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Old 07-17-2014, 04:26 PM
 
11,086 posts, read 8,520,476 times
Reputation: 6392

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Require that able-bodied recipients of welfare devote manual labor to infrastructure projects. Start with those receiving Obamacare subsidies.

Problem solved.
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Old 07-17-2014, 04:31 PM
 
45,126 posts, read 26,303,081 times
Reputation: 24860
Quote:
Originally Posted by Goinback2011 View Post
Require that able-bodied recipients of welfare devote manual labor to infrastructure projects. Start with those receiving Obamacare subsidies.

Problem solved.
Because people collecting a government check are all of the sudden going to be good employees?
End welfare, let each state decide how to address its infrastructure needs.
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Old 07-17-2014, 04:36 PM
 
Location: San Francisco, CA
15,088 posts, read 13,419,553 times
Reputation: 14266
Quote:
Originally Posted by pnwmdk View Post
Because government is never responsible, capable, competent, or efficient.
And yet it works in other first-world countries, where they actually invest in their infrastructure, but through public and private entities.

So clearly we're doing something wrong, right?
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Old 07-17-2014, 05:09 PM
 
1,696 posts, read 1,710,912 times
Reputation: 1450
Quote:
Originally Posted by madpaddy View Post
Call me a pessimist if you will, but I have serious doubts that a bunch of 18-25 year olds building a bridge or highway under a "compulsory civil service" program are going to work efficiently and create a quality product.
It's how we did it in the 1930's with various public works projects. Most of those guys were under 30.
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Old 07-17-2014, 06:32 PM
 
Location: Down the rabbit hole
863 posts, read 1,192,695 times
Reputation: 2741
Quote:
Originally Posted by Quick Enough View Post
It looks like everything in your list is the responsibility of the states or privately owned.

Why should MY taxes bailout a state who squander the money they collected.

As per your example, why should the rest of the country fix NYC's problem?

When are Americans going to learn to take responsibility serious and quit relying on Uncle Sam to bail them out?

Like they say, "You own it, you fix it."
What you say is largely true, aside from some of the water works that are taken care of by the Corps of Engineers, many of our infrastructure problems are a state's or private concern. So how do we get the states to upgrade their infrastructure and why is it universally collapsing around the country?

Take the electrical grid. There are over 500 different players involved in the national grid (except for Texas) how do we get them all to cooperate and spend the small fortune that's needed to update to a "smart grid" system?

I'm looking for answers, not condemnations of the government. It seems like any infrastructure project that involves government whether it be state or federal is prone to abuse so is privatization the answer? if so, how do we turn over the reins?

.....and when it comes to a NYC sewer failure that's "not your problem", you may want to think again. If you live within 500 miles of a major city and part of it's infrastructure fails, you will feel repercussions. The failing infrastructure should be a national concern. If you think that your state (which ever that is) will remain an oasis because they have been diligent (and none of them have been) while all around, everything else slides into ruin, You better be ready to roll out the state militia to guard your borders.

At that point we might as well balkanize the entire country....................then again, that may be the only way that the US will survive into the next century anyway.
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Old 07-17-2014, 08:21 PM
 
Location: Del Rio, TN
39,809 posts, read 26,394,291 times
Reputation: 25704
I have trouble believing in our "crumbling infrastructure". Back in the Bush years, a law was passed providing hundreds of billions in funds for infrastructure projects. Obama's administration spent nearly $1 trillion on "shovel ready" infrastructure projects. I have to believe that money was spent responsibly and that our infrastructure was fixed, as politicians from both parties promised it would be.

I mean....politicians wouldn't lie and government wouldn't just waste that money now, would they?
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Old 07-17-2014, 09:18 PM
 
2,023 posts, read 5,303,014 times
Reputation: 2004
The infrastructure needs of the country can and should be financed off budget by the Federal Reserve directly, basically take advantage of their tremendous credit creating ability to benefit the whole country for a change.
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Old 07-18-2014, 01:54 PM
 
58,720 posts, read 27,056,325 times
Reputation: 14184
Quote:
Originally Posted by Catdancer View Post
What you say is largely true, aside from some of the water works that are taken care of by the Corps of Engineers, many of our infrastructure problems are a state's or private concern. So how do we get the states to upgrade their infrastructure and why is it universally collapsing around the country?

Take the electrical grid. There are over 500 different players involved in the national grid (except for Texas) how do we get them all to cooperate and spend the small fortune that's needed to update to a "smart grid" system?

I'm looking for answers, not condemnations of the government. It seems like any infrastructure project that involves government whether it be state or federal is prone to abuse so is privatization the answer? if so, how do we turn over the reins?

.....and when it comes to a NYC sewer failure that's "not your problem", you may want to think again. If you live within 500 miles of a major city and part of it's infrastructure fails, you will feel repercussions. The failing infrastructure should be a national concern. If you think that your state (which ever that is) will remain an oasis because they have been diligent (and none of them have been) while all around, everything else slides into ruin, You better be ready to roll out the state militia to guard your borders.

At that point we might as well balkanize the entire country....................then again, that may be the only way that the US will survive into the next century anyway.
"I'm looking for answers" The fed certainly is NOT the answer.

It is up to EACH state to take care of their own infrastructure.

Answer, VOTE in your OWN state to get rid of the crooked politicians.
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Old 07-18-2014, 01:57 PM
 
1,129 posts, read 2,015,216 times
Reputation: 873
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fancy-Schmancy View Post
It's how we did it in the 1930's with various public works projects. Most of those guys were under 30.
And all of them voluntarily took the jobs, none were compelled to do so.
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Old 07-18-2014, 03:08 PM
 
Location: Las Vegas
5,864 posts, read 4,965,798 times
Reputation: 4207
Quote:
Originally Posted by ambient View Post
And yet it works in other first-world countries, where they actually invest in their infrastructure, but through public and private entities.

So clearly we're doing something wrong, right?
This. Other nations are able to efficiently deliver on social programs, education, and universal healthcare yet in America it seems even the simplest programs become boondoggles.
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