Written by Michael Pettengill, who I believe is from Manchester, and posted at economists view--a site I visit daily. Why wasnt the government ruined by 1900 because money in politics was a bigger influence in the 19th century than in the 20th century? And it was easier to buy members of the Senate then because they were appointed by State legislatures and the rules on who could vote for any office excluded those who were not rich. We the People most inclusively have more influence over who sits in legislatures today than 50 years ago and any time previously. The money that has influenced the political economy over the past half century is in the tens of millions of dollars per year, funneled into Cato, Heritage, and a dozen other think tanks that crafted rhetoric first that was anti-commie (helped by the so called left), then anti-socialism, and then anti-capitalism. The policies of Cato and Heritage are as advocates of pillage and plunder. Imagine the pillorying of President Obama giving this statement before signing a 125% tax hike: Today, as this bill becomes law, America ends a period of decline in her vast and world-famous transportation system. Because of the prompt and bipartisan action of Congress, we can now ensure for our children a special part of their heritage -- a network of highways and mass transit that has enabled our commerce to thrive, our country to grow, and our people to roam freely and easily to every corner of our land. This bill was possible because of the contributions of so many Senators and Congressmen, many of whom are standing here today. Without their leadership, cooperation, and determination, this bill would never have become law. Anyone whos driven the family car lately knows what its like to hit a pothole -- a frustration, expense, a danger caused by poor road maintenance. Woeful tales of highway disrepair have become part of the trucking lore. Bridges are crumbling from under us in many of our older cities while growth is being stifled in our newer ones, because the transportation system cant cope with the expanding population. Overall, we have 4,000 miles of Interstate Highway that needs resurfacing and 23,000 bridges that need replacement or repair. Our cities need new buses, new or rebuilt railcars, and track improvements that will cost $50 billion during the next 10 years. Common sense tells us that it will cost a lot less to keep the system we have in good repair than to let it disintegrate and have to start over from scratch. Clearly this program is an investment in tomorrow that we must make today. It will allow us to complete the interstate system, make most -- the interstate repairs and strengthen and improve our bridges, make all of us safer, and help our cities meet their public transit needs. When we first built our highways, we paid for them with a gas tax, a highway user fee that charged those of us who benefited most from the system. It was a fair concept then, and it is today. But that levy has not been increased in more than 23 years. And it no longer covers expenses. The money for todays improvements will come from increasing the gas tax, or the highway user fee, by the equivalent of a nickel a gallon -- about $30 a year for most motorists. The repairs and construction are expected to stimulate about 170,000 jobs, with an additional 150,000 jobs created in related industries. Another provision in this bill adds up to 6 weeks of unemployment benefits for people who have used up all their unemployment insurance. Such badly needed assistance will put more than half a billion dollars into the pockets of family budgets of our long-term unemployed. While the action we take today will bring some relief to those of us who so want to work and yet cannot find jobs, its principal benefit will be to ensure that our roads and transit systems are safe, efficient, and in good repair. The state of our transportation system affects our commerce, our economy, and our future. Thats why Im pleased today to sign House resolution 6211, the Surface Transportation Assistance Act for 1982. It will help America enter a brighter and a more prosperous decade ahead. And so saying, and before the bridges fall down, Ill get this bill signed. I was just reading a leftist proposal that claims that just $10 billion in funding for an infrastructure bank would fund rebuilding all our infrastructure. That works only with the pillage and plunder policies of Wall Street. Wall Street gets fees from making government backed loans for building stuff taken out by public agencies with no revenue sources which then go bust giving Wall Street another set of fees in betting against them. The right is simply saying let is all decay and collapse. Both are promising free lunches because the right wing think tanks have made an art out of promising free lunches are possible: - tax cuts will put more money in your pocket - wage cuts will make you wealthy - eliminating health and safety rules will make you live longer - tax cuts will generate more tax revenue - less government will make you freer - more guns will make you safer - privatizing government functions will be deliver better service at lower costs, with the Post Office being the number one example because $5 to send a document by UPS delivered 5 days a week is better and cheaper than USPS charging 50 cents delivered 6 days a week. The reason Obama won was he got more votes because he got more moderates to vote than voted in 2000 and 2004, and the kids today are moderates because they question the accepted right-wing free lunch views of those who embraced Reagan, who spoke free lunch, but governed as tax and spend when tax cut borrow and spend failed to deliver. If there ever were a plutocrat it would be Warren Buffett and he has called for tax hikes because he is a capitalist who knows TANSTAAFL. He lives with Wall Street, the pillage and plunderers, only because he must. Have you talked to your friends and neighbors and coworkers on the need for tax hikes that will take money from your pocket? Or do you look for the free lunch pol who is running on tax cuts and more deficit and debt, or the pol running on tax cuts less government and balanced budgets but no cuts to SS and Medicare? We the People get the government we deserve and We the People want free lunches and have been told that we can have free lunches for decades, so that is what We the People have been voting for. We no one delivers the free lunches, then half of We the People stop paying attention as everyone blames the other for the lack of free lunches. Or blames those who keep saying TANSTAAFL because personal sacrifice is not acceptable any more because Reagan said so.
Posted on: Mon, 04 Nov 2013 10:38:14 +0000
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