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Nation’s infrastructure maintenance
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[link=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/22/us/politics/biden-infrastructure-climate-equality.html]Infrastructure Plan Seeks to Address Climate and Equality as Well as Roads – The New York Times[/link]
Biden team strongly believes that you can’t have a 21st century advanced economy without being a lower carbon economy. To do realistic infrastructure that puts the economy on solid future footing you by definition will be addressing climate.
McConnell already highlighting AOC’s positive review of the Biden plan as proof that it is a Trojan Horse for the Green New Deal -
[h1][b]Joe Manchin: Republican Opposition to Taxes for Infrastructure ‘Not Reasonable'[/b][/h1]
[link=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/manchin-calls-enormous-infrastructure-package-paid-new-taxes-n1261949]NBC News[/link]: He said there should be tax adjustments to former President Donald Trumps 2017 tax law to boost revenues, including by raising the corporate rate from the current 21 percent to at least 25 percent He also suggested an infrastructure bank paid for with revenues, potentially a value-added tax, that would be used for rebuilding America.
Notably, Manchin said the Republican resistance to higher taxes was not a reasonable position in an infrastructure negotiation.
Said Manchin: Where do they think its going to come from? How are you going to fix America?
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He’s not even raising it much. It should be at least 27 IMO and it needs to be across the board. No loopholes getting corps to pay zero $.
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Sausage getting made …
[link=https://twitter.com/OKnox/status/1375432169720537092]https://twitter.com/OKnox..tus/1375432169720537092[/link]
Biden nominates Manchin’s wife…
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this is what bug me. a little bit because it’s Manchin’s wife but also because it’s the Appalachian regional commission. WTF is that and WTF are we paying for it as tax payers. It’s not even the onion. It’s a real thing
[link]https://www.arc.gov/[/link]-
Quote from DICOM_Dan
this is what bug me. a little bit because it’s Manchin’s wife but also because it’s the Appalachian regional commission. WTF is that and WTF are we paying for it as tax payers. It’s not even the onion. It’s a real thing
[link=https://www.arc.gov/]https://www.arc.gov/[/link]
Its the federal government fixing problems by dispensing money. In this case, it was JFK opening the spigot, not FDR.
There is another one like it. The ‘Delta Regional Authority’ for the mississippi river delta.-
How about Elaine Chow getting a useless cabinet post because of Mitch
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Quote from Chirorad84
How about Elaine Chow getting a useless cabinet post because of Mitch
You mean the secretary of transportation is a useless position ? Tell Mr Butigieg, he is going bring world peace and end discrimination from that job.
Elaine Chao was probably the only person in the Trump cabinet who was qualified for the job she held. She had been assistant sec of transportation and held a cabinet position before.
As for the great scandal of mentioning that she admires here dad in an interview and some minor errands staff ran on her behalf: After what came out about the montetization of the state department under Hillary, all of that is now legal.
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[b]Economists Bullish on Bidens Infrastructure Plan[/b][/h1]
Economists are becoming positively giddy about the potential for economic growth this year as President Biden and Congressional Democrats look set to push forward a $3 trillion infrastructure bill, [link=https://www.axios.com/biden-infrastructure-plan-economists-e2d937d5-d83b-4552-92e2-f85a4794bc2b.html]Axios[/link] reports.
S&P predicts Bidens infrastructure plan will create 2.3 million jobs by 2024, inject $5.7 trillion into the economy which would be 10 times what was lost during the recession and raise per-capita income by $2,400.-
Quote from dergon
[b]Economists Bullish on Bidens Infrastructure Plan[/b]
Economists are becoming positively giddy about the potential for economic growth this year as President Biden and Congressional Democrats look set to push forward a $3 trillion infrastructure bill, [link=https://www.axios.com/biden-infrastructure-plan-economists-e2d937d5-d83b-4552-92e2-f85a4794bc2b.html]Axios[/link] reports.S&P predicts Bidens infrastructure plan will create 2.3 million jobs by 2024, inject $5.7 trillion into the economy which would be 10 times what was lost during the recession and raise per-capita income by $2,400.
Sweet ! So everyone can take the $2600 they saved due to obamacare and add the $2400 they receive from Bidens infrastructure spend-o-rama, and after hyperinflation hits, they’ll have just enough to buy a loaf of bread.-
Don’t forget the covid stimmy (x 3)!
Local businesses around here can’t find people to hire since they’re all chillin on their unemployment + stimmy income. Several restaurants have had to close due to lack of staffing.-
Quote from Cubsfan10
Local businesses around here can’t find people to hire since they’re all chillin on their unemployment + stimmy income. Several restaurants have had to close due to lack of staffing.
That’s by design. Once the avocado-toast shortage becomes critical, there will be another ’emergency’ with a expansion of the H2 visa program from agricultural to kitchen workers. Never let a crisis go to waste (particularly if you helped to create it).
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(from the buttigieg response on taxes for infrastructure)
[link=https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/29/politics/buttigieg-no-gas-tax-mileage-tax-biden-infrastructure-plan-cnntv/index.html]https://www.cnn.com/2021/…-plan-cnntv/index.html[/link]
“No, that’s not part of the conversation about this infrastructure bill,” Buttigieg told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “The Lead” when asked whether a mileage tax, which would charge people based on how many miles they drive, would factor into paying for the plan.He added that “no,” a gas tax would not be a part of the plan either. Buttigieg also reiterated Biden’s [link=https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/17/politics/biden-tax-wealthy-americans/index.html]prior pledge[/link] not to raise taxes on Americans earning less than $400,000.
The absence of both taxes to fund the infrastructure proposal marks a shift from Buttigieg’s comments Friday, when he indicated during a CNBC interview that both ideas could be on the table.
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Sounds like the Biden team does *not* want this thing to be defined any associated taxes. That was a very quick back-track. (And a gas tax or mileage tax would hit almost everybody in a regressive manner… would make it an easy target for political attack)
Do we really want to do infrastructure under a “user pays” model? I would argue no. We have infrastructure for the same reasons we have public education …. for the society at large and to make a competitive economy and to promote the general welfare.
I see no reason to lock in to regressive tax policy to do infrastructure. The money is fungible. You can get the tax revenue from any myriad of sources (or, as seems to be more and more likely, not get the revenue)
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And … I wrote my response before I saw either of these articles … but ties right in
[link=https://www.axios.com/biden-tax-plan-increases-b8905001-1ef2-45c8-8165-87ac89d1c2fe.html]Axios[/link]: Bidens True Tax Priorities[/h1]
President Biden is preparing to go to the mat for four tax increases worth about $1.8 trillion to help pay for his infrastructure and social safety net plans.
The biggest-ticket item would raise the corporate rate from 21% to 28%. That’s worth $730 billion over 10 years, according to the Tax Policy Center.
Impose a global minimum tax on profits from foreign subsidiaries: $550 billion.
Tax capital gains as regular income for the wealthy and tax unrealized capital gains at death: $370 billion.
Return the top individual rate for those making more than $400,000 to the pre-Trump rate of 39.6%: $110 billion.
[link=http://rssfeeds.usatoday.com/~/647952446/0/usatodaycomwashington-topstories~A-gas-tax-A-mileage-tax-Biden-wary-of-user-fees-to-pay-for-roads-bridges-and-highways/]USA Today[/link]: Biden wary of user fees to pay for reals, bridges and highways. -
[link=https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/31/politics/infrastructure-proposal-biden-explainer/index.html]https://www.cnn.com/2021/…n-explainer/index.html[/link]
[b]Here’s what’s in Biden’s infrastructure proposal[/b]I like it …
And I don’t mind seeing a bit of push for more from the left. Let’s Biden be “goldilocks”
[h2][link=https://thehill.com/homenews/house/545694-ocasio-cortez-on-biden-infrastructure-plan-not-nearly-enough]Ocasio-Cortez on Biden infrastructure plan: ‘Not nearly enough'[/link][/h2]
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I dont think there will ever be an amount to make some people happy like ACO. It strikes me odd that they want 80 billion for Amtrak but its only going to support a B-more to DC. So money that is only supporting travel for the elites. I want my high speed rail too. Also improvements in safety on roads. Id like to see things that other countries are doing like land bridges. Let animals cross highways on them. Keeps cars from running into deers etc… half the government is more concerned about border fencing Mexico than doing things that are good.
Should also mention Ive seen videos of short bridge/overpasses being replaced in a weekend in other countries. The time lapses are amazing. We cant built 2 miles of bridge around d Cleveland in less than a decade.
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[b]Democrats Brace for Brutal Slog on Infrastructure[/b][/h1]
[link=https://www.politico.com/news/2021/03/31/infrastructure-problems-biden-478785]Politico[/link]: Absent a seismic political shift, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer will have to draft a sprawling bill that can only afford to lose three Democratic votes in the House and zero in the Senate. Because Democrats are expecting to use their budget powers to steer the bill past a Senate filibuster, Bidens infrastructure plan would also need to survive a slew of procedural hurdles that could further split the party.
The infrastructure debate amounts to a political ultra-marathon for Biden and his Democratic-led Congress, a stark contrast with the mostly breezy path to approving Bidens $1.9 trillion pandemic relief bill. Party leaders will be under immense pressure from their base to deliver, while also protecting the political future of their most endangered members, some of whom are already anxious about GOP attacks on proposed tax hikes, ahead of the midterm elections.
[link=https://www.axios.com/biden-banking-infrastructure-popularity-abaea91d-e82e-4bb8-bba5-0a486cbe49a2.html]Axios[/link]: How Biden is selling his infrastructure plan to Democrats. -
[h1] [link=https://www.axios.com/biden-banking-infrastructure-popularity-abaea91d-e82e-4bb8-bba5-0a486cbe49a2.html]Axios[/link]: Key Parts of Biden Plan Are Extremely Popular[/h1]
White House senior adviser Anita Dunn is making the case that Democrats cant lose by rallying around President Bidens infrastructure plan because its individual components poll even higher than the $1.9 trillion COVID stimulus passed last month.
Dunn cites public polling showing between 74% and 87% support among Americans for seven elements: new job training for coal miners, highway and bridge work, increasing affordable childcare, expanding broadband access, expanding family and medical leave, upgrading public transportation, and investing in clean energy.
[link=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/04/01/biden-might-just-understand-public-opinion-better-than-his-critics/]Jennifer Rubin[/link]: [b]Biden might just understand public opinion better than his critics[/b]The Kicker: [b]The bill is more popular with the tax hikes than without them.[/b] 57% of voters say theyd be more likely to support Bidens infrastructure plan if it were funded by tax increases on those making over $400,000, the poll found. 47% of voters say theyd be more likely to support the $3 trillion proposal if it were funded by increases to the corporate tax rate. Only 27 percent support infrastructure without tax hikes, which appears to be the GOPs stance. A plurality of Republican voters (42 percent) well short of a majority favor that approach. (Remember the good old days when Republicans cared about debt?) Among independents, 52 percent support the plan with tax hikes while only 26 percent support an infrastructure bill without them.[b] [/b]
The media, it seems, are caught in a Republican framing of policy that does not match reality. There is not a hue and cry over a mammoth infrastructure bill. To the contrary, it is super popular. And Republicans might want to stop harping on the tax increases: Those make the bill even [i]more[/i] popular.
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Since corporate taxes are on the plan as infrastructure pay-for:
[b]Dozens of Big, Profitable Companies Paid No Taxes [/b]
[b][/b]
Just as the Biden administration is pushing to raise taxes on corporations, a new study finds that at least 55 of Americas largest paid no taxes last year on billions of dollars in profits, the [link=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/02/business/economy/zero-corporate-tax.html]New York Times[/link] reports.
The sweeping tax bill passed in 2017 by a Republican Congress and signed into law by President Donald J. Trump reduced the corporate tax rate to 21 percent from 35 percent. But dozens of Fortune 500 companies were able to further shrink their tax bill sometimes to zero thanks to a range of legal deductions and exemptions that have become staples of the tax code.
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Surprising absolutely no one:
“WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Thursday said he will fight President Joe Biden’s $2 trillion infrastructure plan “every step of the way” and predicted the sweeping package would not see support from Republican lawmakers in Congress.
McConnell warned that “massive tax increases” would harm the economy and said the package’s spending level could run up the debt. The White House says the infrastructure proposal would more than pay for itself. ”
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Quote from dergon
Since corporate taxes are on the plan as infrastructure pay-for:
[b]Dozens of Big, Profitable Companies Paid No Taxes [/b]
[b] [/b]
Just as the Biden administration is pushing to raise taxes on corporations, a new study finds that at least 55 of Americas largest paid no taxes last year on billions of dollars in profits, the [link=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/02/business/economy/zero-corporate-tax.html]New York Times[/link] reports.The sweeping tax bill passed in 2017 by a Republican Congress and signed into law by President Donald J. Trump reduced the corporate tax rate to 21 percent from 35 percent. But dozens of Fortune 500 companies were able to further shrink their tax bill sometimes to zero thanks to a range of legal deductions and exemptions that have become staples of the tax code.
How much more is 28% of zero compared with 21% of zero ?-
In Florida they’re actively dumping industrial waste into Tampa Bay in order to prevent a retention basin from going belly up and flooding a bunch of people with said toxic waste. Seems like they might have wanted to spend some of that tax payer now that the tax payers might not be able to drink their tap water or swim in the ocean.
“State Rep. Will Robinson said a permanent solution to lingering issues at Piney Point has been difficult to find over the years because the private property has changed owners multiple times, and government officials have continuously debated over proper solutions, as well as whether taxpayer funding should be used to clean up private property.”
[link=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/04/05/piney-point-wastewater-reservoir-evacuations-tampa-bay-florida/7088351002/]https://www.usatoday.com/…ay-florida/7088351002/[/link] -
Quote from fw
Quote from dergon
Since corporate taxes are on the plan as infrastructure pay-for:
[b]Dozens of Big, Profitable Companies Paid No Taxes [/b]
[b] [/b]
Just as the Biden administration is pushing to raise taxes on corporations, a new study finds that at least 55 of Americas largest paid no taxes last year on billions of dollars in profits, the [link=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/02/business/economy/zero-corporate-tax.html]New York Times[/link] reports.The sweeping tax bill passed in 2017 by a Republican Congress and signed into law by President Donald J. Trump reduced the corporate tax rate to 21 percent from 35 percent. But dozens of Fortune 500 companies were able to further shrink their tax bill sometimes to zero thanks to a range of legal deductions and exemptions that have become staples of the tax code.
How much more is 28% of zero compared with 21% of zero ?
zero … which is why part of the proposal is a corporate minimum tax
“Creates a minimum tax on corporations with book profits of $100 million or higher. The minimum tax is structured as an alternative minimum taxcorporations will pay the greater of their regular corporate income tax or the 15 percent minimum tax while still allowing for net operating loss (NOL) and foreign tax credits.[link=https://taxfoundation.org/joe-biden-tax-plan-2020/#_ftn6][6][/link]”
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[h1][b]Manchin Wants Smaller Corporate Tax Increase[/b][/h1]
Sen. [link=https://thehill.com/people/joe-manchin]Joe Manchin[/link] (D-WV) said President Bidens $2.25 trillion infrastructure proposal needs changes and raising the corporate tax rate to 28% goes too far, but he would support raising it to 25%, [link=https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/546494-manchin-says-he-wont-support-corporate-tax-hike-to-28-percent]The Hill[/link] reports.There are other things we can change, too, he said on March 24.
He said raising the corporate tax rate to 25 percent would raise about $400 billion over 10 years.
I think we should be paying for anything that adds to the debt, he said two weeks ago. I think the corporate tax should have never gone below 25 percent.
Its more than just me. Theres six or seven other Democrats who feel very strongly about this. We have to be competitive, and were not going to throw caution to the wind.
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[b]Republicans Want an Infrastructure Bill… Unless Its Paid For … or Not Paid For[/b]
[link=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2021/04/republicans-infrastructure-taxes-deficit-congress-biden.html]Jonathan Chait[/link]: So were stuck. Its not just that Republicans are creating a clever logic game to rule out a popular Biden proposal. They are genuinely unable to put together a big infrastructure bill. President Trump was extremely eager to sign such a bill, but Republicans in Congress foundered on the question of how to pay for it, and they also wouldnt pay for it with deficit spending
If Republicans werent able to figure out a way around this problem under Trump, the prospect of Joe Biden signing a huge popular bill is not going to incentivize them.
If anything could bring them to the table, its Democrats threatening to finance the bill by taxing rich people, then allowing Republicans to negotiate that away (and being willing to accept debt financing rather than harming one hair on the heads of the precious, fragile job creators.)
In the meantime, theyre going to oppose any infrastructure bill thats paid for, and any bill that isnt.-
In other words, Republicans will oppose Bidens proposals, period!
Cant have a successful Biden administration, it would create the impression Republicans cant do anything. Except say Nyet!-
[link=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-budget-schumer-idUSKBN2BS23F?taid=606b98cea0a3570001acd1ae&utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter]https://www.reuters.com/a…amp;utm_source=twitter[/link]
Chuck Schumer scores a big win as Senate parliamentarian rules that a revised budget resolution may contain budget reconciliation instructions. This will allow Senate Democrats to move two more reconciliation packages in 2020, averting GOP filibusters.
Your move, President Manchin
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Bidens Infrastructure Ideas Are Popular, His Plan Less So-
A new Reuters/Ipsos poll finds President Joe Bidens $2 trillion infrastructure plan is loaded with initiatives that are widely popular on their own, but public support declines when the initiatives are sold as a Biden-backed plan.
For instance, 79% support an overhaul of highways and bridges, 71% want high speed internet access, 68% want to replace lead pipes and 66% back renewable energy. In additon, 64% supported a tax hike on corporations to pay for the plan and 56% supported ending tax breaks for the fossil fuel industry.
However, just 45% of Americans said they would support an infrastructure plan that was recently released by the Biden administration.
reminds me of 2010. People really liked the Affordable Care Act but hated Obamacare.
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Pull a Dale Carnegie. Call it the MAGA Infrastructure 2.0 Bill.
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Quote from dergon
However, just 45% of Americans said they would support an infrastructure plan that was recently released by the Biden administration.
reminds me of 2010. People really liked the Affordable Care Act but hated Obamacare.
But considering most Republicans get their disinformation from the likes of Fox and Newsmax, et al, it is no wonder, exactly like the ACA vs Obamacare Or for that matter, “Keep government hands off my Medicare!” I can hear Tucker & see his smirk talking about how infrastructure is good but how Biden’s implementation giving all those undeserving people YOUR MONEY for Librul fantasies…well, take it from there. Identical to the ACA vs Obamacare. “Affordable Care is GOOD but that guy Obama, that secret terrorist Muslim, born in Kenya is just evil.
The ignorance of these people knows no bounds apparently.
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[b]Pelosi Wants Infrastructure Bill Done by July 4[/b][/h1]
Speaker Nancy Pelosi is aiming for July 4th for House action on President Bidens infrastructure package, [link=https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1380233792363847681]CNN[/link] reports.
She also says that while shell listen to suggestions on paring back the size of the proposal, that the overall package it cant be too small.-
Make it an even trillion for actual infrastructure work and it’ll pass next week. Including in-home nursing care into medicaid is probably a worthwhile project, but no matter how much you torture the definitions, its not ‘infrastructure’ or an ‘investment in the future’.
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Let’s see if 10% of bill is actually for infrastructure.
Unlikely…-
Quote from IR_CONSULT
Let’s see if 10% of bill is actually for infrastructure.
Unlikely…In the current bill, 921B is for actual infrastructure related expenses. The rest is added on just because they are drunk with power from the ‘mandate’ their 1 vote lead in the senate gives them.
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“Drunk with power” or not being timid and throwing away a chance to make a change. Obama who had a much bigger “mandate” tried to be accommodating to Republicans and as a result shot himself in the foot with timidity thinking that Republicans would compromise because he used a Republican plan.
As Republicans have taught, “mandate” is meaningless as all that matters is that you won, period.
Finally, after decades of Republican ideas to starve the country of investment but never refusing a tax cut for the affluent, leaving infrastructure & the country in shambles, what do we have to show for it? Highest deficits and inequality ever while a country is in disrepair because we can never seem to afford to do anything except defense and give more money to corporations and the already affluent according to Republicans.
Republicans ALWAYS complain about spending and deficits when a Democrat is POTUS but Chaney’s smart-aleck comment that “Reagan taught us, deficits don’t matter” has shown the way.
I think I will support taking out loans in order to build the country and invest in the country. Households aren’t bankrupt just because their mortgage is more than their annual income. The goal is that this time government will use the money to build the country & not just give money away to corporations and affluent for nothing in return.
Like under the Obama administration, the only Party opposed to compromise and bipartisanship is the Republicans, NOT the Democrats.
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Define infrastructure. Marsh Blackburn said broadband isn’t infrastructure even though it’s actually wires and network pieces/parts. Check out Chattanooga TN. They built their own. It’s cheaper, more reliable, and faster.
It’s a great sound byte to say well elder care isn’t infrastructure. But what’s really in that provision?-
I have zero opposition against a public local government setting up internet service as well as other things. But talk about that & you will likely hit 2 talking points from the Right, this is Socialism and government can do nothing right that the private markets can do much better.
Reality says otherwise but then what’s reality got to do with anything to some people. -
Quote from DICOM_Dan
It’s a great sound byte to say well elder care isn’t infrastructure. But what’s really in that provision?
No infrastructure, that’s for sure. It’s by its very definition a service.
Jobs maybe.-
I think it’s infrastructure. I would see it as the systems and services. That could be roads, broadband, airports, buildings etc… but also police, emergency, healthcare(eldercare), fire fighters.
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Quote from dergon
Quote from fw
Make it an even trillion for actual infrastructure work and it’ll pass next week.
I would take that too.
But the question isn’t really whether you or I would take it… it’s whether 10 Republican senators would take it.
And that’s almost certainly a “No.”
You look at far to the right you have to go to get 10 Republicans on board … it would miniscule… nowhere near $1T.
So if your Biden/Pelosi/Schumer and you are liberated from having to worry about dithering over GOP votes that will never come, then you construct the best package you can get that enough Republican [i]voters[/i] like so you can brand it bipartisan and that can get Manchin and Sinema to vote Yes.
[/h1] [link=https://www.politico.com/news/2021/04/14/republicans-infrastructure-counteroffer-481504]Politico[/link]: Republicans are preparing a counteroffer to President Joe Bidens infrastructure proposal, a plan thats likely to be in the range of $600 to $800 billion, more targeted in scope and funded by unspecified user fees.
However, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), who is also involved in the conversations, said that the spending figure seems a little high.
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A counter at about 30% of what Biden wants and Romney is already throwing a wet blanket.
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