Infrastructure Grade: D. Conservative Grade: F

[PostmodernProphet]

As with any spending bill, whether its is Republican or Democratic, there is certain to be pork. But given the mood of the country, they should keep it to an absolute minimum and start rebuilding crumbling road, bridges, railways, power grids, and sanitation and water systems.

unless it's part of the interstate system there is no reason at all for a taxpayer in Michigan to pay for a road in New York, or vice versa ........

[Joe Steel]

so there is absolutely zero pork in the democratic/obama stimulus plan?

Not a cent.

It's all stimulus.

[avatar4321]

Not a cent.

It's all stimulus.

yeah... too bad none of it is actually going to help the economy.

[Joe Steel]

yeah... too bad none of it is actually going to help the economy.

Recessions are caused by a lack of spending. Spending is the only way to fix a lack of spending. Every penny of the stimulus bill is going to help the economy.

[5stringJeff]

Recessions are caused by a lack of spending. Spending is the only way to fix a lack of spending. Every penny of the stimulus bill is going to help the economy.

This particular recession was not caused by a lack of spending, but is the inevitable market correction to an unsustainable bubble in housing prices. The best way to end the recession is to let the housing market correct itself, which, along the way, will cause some people to have less available money (since they're not doing things like taking out home equity loans). Taxing people on top of their already-reduced cash flow in order to "stimulate the economy" will only cause more pain for people who don't need it while contributing to inefficient, politically chosen projects.

[Yurt]

Really? You are obsessive with your posts, yet don't take the time to read others.

whatever...as i said, first time i asked that question and you go nuts over obsessiveness and the claim that i don't take the time to read others

weird

[avatar4321]

Recessions are caused by a lack of spending. Spending is the only way to fix a lack of spending. Every penny of the stimulus bill is going to help the economy.

You are honestly going to try to argue that we havent been spending enough the last 8 years? Seriously?

Come on.

[DannyR]

Recessions are caused by a lack of spending.

There is a difference between spending by citizens and companies vs spending by government. Every penny the government spends is a penny taken from citizens that they themselves cannot spend.

Deficit spending is no exception, as it must be paid back with interest which only kills our economy all the more. We could easily cover the cost of the next 7 largest foreign military budgets with just the money we waste each year in interest payments on our already existing debt. (over $412 billion!)

[Joe Steel]

This particular recession was not caused by a lack of spending, but is the inevitable market correction to an unsustainable bubble in housing prices.

All recessions are caused by a lack of spending.

Taxing people on top of their already-reduced cash flow in order to "stimulate the economy" will only cause more pain for people who don't need it while contributing to inefficient, politically chosen projects.

Not everyone will be taxed. That's the beauty of the plan. It taxes those who have too much money and gives it to those who have too little.

No pain. Much gain.

[Joe Steel]

Recessions are caused by a lack of spending.

There is a difference between spending by citizens and companies vs spending by government. Every penny the government spends is a penny taken from citizens that they themselves cannot spend.

Not exactly. Taxes can be placed on those who won't spend the money. The tax revenue then can be distributed to those who have no money to spend.

[Noir]

Forgetting the talk of pork, and looking back at the OP, how respected are the American Society of Civil Engineers as an unbiased group?

[DannyR]

Not exactly. Taxes can be placed on those who won't spend the money. The tax revenue then can be distributed to those who have no money to spend.

Only certain way I can think of doing this is to directly tax savings accounts, since that is by definition money put aside and not immediately spent. That would be a nightmare.


how respected are the American Society of Civil Engineers as an unbiased group?

I'm sure there are plenty of examples of individual ASCE members who are quite partisan, but due to their non-profit tax status, the society at large is prohibited from endorsing candidates and taking sides on direct legislation. In general I've seen they do support the spending of more money updating infrastructure - a LOT more money. However they do recommend such money be used as widely as possible, rather than concentrated in wasteful projects like the infamous Bridge to Nowhere. Probably mildly liberal.

[Joe Steel]

Only certain way I can think of doing this is to directly tax savings accounts, since that is by definition money put aside and not immediately spent. That would be a nightmare.

That's not the only way. All we have to do is raise marginal tax rates. High-income taxpayers spend less of each marginal dollar than do low-income taxpayers so raising taxes on high-income taxpayers would take money they wouldn't spend.

[The ClayTaurus]

All recessions are caused by a lack of spending.



Not everyone will be taxed. That's the beauty of the plan. It taxes those who have too much money and gives it to those who have too little.

No pain. Much gain.

Define "too much money" and "too little." Let's hear some numbers.

[PostmodernProphet]

Recessions are caused by a lack of spending. Spending is the only way to fix a lack of spending. Every penny of the stimulus bill is going to help the economy.

then why aren't we spending $5 trillion instead of only $1 trillion....we would help the economy five times as much, no?.......