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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forums"Obama proposes $302 billion transportation bill"
Obama proposes $302 billion transportation billby Hunter at Daily Kos
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/02/26/1280647/-Obama-proposes-302-billion-transportation-bill
"SNIP..................................
One of the most difficult things about the financial crisis we went through was the housing bubble bursting, and construction workers were hammered harder than just about anybody. And while weve cut the unemployment rate for construction workers almost in half since 2010, too many are still looking for jobs at a time when we've got so much that we could put them to work on rebuilding. Weve got ports that arent ready for the next generation of supertankers. Weve got more than 100,000 bridges that are old enough to qualify for Medicare. [...]
Now, other countries are not waiting to rebuild their infrastructure. Theyre trying to out-build us today so they can out-compete us tomorrow. As a percentage of GDP, countries like China, Germany, theyre spending about twice what we're spending in order to build infrastructure -- because they know that if they have the fastest trains on the planet or the highest-rated airports or the busiest, most efficient ports that businesses will go there.
...................
Despite the frequent warnings as to the dire state of national transportation infrastructure, Congress has been as lackadaisical about transportation funding as with most other budget requirements. The CBO estimates that maintaining current infrastructure alone will cost $279 billion over the next four years, far above the levels currently allocated; the American Society of Civil Engineers estimates a more thorough modernization would take at least $3.6 trillion. The administration proposal would reinfuse the near-empty Highway Trust Fund and includes $150 billion in one-time expenditures taken from not yet specified "pro-growth business tax reform" measures, sure to be a bone of Republican contention.
Also highlighted in the speech: $600 million in "Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery" (TIGER) grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation. These are competitive grants, intended to be disbursed to state and local projects. The TIGER program has previously disbursed $3.5 billion in infrastructure grants; this additional funding was allocated by the January budget deal.
................................SNIP"
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"Obama proposes $302 billion transportation bill" (Original Post)
applegrove
Feb 2014
OP
How did you get the link for the actual article? I'm clueless these days about html. I once used to
applegrove
Feb 2014
#2
Tx4obama
(36,974 posts)1. A link to the article, below
applegrove
(118,729 posts)2. How did you get the link for the actual article? I'm clueless these days about html. I once used to
know all sorts of tricks but have not used it in years.
Tx4obama
(36,974 posts)3. I went to your link, then scrolled down to the article, then clicked on the article headline...
... that brought the article up on its own page - then I copied the link at the top of my browser.
applegrove
(118,729 posts)4. Thanks. Will do that.
Cha
(297,418 posts)5. Thanks Obama
mahalo apple
msongs
(67,429 posts)6. good news, mabye a new jobs bill every month til election time nt
alittlelark
(18,890 posts)7. KnR for great news !!
I hope this thread makes to the top it til the East Coast DUers can see it in the AM.
sheshe2
(83,831 posts)8. It should be a no brainer...
"The four year, $302 billion proposal will require action on the part of Congress."
If we want this to pass, we need to vote the teahadists out in 2014.
Thank you applegrove.
freshwest
(53,661 posts)9. K&R. So many of the initial stimulus monies were refused by GOP guvs and legislatures. We'll see. nt