I want to talk about the industrial center of this country -- from Eastern Pennsylvania through Ohio and Indiana and Illinois and Wisconsin -- from Scranton to Oshkosh.
It's the part of the country where guys root for Da Bears and the Packers, the Eagles, the Steelers, and the Browns...
All that American heart voted against the Democrats this week -- in all the Senate and governors races -- all those heartbreakers that cost Democrats their seats in Congress -- a lot of good guys like Iraq vet Patrick Murphy and Chris Carney, another warrior for his country, and gutsy Joe Sestak -- who was an admiral in the navy, and young Alexi Giannoulias.
Why? Because the American manufacturing heart has been cut out. We used to build trains and subways and airplanes for the world. Now we read about trains running three hundred miles an hour in France and China and we piddle along on Amtrak like we're on a buckboard.
Why can't we build railroads -- rapid railroads to unite this country instead of making the vast continent between New York and LA "fly-over country" for the bi-coastal elite to look down on? Why don't we build "anything" anymore? Would we build the subway systems of our country today? Would we build the Empire State building or the Golden Gate Bridge? Would be build this beautiful capital of Washington today?
You know the answer. We don't build because we have neither the money nor the courage to do it. Republicans don't believe in public investment, not even real capital investment that builds the economy. They think tax cuts are the one and only way to promote economic progress. Democrats are afraid to challenge them. And while we worry about today, China never stops thinking about tomorrow... investing and spending and creating the jobs we should have right here.
Yes, Lincoln spoke well, Mr. President, but he also built the intercontinental railways. Ike couldn't speak as well as you, but he did build the intercontinental highway system. Kennedy spoke well but he also got us to the moon! What are you going to leave as your monument? Health care is great. But we need jobs to pay for health care. There's still time to get started, Mr. President. You have to explain to the country why creating things matters. We need to build.
Personally I think rail is retro. Unless youre talking about a space elevator. Which have come of age and could reduce the cost of space launches by %95. The Japanese are already investing $5B into thier own space elevator. From there you have much better access to asteroid mining. When the earth was formed all the metals were pulled into the core. All the metals and minerals we use today are left over from Asteroid that hit earths surface. A single asteroid could provide $20-30 TRILLION dollars worth of materials.
Highways. Roads are an ancient Sumerian invention. Flying cars are the future, especially ultrasonic flying cars. When human transportation speed approaches communication speed economic growth will take off. Eventually workers will be able to commute anywhere in the world on a daily basis.
It could happen soon if there was the right investment in technology. Especially energy technologies. Not giant power plants but distributed generation and smart wireless grids. With the right investment accelerating development of energy technologies several generations costs will come down dramatically, giving everyone essentailly a tax cut (since energy is an input into everything).
Remember this, "MINNISOTA BRIDGE COLLAPSE, Aug 2007"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I-35W_Mississippi_River_bridge
http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/4285220
Bothe the Federal government and all states have a pump tax on every gallon of gas sold,FOR INFRASTRUCTURE expansion and upkeep.
The governments have robbed these 'dedicated' funds to bridge general budget shortfalls or pet projects unrelated to transportation.
The HeII if I'm going to agree to additonal funding to a government that is stealing from me with impunity!
Impunity, no, Nov 2010, shows there are consequences to theft.
The highest taxes should be city and county taxes.
Spending the money locally, where the priorities and control are held by the interested partis.
If a project is too expensive, or has a broader impact, then either a bond VOTE, or state initiative would determine whether a project is worthy of follow through.
The federal govenment has established roadways, right-of-ways, and land, to accomplish most FEDERAL projects. Federal projects should have national impact, like the highway system.
World War II was financed through bonds and voluntary sacrifice, not higher taxes.
Turn the tax structure on its head. That's the American way!
When President John Fitzgerald Kennedy - author of Profiles in Courage -signed this Order, it returned to federal government, specifically the Treasury Department, Constitutional power to create and issue currency -money - without going through privately owned Federal Reserve Bank. President Kennedy's Executive Order 11110 gave Treasury Department the explicit authority: "to issue silver certificates against any silver bullion, silver, or standard silver dollars in the Treasury." This means that for every ounce of silver in the U.S. Treasury's vault, the government could introduce new money into circulation based on the silver bullion physically held there. As a result, more than $4 billion in United States Notes were brought into circulation in $2 and $5 denominations. $10 and $20 United States Notes were never circulated but were being printed by the Treasury Department when Kennedy was assassinated. It appears obvious that President Kennedy knew Federal Reserve Notes being used as the purported legal currency were contrary to the Constitution of the United States of America.
http://www.john-f-kennedy.net/thefederalreserve.htm
By Saeed Shah, McClatchy Newspapers, Warren P. Strobel, McClatchy Newspapers / May 28, 2009
Islamabad
The US is embarking on a $1 billion crash program to expand its diplomatic presence in Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan, another sign that the Obama administration is making a costly, long-term commitment to war-torn South Asia, US officials said Wednesday.
The White House has asked Congress for – and seems likely to receive – $736 million to build a new US embassy in Islamabad, along with permanent housing for US government civilians and new office space in the Pakistani capital.
The scale of the projects rivals the giant US Embassy in Baghdad, which was completed last year after construction delays at a cost of $740 million.
Unions to be sure building these projects. Think $$$$$
Zoning hearing that last decades.
Environmentalists
Environmental studies. Think many many years!
Cost overruns that go into the zillions, never being able to make the money back.
Eminent Domain legal fights lasting decades. You think Lawyers don't want a piece of that action?
Just to name a few....
The days of building on a grand scale in this country are long gone. Better find another way pal...
The Republicans can not consider it, since all they can talk about is tax cuts and shrink the deficit.
Obama and the Democrats do not have the guts to present this as a solution. In the Obama stimulus ($787 billions), $50 billions was supposed to go to infrastructure overhaul. Well we still haven't seen any "shovel ready" construction or refurbishing that would impress us, have you !
A real investment in preparing America's infrastructure for the 21st century would cost about 2-3 trillions. If the FED and Washington would not have spent all their money on Wall Street and the Banking Institutions, we would be able to do something real big, like fast train Shanghai style, new airports Beijing style etc. The only really big edifice we built and can be proud of is the Cowboy Stadium in Arlington !
Washington rather bails out Banks then the Country ! Keep on dreaming Mr. Matthews.
Unfortunately Bachman isn't hypnotized in my view.
She better pay a visit to Dr. Charles Krauthammer.
Go figure- who would think a former psychiatrist Krauthammer would say Gore must be off his lithium.
What kind of doctor was he - my god - let alone he was chief psychiatrist at Mass Gen for CHILDREN ! AUGH !
"Mommy - Dr. Krauthammer told me I'm a crazy liberal" ? ?? ?? ? AUGH
I'm more concerened about the story on HufPost of the kid in 5h grade during WTC who's now serving in AFghanistan.
I made a point- Bush REALLY MEANT IT when he said - No CHild Left Behind.
My god - what a sad sad story - 10 years of killing - kids who were in 5th grade 10 years ago are off to whatever cooked up threat Larry says isn't in Afghanistan anymore. My god - what have we done - this is a one HECKUVA a ten years - I'm not sure there is possible recovery as we know it.
I hope I Can outsource my citizenship when this whole mess settles - I think I'd like to go 3 way- I'll do China 20% citizenship (for the discounts they'll offer) 40% Germany - and 60% Russia.
I might try out France for a few months in 2020 once citizenship gets to be outsourced like US Corporations to for tax evasion purposes.
Sunday Sunday Sunday Russia is offering a $2500 sign on bonus for
In reference to your concern in writing this article ?
And I get it - the people that just voted democrats out of office ?
Fell for the bait.
Period.
But - I wanted to write this to share one insight.
For it wasn't until today I realized- hey - wait a second - it's not the Bush tax cuts - it's the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001.
And further upon thinking about it today ? I realized- wait just a second - these went in in 2001 - and Bush lost MASSIVE jobs - so - CLEARLY these never worked.
So my point here is ?
HAD the democrats SUCCESSFULLY BROUGHT THIS FORWARD ?
That all this "Tax cuts and jobs" from the one trick pony show of Bachman, O'Donnell and the Palin crowd ?
HAD THAT one point been made that - wait - tax cuts didn't do JACK since 2001 ? Why would they work now ?
I think those people that got suckered into their diatribe ? In ohio -etc, the former industrial regions you speak of ? To which I'm in that area ?
I think these people would have realized- Yeah, come to think of it - this isn't a good message to follow.
Unfortunately
I once loved a woman (America) - a CHILD I'm told
to
Goodbye's too good a word babe (to America)
so I'll say fare thee well.
I'm goin' down that lonesome road babe (globalism)
where I'm bound I can't tell ....
We're in trouble- the religious right Rove used to get votes thinks it can actually turn US into a Christian theocracy and perpetuate a religious war disguised as terror.
All this horrorism ! augh ! lol