thought big and developed the massive interstate highway system and laid the ground work for civil rights reform. JFK thought big and the R&D for the space program revitalized the economy and led to products that we take for granted today.   LBJ thought big and pushed civil rights and poverty solutions to the forefront.   Reagan thought big and took down the Soviet threat which eventually led to the freedom of millions around the world.   As a conservative guy, I typically cringe at this kind of spending. But as a realist, I have to ask, Is this the time for big ideas and new solutions once again?  Is the era of big govt the solution to today's problems?  Maybe so.  I need the GOP to come up with workable  alternatives to convince me otherwise.   GOP lay out your case.

 
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I hope Green energy proposals stay in the bill. It doesn't matter what you're opinion is, that is the future. 

The United States can become a leader in those energy sectors or it can let our competitors do so. But Green energy IS coming. Let's invest in it and keep those jobs here when possible. 

 
TGHusker said:
After watching the speech last night, I came away with these impressions:

1.  Biden comes across as more sincere, passionate, and much more "HUMAN" then the 'former guy'

2. Biden really wants to be a transformative president in the order of FDR, Eisenhower, LBJ or Reagan - the 4 most transformative presidents of the past century.

3. The pendulum has fully swung back from 'Reaganomics" & "End of era of Big Gov (Clinton) to  Big Govt is the answer to today's problems

4. I liked the emphasis that America is back and doesn't have to take a back seat to anyone - specifically calling out China

5. Buy American emphasis - this could be more effective than Trump's tariff war

6.  A lot of spending :o    Much more than I think most of us thought a 'moderate' Biden would spend. It really appears to me

that the Dems promised Biden the WH if he would then just step out of the way and allow the progressive wing to do all of the policy making. The moderate

Biden of the campaign and the very progressive Biden in the WH don't match up.  I am trying to reconcile those 2 characters.

7.  A lot of spending point 2 -  It can be OK if there is a method of paying for it that won't bankrupt the country. Often times, the spending forecast is exceeded and the revenue forecast is not met.   Maybe I'm use to the other mantra  "The tax cuts will pay for themselves with revenue growth'.  I don't have a problem raising the top 1% - those earning more than $400k and on corporations and returning taxes to the pre - GWB rate.  Will that pay for all of this? If not, how much deficit spending is needed on top of it? 

8. Let's consider the time we are in-  There are certain things only govt can do and govt can do well.  Providing infrastructure, providing seed money for R&D that changes the economy, building an educational structure, etc  Is this the time for 'thinking big' again?  FDR- thought big and rescued generations out of poverty.   Eisenhower thought big and developed the massive interstate highway system and laid the ground work for civil rights reform. JFK thought big and the R&D for the space program revitalized the economy and led to products that we take for granted today.   LBJ thought big and pushed civil rights and poverty solutions to the forefront.   Reagan thought big and took down the Soviet threat which eventually led to the freedom of millions around the world.   As a conservative guy, I typically cringe at this kind of spending. But as a realist, I have to ask, Is this the time for big ideas and new solutions once again?  Is the era of big govt the solution to today's problems?  Maybe so.  I need the GOP to come up with workable  alternatives to convince me otherwise.   GOP lay out your case.
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I have mixed feelings about all of this.  We need an infrastructure bill.  It's been needed for a very long time.

The economy is going very well right now though and has been ever since 2010.  There were certain segments that were hurt during the pandemic but those are coming back.  Manufacturing wasn't one of them and it's doing so well that just about anything you order now has long lead times because the manufacturer is overwhelmed with orders.  So, I don't quite get the attitude that manufacturing needs to be revitalized.  My bigger issues is fixing healthcare and rethinking immigration so that we have the workers needed to hire.  

Building materials right now are so scarce and expensive that I'm not sure where this big infrastructure bill is going to get the materials needed to accomplish what is planned.

 
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