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Obama nails it on why we need to invest in America's infrastructure—and why it's not happening
Obama nails it on why we need to invest in America's infrastructure—and why it's not happening
by Laura Clawson for
President Obama continues to press on the need to invest in infrastructure. Asked by Kai Ryssdal of Marketplace "we sit here in an economy where corporate profits are up, but the money's not being spent, where the jobs that are being created are low-wage, low-skill jobs. How's that supposed to work? How do you reconcile the disconnect there," Obama said:
That's an excellent summation of how ridiculous it is that Republicans are blocking infrastructure spending:
1) Our bridges, air-traffic control system, and electrical grid are not good enough for our needs right now.
2) Repairing and updating them would create hundreds of thousands of jobs, which would in turn boost the economy.
3) We need better infrastructure to be competitive in the future.
But no. Screw all that, Republicans need to oppose the president in all things and keep corporate taxes low at all costs.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/07/03/1311460/-Obama-nails-it-on-why-we-need-to-invest-in-America-s-infrastructure-and-why-it-s-not-happening?
by Laura Clawson for
President Obama continues to press on the need to invest in infrastructure. Asked by Kai Ryssdal of Marketplace "we sit here in an economy where corporate profits are up, but the money's not being spent, where the jobs that are being created are low-wage, low-skill jobs. How's that supposed to work? How do you reconcile the disconnect there," Obama said:
Well, there's some things we could be doing right now that would make a huge difference. When I was at that bridge in Georgetown, Washington, D.C., yesterday, we were talking about the fact that we've got $2 trillion of deferred maintenance: roads, bridges, an air-traffic control system that's creaky, an electrical grid that wastes too much energy and is highly inefficient, and we could be putting hundreds of thousands of folks back to work right now and not only put a big boost to the economy in the short term, but also lay the foundation for economic competitiveness in the long term. That creates a lot of middle-class jobs. The challenge we have is not that we don't know what to do. The problem is that we've got a Congress right now that's been saying no to proposals that would make a difference.
That's an excellent summation of how ridiculous it is that Republicans are blocking infrastructure spending:
1) Our bridges, air-traffic control system, and electrical grid are not good enough for our needs right now.
2) Repairing and updating them would create hundreds of thousands of jobs, which would in turn boost the economy.
3) We need better infrastructure to be competitive in the future.
But no. Screw all that, Republicans need to oppose the president in all things and keep corporate taxes low at all costs.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/07/03/1311460/-Obama-nails-it-on-why-we-need-to-invest-in-America-s-infrastructure-and-why-it-s-not-happening?
It’s Not Just The Storm Surge That Has New Jersey Worried About Hurricane Arthur
By Joanna M. Foster
It’s official, the first tropical storm of the 2014 Atlantic Hurricane season has strengthened into a category 1 hurricane. Hurricane Arthur, which formed off the Florida coast on Tuesday, is headed on a collision course with North Carolina’s Outer Banks. At 5 a.m.Thursday morning, a mandatory evacuation of Hatteras Island was ordered. Wind gusts of around 75 miles an hour are expected to batter the area as the storm makes landfall Thursday night.
Farther north, along the Jersey Shore and Long Island, the storm is expected to bring heavy rain, freshwater flooding, potentially deadly rip currents, high surf, and wind and tidal flooding according to the National Weather Service. This means that while Arthur won’t be a Superstorm Sandy or Hurricane Irene, it could still devastate an area heavily dependent on tourism revenues as visitors choose to avoid the beach this 4th of July weekend.
To make matters worse, the tri-state area was pounded by a series of severe thunderstorms Wednesday evening which left motorists in New Jersey stranded and caused a retention wall under the Brooklyn Bridge to collapse, injuring a family that was sheltering during the storm. More heavy rain is expected Thursday, meaning that dedicated vacationers may struggle to reach the beaches even if the threat posed by Hurricane Arthur doesn’t scare them away.
Arthur is “absolutely something not only beachgoers but especially mariners need to keep an eye on,” David A. Robinson, the New Jersey state climatologist at Rutgers University told the Asbury Park Press.
- more -
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/07/03/3456250/hurricane-arthur-jersey-shore/
By Joanna M. Foster
It’s official, the first tropical storm of the 2014 Atlantic Hurricane season has strengthened into a category 1 hurricane. Hurricane Arthur, which formed off the Florida coast on Tuesday, is headed on a collision course with North Carolina’s Outer Banks. At 5 a.m.Thursday morning, a mandatory evacuation of Hatteras Island was ordered. Wind gusts of around 75 miles an hour are expected to batter the area as the storm makes landfall Thursday night.
Farther north, along the Jersey Shore and Long Island, the storm is expected to bring heavy rain, freshwater flooding, potentially deadly rip currents, high surf, and wind and tidal flooding according to the National Weather Service. This means that while Arthur won’t be a Superstorm Sandy or Hurricane Irene, it could still devastate an area heavily dependent on tourism revenues as visitors choose to avoid the beach this 4th of July weekend.
To make matters worse, the tri-state area was pounded by a series of severe thunderstorms Wednesday evening which left motorists in New Jersey stranded and caused a retention wall under the Brooklyn Bridge to collapse, injuring a family that was sheltering during the storm. More heavy rain is expected Thursday, meaning that dedicated vacationers may struggle to reach the beaches even if the threat posed by Hurricane Arthur doesn’t scare them away.
Arthur is “absolutely something not only beachgoers but especially mariners need to keep an eye on,” David A. Robinson, the New Jersey state climatologist at Rutgers University told the Asbury Park Press.
- more -
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/07/03/3456250/hurricane-arthur-jersey-shore/
NY Daily News:
Storm brings heavy flooding to Brooklyn as bridge wall collapses
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/wall-collapses-brooklyn-bridge-heavy-flooding-article-1.1853001
<...>
Jerome Dilligard, 52, said his wife noticed water seeping from between the heavy stones of the facade as they took shelter under the Brooklyn Bridge. The retired correction officer decided to run for their car.
As soon as Dilligard left, the wall collapsed — burying his wife, Teresa, and their 8-year-old daughter, Kaylah, as well as his 30-year-old daughter, LaToya Jackson, her son, Khmani, 10, and little Kiarra in debris. The baby was knocked to the street, her grandfather said.
“A stranger picked her up,” Dilligard said. “They were right under the wall when it came down.
“My wife had to dig them all out. It’s a miracle they got out with their lives.”
<...>
Jerome Dilligard, 52, said his wife noticed water seeping from between the heavy stones of the facade as they took shelter under the Brooklyn Bridge. The retired correction officer decided to run for their car.
As soon as Dilligard left, the wall collapsed — burying his wife, Teresa, and their 8-year-old daughter, Kaylah, as well as his 30-year-old daughter, LaToya Jackson, her son, Khmani, 10, and little Kiarra in debris. The baby was knocked to the street, her grandfather said.
“A stranger picked her up,” Dilligard said. “They were right under the wall when it came down.
“My wife had to dig them all out. It’s a miracle they got out with their lives.”
<...>
Photos at link.
36 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
been trying to do something for a long time, and nothing's happened. And with this do-nothing congress, 
Even if people die here from this as they have in other places, and commerce breaks down, and others are impoverished losing the social mobility of public travel routes, they still demand the same thing:
Koch brothers and Libertarian 101:
“We call for the dissolution of all government agencies concerned with transportation, including the Department of Transportation.”
“We demand the return of America's railroad system to private ownership. We call for the privatization of the public roads and national highway system.”
“We advocate the abolition of the Federal Aviation Administration.”
“We call for the privatization of the inland waterways, and of the distribution system that brings water to industry, agriculture and households.”
http://metamorphosis.democraticunderground.com/1014833821#post10
Virtually everything on that list is fully supported by media of all kinds. It's pushed from both 'sides,' with one side pro-privatization in an outright manner, for the reasons listed, and from the other with pure hatred for all government, all Democratic officials, and eager to hate any Democratic policy which is not good enough for them, as if no one else's opinion matters at all.
Both sides want the system of checks and balances and those who compromise to keep it going, to get out of their way, right fugging now! Utopia awaits. It's been waiting so long it's compost, but it won't stop anyone wanting it as the real world goes to hell, denying they're creating it.
The 'right' is working diligently on profiting from it, while the 'left' indulges itself in fantasies about the coming revolution. They say if only they stand back and let the people suffer more, they will rise up and call them up to hear their great ideas.
The Libertarians stoke both sides at the same time, demoralizing Democrats to stop them from voting by using their sacred cows against them that they don't value, at all, except to stir them up. At the same time they are giving fuel to the Tea Party, who really does value the same things, like no government at all.
JMHO. YMMV.
Koch brothers and Libertarian 101:
“We call for the dissolution of all government agencies concerned with transportation, including the Department of Transportation.”
“We demand the return of America's railroad system to private ownership. We call for the privatization of the public roads and national highway system.”
“We advocate the abolition of the Federal Aviation Administration.”
“We call for the privatization of the inland waterways, and of the distribution system that brings water to industry, agriculture and households.”
http://metamorphosis.democraticunderground.com/1014833821#post10
Virtually everything on that list is fully supported by media of all kinds. It's pushed from both 'sides,' with one side pro-privatization in an outright manner, for the reasons listed, and from the other with pure hatred for all government, all Democratic officials, and eager to hate any Democratic policy which is not good enough for them, as if no one else's opinion matters at all.
Both sides want the system of checks and balances and those who compromise to keep it going, to get out of their way, right fugging now! Utopia awaits. It's been waiting so long it's compost, but it won't stop anyone wanting it as the real world goes to hell, denying they're creating it.
The 'right' is working diligently on profiting from it, while the 'left' indulges itself in fantasies about the coming revolution. They say if only they stand back and let the people suffer more, they will rise up and call them up to hear their great ideas.
The Libertarians stoke both sides at the same time, demoralizing Democrats to stop them from voting by using their sacred cows against them that they don't value, at all, except to stir them up. At the same time they are giving fuel to the Tea Party, who really does value the same things, like no government at all.
JMHO. YMMV.
