~46~ Lame Duck Unfit Uncle Joe Biden ~46~

[MDlaxfan76]

Biden administration unveils first anti-corruption plan:

https://thehill.com/homenews/administra ... corruption

Reading the minds of Americans everywhere who headed into this holiday season, with covid still raging, empty shelves abounding, and skyrocketing inflation...are making steps to stop... money laundering.

You've become something of a caricature on this "Biden bad" campaign of yours. What is to be gleaned from this: that putting into place measures to curb public corruption isn't important enough to allow ANY FOCUS to be off combatting inflation? Stocking your pantry? Combatting the pandemic and variants? What makes you think that the Administration is not still focused on all of these things? Nothing. You just want to publish Biden Bad.

From the article:

"The pillars also include curbing illicit finance through steps like issuing beneficial ownership transparency regulations to identify bad actors and enacting first-of-their-kind regulations surrounding real estate transactions to reveal when real estate is used to hide ill-gotten cash or to launder criminal proceeds."

You think this is a bad thing?

well, we want them thar Russians to send more money here...

[Bart]

Biden administration unveils first anti-corruption plan:

https://thehill.com/homenews/administra ... corruption

Reading the minds of Americans everywhere who headed into this holiday season, with covid still raging, empty shelves abounding, and skyrocketing inflation...are making steps to stop... money laundering.

You've become something of a caricature on this "Biden bad" campaign of yours. What is to be gleaned from this: that putting into place measures to curb public corruption isn't important enough to allow ANY FOCUS to be off combatting inflation? Stocking your pantry? Combatting the pandemic and variants? What makes you think that the Administration is not still focused on all of these things? Nothing. You just want to publish Biden Bad.

Seems to me that the Biden Bad campaign waged here is the B side to the Orange Duce record...the one that played for 705 pages. It is where we are at it seems in politics...if you are with me you are against me. Can't work together.

[kramerica.inc]

Biden administration unveils first anti-corruption plan:

https://thehill.com/homenews/administra ... corruption

Reading the minds of Americans everywhere who headed into this holiday season, with covid still raging, empty shelves abounding, and skyrocketing inflation...are making steps to stop... money laundering.

You've become something of a caricature on this "Biden bad" campaign of yours. What is to be gleaned from this: that putting into place measures to curb public corruption isn't important enough to allow ANY FOCUS to be off combatting inflation? Stocking your pantry? Combatting the pandemic and variants? What makes you think that the Administration is not still focused on all of these things? Nothing. You just want to publish Biden Bad.

From the article:

"The pillars also include curbing illicit finance through steps like issuing beneficial ownership transparency regulations to identify bad actors and enacting first-of-their-kind regulations surrounding real estate transactions to reveal when real estate is used to hide ill-gotten cash or to launder criminal proceeds."

You think this is a bad thing?

It's not a campaign. Just posting the top Biden headlines of the moment.

But this- I think is an excuse for more disclosures and to nose around people's finances. To what end? They want more money. It's incredibly tone deaf. And it's also interesting that this is their focus when so much other bad is happening in the country.

[seacoaster]

"And it's also interesting that this is their focus when so much other bad is happening in the country."

So you think this anti-money laundering effort has brought a halt, or fatally impedes efforts for coronavirus relief and treatment? Efforts to manage supply chain issues? Inflation? Oil prices? Russian incursions into Ukraine? NATO expansion? Climate change? Bullsh*t. You're just posting Biden Bad stuff when and where you can.

[a fan]

Biden administration unveils first anti-corruption plan:

https://thehill.com/homenews/administra ... corruption

Reading the minds of Americans everywhere who headed into this holiday season, with covid still raging, empty shelves abounding, and skyrocketing inflation...are making steps to stop... money laundering.

You've become something of a caricature on this "Biden bad" campaign of yours. What is to be gleaned from this: that putting into place measures to curb public corruption isn't important enough to allow ANY FOCUS to be off combatting inflation? Stocking your pantry? Combatting the pandemic and variants? What makes you think that the Administration is not still focused on all of these things? Nothing. You just want to publish Biden Bad.

From the article:

"The pillars also include curbing illicit finance through steps like issuing beneficial ownership transparency regulations to identify bad actors and enacting first-of-their-kind regulations surrounding real estate transactions to reveal when real estate is used to hide ill-gotten cash or to launder criminal proceeds."

You think this is a bad thing?

It's not a campaign. Just posting the top Biden headlines of the moment.

But this- I think is an excuse for more disclosures and to nose around people's finances. To what end? They want more money. It's incredibly tone deaf. And it's also interesting that this is their focus when so much other bad is happening in the country.

Kram, this is full on TDS, and you know it. You're telling me the party of law and order doesn't understand why money laundering is a bad thing?

What's next from your team, Kram? Oh, right---infrastructure is bad. You must have been REALLY proud of that vote.....and did you notice how many of your team voted "no", and then turned around and bragged to their voters that they brought billions to their States, because your team's voters are dumb enough to fall for this game again, and again, and again.

You're gonna get what you're asking for here in 3 short years. You're not going to get someone who wants to govern. Or enacts good policies. You're going to get another demagogue who's going to tell voters who's to blame for all their problems. Rinse. Repeat.

Oh, and let me help you with that: OH MY G*D!!!! THE BORDERS ARE OPEN!!!!!!

[kramerica.inc]

Biden administration unveils first anti-corruption plan:

https://thehill.com/homenews/administra ... corruption

Reading the minds of Americans everywhere who headed into this holiday season, with covid still raging, empty shelves abounding, and skyrocketing inflation...are making steps to stop... money laundering.

You've become something of a caricature on this "Biden bad" campaign of yours. What is to be gleaned from this: that putting into place measures to curb public corruption isn't important enough to allow ANY FOCUS to be off combatting inflation? Stocking your pantry? Combatting the pandemic and variants? What makes you think that the Administration is not still focused on all of these things? Nothing. You just want to publish Biden Bad.

From the article:

"The pillars also include curbing illicit finance through steps like issuing beneficial ownership transparency regulations to identify bad actors and enacting first-of-their-kind regulations surrounding real estate transactions to reveal when real estate is used to hide ill-gotten cash or to launder criminal proceeds."

You think this is a bad thing?

It's not a campaign. Just posting the top Biden headlines of the moment.

But this- I think is an excuse for more disclosures and to nose around people's finances. To what end? They want more money. It's incredibly tone deaf. And it's also interesting that this is their focus when so much other bad is happening in the country.

Kram, this is full on TDS, and you know it. You're telling me the party of law and order doesn't understand why money laundering is a bad thing?

What's next from your team, Kram? Oh, right---infrastructure is bad. You must have been REALLY proud of that vote.....and did you notice how many of your team voted "no", and then turned around and bragged to their voters that they brought billions to their States, because your team's voters are dumb enough to fall for this game again, and again, and again.

You're gonna get what you're asking for here in 3 short years. You're not going to get someone who wants to govern. Or enacts good policies. You're going to get another demagogue who's going to tell voters who's to blame for all their problems. Rinse. Repeat.

Oh, and let me help you with that: OH MY G*D!!!! THE BORDERS ARE OPEN!!!!!!

You are forgetting that this is both parties. There is no difference- Both sides are morally bankrupt and dishonest. Neither govern worth a damn or enact good policies. At this point, we've governed everything we need to. Just set the legislative cruise control and call it a day.
And PS- I personally love open boarders. More immigrants and more outside perspectives are the only way this country will change. Hopefully it's for the better.

[seacoaster]

Biden administration unveils first anti-corruption plan:

https://thehill.com/homenews/administra ... corruption

Reading the minds of Americans everywhere who headed into this holiday season, with covid still raging, empty shelves abounding, and skyrocketing inflation...are making steps to stop... money laundering.

You've become something of a caricature on this "Biden bad" campaign of yours. What is to be gleaned from this: that putting into place measures to curb public corruption isn't important enough to allow ANY FOCUS to be off combatting inflation? Stocking your pantry? Combatting the pandemic and variants? What makes you think that the Administration is not still focused on all of these things? Nothing. You just want to publish Biden Bad.

From the article:

"The pillars also include curbing illicit finance through steps like issuing beneficial ownership transparency regulations to identify bad actors and enacting first-of-their-kind regulations surrounding real estate transactions to reveal when real estate is used to hide ill-gotten cash or to launder criminal proceeds."

You think this is a bad thing?

It's not a campaign. Just posting the top Biden headlines of the moment.

But this- I think is an excuse for more disclosures and to nose around people's finances. To what end? They want more money. It's incredibly tone deaf. And it's also interesting that this is their focus when so much other bad is happening in the country.

Kram, this is full on TDS, and you know it. You're telling me the party of law and order doesn't understand why money laundering is a bad thing?

What's next from your team, Kram? Oh, right---infrastructure is bad. You must have been REALLY proud of that vote.....and did you notice how many of your team voted "no", and then turned around and bragged to their voters that they brought billions to their States, because your team's voters are dumb enough to fall for this game again, and again, and again.

You're gonna get what you're asking for here in 3 short years. You're not going to get someone who wants to govern. Or enacts good policies. You're going to get another demagogue who's going to tell voters who's to blame for all their problems. Rinse. Repeat.

Oh, and let me help you with that: OH MY G*D!!!! THE BORDERS ARE OPEN!!!!!!

You are forgetting that this is both parties. There is no difference- Both sides are morally bankrupt and dishonest. Neither govern worth a damn or enact good policies. At this point, we've governed everything we need to. Just set the legislative cruise control and call it a day.
And PS- I personally love open boarders. More immigrants and more outside perspectives are the only way this country will change. Hopefully it's for the better.

I think Biden and Democrats want to govern, in the sense of trying to establish policy initiatives that help Americans. But you are "forgetting" -- in quotes because I think you aren't forgetting, but want to carry on this bullsh*t "both sides" narrative -- that the GOP has a functional veto on any of that due to the Senate's razor thin majority and the filibuster. If government isn't helping you or at least trying things that might help, you should call the GOP and tell them to offer something, anything in the way of governance other than "No."

If only you, Cosmo, were there to solve all this.

[youthathletics]

Oh, right---infrastructure is bad. You must have been REALLY proud of that vote.....and did you notice how many of your team voted "no", and then turned around and bragged to their voters that they brought billions to their States, because your team's voters are dumb enough to fall for this game again, and again, and again.

Can you take a stab at why the current Infrastructure bill is such a long term plan with very shovel ready once again, especially knowing how failed the $831 Billion 'shovel ready' infrastructure stimulus was in 2010?

Yea-yea.....throw it back my way about how the r's had the presidency in 2017, and the majority, and did nothing, but first can you answer my question?

[Farfromgeneva]

Oh, right---infrastructure is bad. You must have been REALLY proud of that vote.....and did you notice how many of your team voted "no", and then turned around and bragged to their voters that they brought billions to their States, because your team's voters are dumb enough to fall for this game again, and again, and again.

Can you take a stab at why the current Infrastructure bill is such a long term plan with very shovel ready once again, especially knowing how failed the $831 Billion 'shovel ready' infrastructure stimulus was in 2010?

Yea-yea.....throw it back my way about how the r's had the presidency in 2017, and the majority, and did nothing, but first can you answer my question?

Forget shovel ready we need to commit to rebuilding our infrastructure to reflect the 21st century. Shovel ready is marketing and leads to wastes like the Atlanta above ground rail line. But our electrical grid, roads, bridges, tunnels. I’m not really for reinforcing waterfront/beaches but sure I guess on that you could make an ROI case I suppose. Point is overly delaying and never doing anything is a path to decay. I would like to see much more targeted but let’s do something at this point even if it’s a locked in commitment without the stimulus marketing BS attached and money not deployed for 12-30mos - it smells bad with the pork and certain overreach but not as bad as mass power outages, markets shut down etc. supply chains disrupted because all the trucks need axle repair.

[youthathletics]

Oh, right---infrastructure is bad. You must have been REALLY proud of that vote.....and did you notice how many of your team voted "no", and then turned around and bragged to their voters that they brought billions to their States, because your team's voters are dumb enough to fall for this game again, and again, and again.

Can you take a stab at why the current Infrastructure bill is such a long term plan with very shovel ready once again, especially knowing how failed the $831 Billion 'shovel ready' infrastructure stimulus was in 2010?

Yea-yea.....throw it back my way about how the r's had the presidency in 2017, and the majority, and did nothing, but first can you answer my question?

Forget shovel ready we need to commit to rebuilding our infrastructure to reflect the 21st century. Shovel ready is marketing and leads to wastes like the Atlanta above ground rail line. But our electrical grid, roads, bridges, tunnels. I’m not really for reinforcing waterfront/beaches but sure I guess on that you could make an ROI case I suppose. Point is overly delaying and never doing anything is a path to decay. I would like to see much more targeted but let’s do something at this point even if it’s a locked in commitment without the stimulus marketing BS attached and money not deployed for 12-30mos - it smells bad with the pork and certain overreach but not as bad as mass power outages, markets shut down etc. supply chains disrupted because all the trucks need axle repair.

Rebuilding infrastructure should be shovel ready fer'crisakes...this is our country and we control it.

Bingo to you.... in bold! We crapped away 10+ years or we got bamboozled and likely both.

[a fan]

Oh, right---infrastructure is bad. You must have been REALLY proud of that vote.....and did you notice how many of your team voted "no", and then turned around and bragged to their voters that they brought billions to their States, because your team's voters are dumb enough to fall for this game again, and again, and again.

Can you take a stab at why the current Infrastructure bill is such a long term plan with very shovel ready once again, especially knowing how failed the $831 Billion 'shovel ready' infrastructure stimulus was in 2010?

We already went over this. Do you want me to search my previous response? The vast, vast majority of the funding is for projects that are State-Federal partnerships. So if you want to blame someone? Blame each State's Governor and Administration (DoT, etc). You ready to do that? Or is this a "blame Biden" post.

As for the Federal side of things, BIden hasn't been on the job for a year yet. How is he supposed to have projects ready to go that fast? Magic?

[MDlaxfan76]

Oh, right---infrastructure is bad. You must have been REALLY proud of that vote.....and did you notice how many of your team voted "no", and then turned around and bragged to their voters that they brought billions to their States, because your team's voters are dumb enough to fall for this game again, and again, and again.

Can you take a stab at why the current Infrastructure bill is such a long term plan with very shovel ready once again, especially knowing how failed the $831 Billion 'shovel ready' infrastructure stimulus was in 2010?

Yea-yea.....throw it back my way about how the r's had the presidency in 2017, and the majority, and did nothing, but first can you answer my question?

Forget shovel ready we need to commit to rebuilding our infrastructure to reflect the 21st century. Shovel ready is marketing and leads to wastes like the Atlanta above ground rail line. But our electrical grid, roads, bridges, tunnels. I’m not really for reinforcing waterfront/beaches but sure I guess on that you could make an ROI case I suppose. Point is overly delaying and never doing anything is a path to decay. I would like to see much more targeted but let’s do something at this point even if it’s a locked in commitment without the stimulus marketing BS attached and money not deployed for 12-30mos - it smells bad with the pork and certain overreach but not as bad as mass power outages, markets shut down etc. supply chains disrupted because all the trucks need axle repair.

Rebuilding infrastructure should be shovel ready fer'crisakes...this is our country and we control it.

Bingo to you.... in bold! We crapped away 10+ years or we got bamboozled and likely both.

Did you think that $831 B stimulus bill was actually a large # in terms of infrastructure needs?

IMO, that was enough for some potholes and pet projects, but not remotely transformative.

BTW, who says that infrastructure projects should be "shovel ready"??? The planning process for major projects doesn't begin to get spent until there's serious dough actually committed, else 'plans' are a waste of time.

sheesh, I want whoever is in charge to be able to think long term, plan it out smart, and then stick a shovel in the ground..but not until then!

But they won't do that if we're worried about 'funding' the projects.

[a fan]

You are forgetting that this is both parties. There is no difference- Both sides are morally bankrupt and dishonest.

Incorrect. This is the second Dem POTUS that has passed a major bill dealing with major problems. The other one was Obamacare.

You can blame them because you don't like the bills, and that's fine. But you can't say they're doing nothing. That's YOUR team.

I asked this before, and all the R's on the board ran for the exits: what was the last major domestic bill the R's passed that affected American as a whole.....their base, in so many words.

[Farfromgeneva]

Oh, right---infrastructure is bad. You must have been REALLY proud of that vote.....and did you notice how many of your team voted "no", and then turned around and bragged to their voters that they brought billions to their States, because your team's voters are dumb enough to fall for this game again, and again, and again.

Can you take a stab at why the current Infrastructure bill is such a long term plan with very shovel ready once again, especially knowing how failed the $831 Billion 'shovel ready' infrastructure stimulus was in 2010?

Yea-yea.....throw it back my way about how the r's had the presidency in 2017, and the majority, and did nothing, but first can you answer my question?

Forget shovel ready we need to commit to rebuilding our infrastructure to reflect the 21st century. Shovel ready is marketing and leads to wastes like the Atlanta above ground rail line. But our electrical grid, roads, bridges, tunnels. I’m not really for reinforcing waterfront/beaches but sure I guess on that you could make an ROI case I suppose. Point is overly delaying and never doing anything is a path to decay. I would like to see much more targeted but let’s do something at this point even if it’s a locked in commitment without the stimulus marketing BS attached and money not deployed for 12-30mos - it smells bad with the pork and certain overreach but not as bad as mass power outages, markets shut down etc. supply chains disrupted because all the trucks need axle repair.

Rebuilding infrastructure should be shovel ready fer'crisakes...this is our country and we control it.

Bingo to you.... in bold! We crapped away 10+ years or we got bamboozled and likely both.

Did you think that $831 B stimulus bill was actually a large # in terms of infrastructure needs?

IMO, that was enough for some potholes and pet projects, but not remotely transformative.

BTW, who says that infrastructure projects should be "shovel ready"??? The planning process for major projects doesn't begin to get spent until there's serious dough actually committed, else 'plans' are a waste of time.

sheesh, I want whoever is in charge to be able to think long term, plan it out smart, and then stick a shovel in the ground..but not until then!

But they won't do that if we're worried about 'funding' the projects.

I agree with this and not that it should all be 100% shovel ready. That’s marketing

[youthathletics]

Oh, right---infrastructure is bad. You must have been REALLY proud of that vote.....and did you notice how many of your team voted "no", and then turned around and bragged to their voters that they brought billions to their States, because your team's voters are dumb enough to fall for this game again, and again, and again.

Can you take a stab at why the current Infrastructure bill is such a long term plan with very shovel ready once again, especially knowing how failed the $831 Billion 'shovel ready' infrastructure stimulus was in 2010?

We already went over this. Do you want me to search my previous response? The vast, vast majority of the funding is for projects that are State-Federal partnerships. So if you want to blame someone? Blame each State's Governor and Administration (DoT, etc). You ready to do that? Or is this a "blame Biden" post.

As for the Federal side of things, BIden hasn't been on the job for a year yet. How is he supposed to have projects ready to go that fast? Magic?

I want to blame whoever the hell it is, on why we can not get out of our own damned way....FULL STOP. My point in bringing Biden into the discussion is because he has been doing this forever, AND was part and parcel to all the talk on this subject during his 2 terms as VP . There is zero reason, we can not be mobilizing almost immediately on many of these issues. Why?, because the infrastrcutre that is in dire need of repair should already have had plenty of engineering, studies, estimates, and quite frankly....states just waiting to mobilize.

[seacoaster]

Oh, right---infrastructure is bad. You must have been REALLY proud of that vote.....and did you notice how many of your team voted "no", and then turned around and bragged to their voters that they brought billions to their States, because your team's voters are dumb enough to fall for this game again, and again, and again.

Can you take a stab at why the current Infrastructure bill is such a long term plan with very shovel ready once again, especially knowing how failed the $831 Billion 'shovel ready' infrastructure stimulus was in 2010?

We already went over this. Do you want me to search my previous response? The vast, vast majority of the funding is for projects that are State-Federal partnerships. So if you want to blame someone? Blame each State's Governor and Administration (DoT, etc). You ready to do that? Or is this a "blame Biden" post.

As for the Federal side of things, BIden hasn't been on the job for a year yet. How is he supposed to have projects ready to go that fast? Magic?

I want to blame whoever the hell it is, on why we can not get out of our own damned way....FULL STOP. My point in bringing Biden into the discussion is because he has been doing this forever, AND was part and parcel to all the talk on this subject during his 2 terms as VP . There is zero reason, we can not be mobilizing almost immediately on many of these issues. Why?, because the infrastrcutre that is in dire need of repair should already have had plenty of engineering, studies, estimates, and quite frankly....states just waiting to mobilize.

Oh, well, McConnell. Eight years of obstruction and nothing under Obama. Four years of nothing but tax cuts and bench packing under the Moron. And back to making sure nothing happens and no legislative agenda now. So --"FULL STOP" -- McConnell.

[youthathletics]

Oh, right---infrastructure is bad. You must have been REALLY proud of that vote.....and did you notice how many of your team voted "no", and then turned around and bragged to their voters that they brought billions to their States, because your team's voters are dumb enough to fall for this game again, and again, and again.

Can you take a stab at why the current Infrastructure bill is such a long term plan with very shovel ready once again, especially knowing how failed the $831 Billion 'shovel ready' infrastructure stimulus was in 2010?

Yea-yea.....throw it back my way about how the r's had the presidency in 2017, and the majority, and did nothing, but first can you answer my question?

Forget shovel ready we need to commit to rebuilding our infrastructure to reflect the 21st century. Shovel ready is marketing and leads to wastes like the Atlanta above ground rail line. But our electrical grid, roads, bridges, tunnels. I’m not really for reinforcing waterfront/beaches but sure I guess on that you could make an ROI case I suppose. Point is overly delaying and never doing anything is a path to decay. I would like to see much more targeted but let’s do something at this point even if it’s a locked in commitment without the stimulus marketing BS attached and money not deployed for 12-30mos - it smells bad with the pork and certain overreach but not as bad as mass power outages, markets shut down etc. supply chains disrupted because all the trucks need axle repair.

Rebuilding infrastructure should be shovel ready fer'crisakes...this is our country and we control it.

Bingo to you.... in bold! We crapped away 10+ years or we got bamboozled and likely both.

Did you think that $831 B stimulus bill was actually a large # in terms of infrastructure needs?

IMO, that was enough for some potholes and pet projects, but not remotely transformative.

BTW, who says that infrastructure projects should be "shovel ready"??? The planning process for major projects doesn't begin to get spent until there's serious dough actually committed, else 'plans' are a waste of time.

sheesh, I want whoever is in charge to be able to think long term, plan it out smart, and then stick a shovel in the ground..but not until then!

But they won't do that if we're worried about 'funding' the projects.

That part in BOLD is just down right silly, silly I tell ya.

If you know a bridge, tunnel, building, runway, water treatment facility, etc .....where anything is long overdue for repair and you have not already performed an engineering study on the path to repair....well, then you need to be fired, period. They should all be budget line items to be discussed on when to deploy. Shovel ready does not necessarily mean tomorrow, but 6-18 months is not out of the question.....which gets cash flowing, earth moving equipment stationed, materials ordered, staffing.

I agree we dont need to spend money where it is not needed.....no-duh. But waiting for money to be allocated....just to survey what needs to be done is also wasteful. And we've been talking about infrastructure for over a decade(s).

[youthathletics]

Oh, right---infrastructure is bad. You must have been REALLY proud of that vote.....and did you notice how many of your team voted "no", and then turned around and bragged to their voters that they brought billions to their States, because your team's voters are dumb enough to fall for this game again, and again, and again.

Can you take a stab at why the current Infrastructure bill is such a long term plan with very shovel ready once again, especially knowing how failed the $831 Billion 'shovel ready' infrastructure stimulus was in 2010?

We already went over this. Do you want me to search my previous response? The vast, vast majority of the funding is for projects that are State-Federal partnerships. So if you want to blame someone? Blame each State's Governor and Administration (DoT, etc). You ready to do that? Or is this a "blame Biden" post.

As for the Federal side of things, BIden hasn't been on the job for a year yet. How is he supposed to have projects ready to go that fast? Magic?

I want to blame whoever the hell it is, on why we can not get out of our own damned way....FULL STOP. My point in bringing Biden into the discussion is because he has been doing this forever, AND was part and parcel to all the talk on this subject during his 2 terms as VP . There is zero reason, we can not be mobilizing almost immediately on many of these issues. Why?, because the infrastrcutre that is in dire need of repair should already have had plenty of engineering, studies, estimates, and quite frankly....states just waiting to mobilize.

Oh, well, McConnell. Eight years of obstruction and nothing under Obama. Four years of nothing but tax cuts and bench packing under the Moron. And back to making sure nothing happens and no legislative agenda now. So --"FULL STOP" -- McConnell.

True.....help me out, was there an infrastructure only bill during that era?
Afan chopped off my disclaimer when he quoted me....I provided it for your reading pleasure.

Yea-yea.....throw it back my way about how the r's had the presidency in 2017, and the majority, and did nothing, but first can you answer my question?

[MDlaxfan76]

Oh, right---infrastructure is bad. You must have been REALLY proud of that vote.....and did you notice how many of your team voted "no", and then turned around and bragged to their voters that they brought billions to their States, because your team's voters are dumb enough to fall for this game again, and again, and again.

Can you take a stab at why the current Infrastructure bill is such a long term plan with very shovel ready once again, especially knowing how failed the $831 Billion 'shovel ready' infrastructure stimulus was in 2010?

Yea-yea.....throw it back my way about how the r's had the presidency in 2017, and the majority, and did nothing, but first can you answer my question?

Forget shovel ready we need to commit to rebuilding our infrastructure to reflect the 21st century. Shovel ready is marketing and leads to wastes like the Atlanta above ground rail line. But our electrical grid, roads, bridges, tunnels. I’m not really for reinforcing waterfront/beaches but sure I guess on that you could make an ROI case I suppose. Point is overly delaying and never doing anything is a path to decay. I would like to see much more targeted but let’s do something at this point even if it’s a locked in commitment without the stimulus marketing BS attached and money not deployed for 12-30mos - it smells bad with the pork and certain overreach but not as bad as mass power outages, markets shut down etc. supply chains disrupted because all the trucks need axle repair.

Rebuilding infrastructure should be shovel ready fer'crisakes...this is our country and we control it.

Bingo to you.... in bold! We crapped away 10+ years or we got bamboozled and likely both.

Did you think that $831 B stimulus bill was actually a large # in terms of infrastructure needs?

IMO, that was enough for some potholes and pet projects, but not remotely transformative.

BTW, who says that infrastructure projects should be "shovel ready"??? The planning process for major projects doesn't begin to get spent until there's serious dough actually committed, else 'plans' are a waste of time.

sheesh, I want whoever is in charge to be able to think long term, plan it out smart, and then stick a shovel in the ground..but not until then!

But they won't do that if we're worried about 'funding' the projects.

That part in BOLD is just down right silly, silly I tell ya.

If you know a bridge, tunnel, building, runway, water treatment facility, etc .....where anything is long overdue for repair and you have not already performed an engineering study on the path to repair....well, then you need to be fired, period. They should all be budget line items to be discussed on when to deploy. Shovel ready does not necessarily mean tomorrow, but 6-18 months is not out of the question.....which gets cash flowing, earth moving equipment stationed, materials ordered, staffing.

I agree we dont need to spend money where it is not needed.....no-duh. But waiting for money to be allocated....just to survey what needs to be done is also wasteful. And we've been talking about infrastructure for over a decade(s).

Well, hopefully you got a laugh out of that, but I'm not talking potholes, which there's known dough for. But once you get into major projects, there's no way the engineering process is undertaken until there's serious dough committed (unless the dough allocated is specifically for a "study"). And we haven't committed the $ to these sorts of projects in remotely the scale at which any Governor and Legislature worth their salt is going to do the full plan without known funding. And since we've been in that situation for a long time, the expectations that we'll actually commit has been extremely low.

Look at how much talk Trump did about infrastructure yet never even came close to presenting a concrete proposal to Congress, nor did the GOP run Congress ever put forward a proposal. Nope, they went the opposite direction, with major tax revenue cuts while increasing defense spending, big deficit increases...no infrastructure. So, why would anyone expect differently? It's only because the Dems decided to do this budget reconciliation stuff that they were able to then get enough of the GOP Senate to go along with 'hard infrastructure' because they knew they would have a chance to vote against the rest of 'soft infrastructure' that was critical to get the progressive Dems on board with the hard...else the Dems would have prioritized the soft over the hard...as would be the typical pattern.

But you are right that there are lots of much smaller projects that have some of the engineering already done. Those would indeed be at least close to 'shovel ready'. But most projects typically would have at least one more phase of engineering before getting done. For instance, I mentioned the lead pipe removal project in DC, a known, very significant problem, but without funding, there's been no final plan that can be implemented, contractors hired etc. Takes time.

But I'm ok with taking time. Commit the $ and then do it smart.
And don't let corruption and stupid choices get done because of rushing.

[kramerica.inc]

You are forgetting that this is both parties. There is no difference- Both sides are morally bankrupt and dishonest.

Incorrect. This is the second Dem POTUS that has passed a major bill dealing with major problems. The other one was Obamacare.

You can blame them because you don't like the bills, and that's fine. But you can't say they're doing nothing. That's YOUR team.

I asked this before, and all the R's on the board ran for the exits: what was the last major domestic bill the R's passed that affected American as a whole.....their base, in so many words.

I had a succinct, well crafted response to you, and my fat fingers accidentally deleted it.
So I'll try to recreate, as best as I can.

Democrats are inherently trying to grow government, and Republicans are trying to keep it in check. They both do that by going to the extreme and landing in the middle, hopefully. My point was that it's not the job of Republicans to govern, it is their absolute only job to obstruct.
The US is a constitutional democratic republic. Republican democracy is built upon dissent, disagreement, and fierce battles. The Ratification Debates our founding fathers had over the basic legal infrastructure of our country were PERSONAL. It was always the extremes to form the more perfect union. I think we're still having that. IMO, it's a natural balance. R's and Ds are a symbiotic relationship. A yin and yang to make the whole. It's why there is always the pendulum swing after whatever party is in office. If the democrats were left to their own devices to get whatever they wanted, they would have killed the country years ago. They have no self control. This comes to mind:

"My opinion is, and always has been, that absolute power intoxicates alike despots, mon- archs, aristocrats, and democrats, and Jacobins, and sans culottes. I cannot say that de- mocracy has been more pernicious, on the whole, than any of the others [monarchy and aristocracy]. Its atrocities have been more transcient; those of the others have been more permanent. The history of all ages shows that the caprice, cruelties, and horrors of democ- racy have soon disgusted, alarmed, and terrified themselves. They soon cry, 'this will not do; we have gone too far! We are all in the wrong! We are none of us safe! We must unite in some clever fellow, who can protect us all--Caesar, Bonaparte, who you will! Though we distrust, hate, and abhor them all; yet we must submit to one or another of them, stand by him, cry him up to the skies, and swear that he is the greatest, best, and finest man that ever lived!'

"... democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide. It is in vain to say that democracy is less vain, less proud, less selfish, less ambitious, or less avaricious than aristocracy or monarchy. It is not true, in fact, and nowhere appears in history. Those passions are the same in all men, under all forms of simple government, and when unchecked, produce the same effects of fraud, violence, and cruelty. When clear prospects are opened before vanity, pride, avarice, or ambition, for their easy gratification, it is hard for the most considerate philosophers and the most conscientious moralists to resist the temptation. Individuals have conquered themselves [i.e., developed self-control, learned how to control their own passions]. Nations and large bodies of men never [have and never will]...."

John Adams, Letter to John Taylor (1814).