Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
We will start investing in High speed Rail when the airlines have to start charging passengers the full cost of their flight. Even now air travel is becoming a luxury good because of prices. It will only get worse.
Military contracting is our biggest welfare program and can be justified in the sacred name of "defense". I, for one fail to see how our wars since WW2 have actually "defended" this country unless you count keeping our military manufacturers prosperous as "defense". Fighting in Vietnam to protect French Rubber plantations was idiotic. The more recent wars have been even dumber and the proposed war with Iran to save Sunni Saudi Arabia from the blasphemous Iranian Shiites is beyond stupid.
This may change if we can guarantee the owners of the MIC as much profit for providing materials for infrastructure improvement. Unfortunately General Dynamics cannot build bulldozers as profitably as they build submarines. We have a lot of work to do in this country to maintain and improve our prosperity. We just cannot afford to keep shoveling welfare money at the defense industry and fix our own house. I suggest diminishing the defense industry until we can only field twice the rest of the world’s military instead of ten times that number.
No Mass transit system in the world makes money so obviously Conservatives hate it. Notice how they don't complain about the Interstate system even though it doesn't generate a profit & requires massive Government money to maintain.
Green Energy will save costs to consumers but you can't buy or sell sunshine or wind power like you can with a barrel of Oil so that upsets Conservatives as well.
Wars are profiittable and that is the bottom line.
Delhi Metro makes profit. I read somewhere that there are 5 metro systems in the world whoch make profit. Look at overall economic benefits also, people save money commuting by trains rather then car/fuel etc. Delhi metro ridership is more then 2 million passengers every day yet it makes profit by ridership tickets alone.
No Mass transit system in the world makes money so obviously Conservatives hate it. Notice how they don't complain about the Interstate system even though it doesn't generate a profit & requires massive Government money to maintain.
Green Energy will save costs to consumers but you can't buy or sell sunshine or wind power like you can with a barrel of Oil so that upsets Conservatives as well.
Wars are profiittable and that is the bottom line.
Given that a lot of our blue collar working men, typically hardworking guys who take pride in building things, are in the tank with the housing crash and aftermath, the infrastructure-oriented job bills seem like a great way to get them back doing things that our society needs. High speed rail, solar retrofits, bridge and road repair and updating would all get these guys back to work, and they would be an investment in the future. The GOP is saying no way in hell.
These same guys were all for the Iraq War, and the tax cut passed as the war was launched. The wars and tax cuts exploded the deficit and produced absolutely nothing to make America stronger five years from now. But for the GOP, deficits for wars or military build ups (Reagan) are entirely acceptable.
What is the logic here?
You left out a point I'd like to bring up.
The Bush 43 tax cuts for the job creators was supposed to spur economic growth, but it sure is looking like they became wealthier, and pocketed the money. WHERE ARE THE JOBS?
Quote:
Wars are profiittable and that is the bottom line.
Maybe only to defense contractors like lockheed-martin, boeing and a few others.
Money spent on 2 conflicts-wars when taxes were cut just draws funds from America, and very little is put back, results are national debt and deficit.
Conservatives-republicans want to cut taxes even more?
No Mass transit system in the world makes money so obviously Conservatives hate it. Notice how they don't complain about the Interstate system even though it doesn't generate a profit & requires massive Government money to maintain.
Green Energy will save costs to consumers but you can't buy or sell sunshine or wind power like you can with a barrel of Oil so that upsets Conservatives as well.
Wars are profiittable and that is the bottom line.
Green energy has proven to cost more than it returns. I look accross the mountain today. It is windy and yet I can see 6 of the 10 wind generators standing idle, broken and not able to function. The weak point allegedly is in the gearboxes. On any given day you see as many wind turbines standing idle as you see running.
Solar power. In places like AZ they may be viable, but begin to degrade almost from the start.
Geo thermal has potential.
Tidal generators have potential.
I am for a better rail system and wish we could invest. Perhaps if we cut foreign aid, as well as the many many many pork projects this could happen.
I would love to see the USA cut our military by 25%. Along with this stop allowing the UN and NATO to use us as a world cop.
Given that a lot of our blue collar working men, typically hardworking guys who take pride in building things, are in the tank with the housing crash and aftermath, the infrastructure-oriented job bills seem like a great way to get them back doing things that our society needs. High speed rail, solar retrofits, bridge and road repair and updating would all get these guys back to work, and they would be an investment in the future. The GOP is saying no way in hell.
These same guys were all for the Iraq War, and the tax cut passed as the war was launched. The wars and tax cuts exploded the deficit and produced absolutely nothing to make America stronger five years from now. But for the GOP, deficits for wars or military build ups (Reagan) are entirely acceptable.
What is the logic here?
I always laugh at the idiocy of the term "Unfunded"
If it is NOT funded, then how do they pay for it.
Of course it is "funded".
"Unfunded" is just an accounting gimmick. Like when Clinton took Social Security "off the nooks" so he could claim a balanced budget.
Every body has their own interests. IMO, high speed rail is not worth the expense at this time.
I have no problem with supporting alternative energies, unfortunately the Obama admin has done a terrible job in picking individual companies. Many were Obama supporters. Others were ruled to risky and they gave the money anyway, to his donors.
I like the idea of high speed rail. . .though I'm sure they will mess it up just like the f'd up Acela on the east coast.
Though I think the funding for high speed rail should be paid for entirely by taxes/tolls on the highway system it means to offset. Stop subsidizing cars!
Regardless - benefit of railway is that you have something to show for it when your done. Can't say that with a war.
You left out a point I'd like to bring up.
The Bush 43 tax cuts for the job creators was supposed to spur economic growth, but it sure is looking like they became wealthier, and pocketed the money. WHERE ARE THE JOBS?
Maybe only to defense contractors like lockheed-martin, boeing and a few others.
Money spent on 2 conflicts-wars when taxes were cut just draws funds from America, and very little is put back, results are national debt and deficit.
Conservatives-republicans want to cut taxes even more?
"The Bush 43 tax cuts for the job creators was supposed to spur economic growth".
Of course this has been explained over and over but, some like to ignore the truth.
Hint, it DID spur economic growth. the fed took in MORE money then previously, the deficit was going DOWN.
2 things happened to change the course.
The dems took control of Congress and the housing bubble burst which was in no way was Bush responsible for it.
We all know how he tried to get Congress, barney frank and chris dodd, to act, and they refused.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
