As Might be Expected, Trumps infrastructure plan is just a Windfall for Wall Street

[CousinIT]

In adjusting to the next four years of a Donald Trump presidency, some Democratic lawmakers are looking for places where they might be able to work with him on issues they already care about. One area in which some see such opportunity is infrastructure, given that they have long pushed for the government to spend more on these projects to boost the economy. Trump has promised he wants to do the same.

In fact, Trump’s team has already laid out exactly how it would invest in infrastructure, in a paper authored by advisers Wilbur Ross and Peter Navarro. But if Democrats were to read the details, they would quickly see there is little worth endorsing.

In short, rather than have the government raise or borrow money at incredibly low interest rates and then grant the money to state and local governments to build or maintain infrastructure, Trump’s plan would give private investors tax credits for construction projects. Those private firms would then raise the rest of the money needed for those projects, recouping the costs in profits.

Such projects would address very few of the country’s most dire infrastructure needs, end up costing some Americans a lot more money, and generate little to no economic boost. However, the plan would be a major windfall for private companies looking to boost their bottom lines.

https://thinkprogress.org/trump-infrastructure-plan-3cd425323c76#.o21wcyi0l

[emulatorloo]

1. We're not going to be able to walk down the street w/o paying a toll n/t

[SamKnause]

2. Everything he does will be a big windfall for Wall Street.

Cutting taxes is a big windfall for Wall Street.

Deregulation is a big windfall for Wall Street.

[jmg257]

3. Ah - that plan jives with statements from trump's union rep meeting...

At a meeting with the leaders of several construction and building trade unions, President Trump reiterated on Monday his interest in directing hundreds of billions of dollars to infrastructure investments, some of it from the federal government, union officials said.
...
“That the American citizenry and the American Treasury will be invested in building public infrastructure.”

Mr. McGarvey added that Mr. Trump clearly felt that much of the money should come from the private sector and that some of the investments could take the form of public-private partnerships, an idea the president floated as a candidate.

[Turbineguy]

4. Look at it this way:

If they are busy stealing that, perhaps they'll leave our pensions alone. At least for a while anyway.

[world wide wally]

5. We'll spend half of our travel time waiting in line to pay tolls

Longer commutes (time wise)
More expensive
More pollution
More road rage
What can go wrong?

[Wounded Bear]

8. I think you've nailed it....nt

[kairos12]

6. Should name the Project Tolls by Trolls.

[Ron Green]

7. Don't buy ANY infrastructure project that adds traffic lanes.

The best place for the trillion dollars is directly to mayors.