What's this "infrastructure" thing I hear about?

[Neshanic]

To rebuild the infrastructure. Billions. Well Ok, sounds good to me, but what infrastructure?

If this means fixing the roads and bridges that exist now fine.

But if it means adding all those pet projects like new freeways in Phoenix, (which during a local government meeting recently, they said this would be the case), I am not too happy about building freeways through cotton fields and pave like it was 1999. Local governments are already slobering over money for their parkways, new roads to nowhere, and freeway interchanges for the local auto dealer that screams the most.

This money must not be spent on the crap that got us here in the first place.

Infrastructure is NEW high speed rail lines, subways, commuter train lines, plug in stations for electric cars, networks of mass transit, new planning for land use, regional planning and saving open space and making it work with the new transit, super fast broad band; all the things that are for the better future, not a bigger footprint for the past.

No exrta runways at Sky Harbor. No new NAFTA freeway from Nogales to the north, no parkways that serve developers.

The most good for the most people with the underlying fact that mass transit is the future with cars that are smaller and do not use gas.

I wait for the ensuing screeching.

[WCGreen]

1. I share your misgivings...

I would hope that by infrastructure they do mean big city sewer systems, redeveloping existing highways sytems, repairing bridges, nationwide broadband access, light rail systems and port updates.

[AtomTan]

2. Recommended. "Infrastructure" must include public transportation.

[midnight]

3. I agree.

"Infrastructure is NEW high speed rail lines, subways, commuter train lines, plug in stations for electric cars, networks of mass transit, new planning for land use, regional planning and saving open space and making it work with the new transit, super fast broad band; all the things that are for the better future, not a bigger footprint for the past."

[ben_meyers]

4. What ever it entails it must be reserved for American

workers and equipment manufactures.

Yesterday I posted a news article about Japans largest heavy equipment maker, Komatsu Ltd, jumping 11% on the news that Obama was planning this massive spending on infrastructure. The only response I got was critical of being "offensive to me, as a foreigner".

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3635714

[loyalsister]

5. Spend spend spend

The logic is that people will travel on nicer highways and roads and that the state will pull in sales tax $$ from spending on gas taxes.

[qwlauren35]

7. No, I don't think so.

The logic is:
- with additional mass transit, job opportunities will be expanded for people without cars and there will be a need for more drivers (jobs) and people to repair mass transit vehicles (jobs).
- with additional communications systems, job opportunities will be expanded for people who need to telecommute as well as those who run and repair the lines.
- with additional building projects, there will be increased employment for laborers, architects, engineers, plumbers, carpenters, electricians, general contractors... and those who feed them.
- with improved school buildings, there will hopefully be better thermal control (A/C for summers!!!) and additional classroom space.
- with re-engineered energy systems, again there will be increased employment for electricians, electrical technicians and power engineers.

Building the infrastructure is what creates the jobs. Building the correct infrastructure should also create jobs, while promoting a greener America.

[senaca]

6. I'm for building renewable energy power grid across the U.S., also. n/t.

[Thickasabrick]

8. Our school systems need major work in some areas and the

cities, towns, states can't afford to repair them. I'd like some funds to go into that.

[jberryhill]

9. Every time a bell rings

...Sarah Palin gets a bridge.