What Infrastructure Projects Would You Like To See

[emu steve]

in Detroit and S.E. Michigan?

Some pundits are now saying that Trump, unlike other Republicans, is 'all in' on infrastructure [[GOP didn't seem interested under Obama's presidency).

Dems have been 'all in' during Obama's presidency but the GOP opposed.

So what is your wish list.

BTW, Trump, Bernie Sanders, Michael Moore, etc. addressed the needs of Rust Belt residents and that means employment for workers who previously had industrial employment.

[mikeg19]

This is honestly one of the few things I actually liked about Trump. It seemed he was massively committed to boosting infrastructure funding and creating construction/engineering jobs.

As for a wish list, it would be nice to see a focus on the following areas:

1) Rapid Rail Transit
2) Updated water & sewage
3) Updated/increased capacity port of Detroit
4) And the obvious, fixing roads and bridges, but also making them smarter

The major thing to me is that too many people want to see improvements, as in visually. They want to see where the money is going which is why it can be difficult to swallow when were talking about raising a millage or taxes to cover a billion dollars in sewage piping replacement. Infrastructure isn't sexy, but it's the backbone of everyday life. A figure that the ASCE threw out just to maintain and bring our electrical grid, underground piping, and roads back to acceptable levels was a trillion dollars. Just to get them to be acceptable! That's a ton of money for something that nobody will see.

[dtowncitylover]

Well we just blew the one big infrastructure project this region has needed for 100 years. So f--- us, right?!

[Bham1982]

Well we just blew the one big infrastructure project this region has needed for 100 years. So f--- us, right?!

You guys realize that Trump and Congress have zero interest in infrastructure, right?

Trump barely mentioned infrastructure during the campaign, and the Republican-majority Congress has fought Obama's proposals for massive infrastructure investments. They have repeatedly attempted to cut all Amtrak funding and to end Obama's high-speed rail investments.

The idea that Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich and the like are going to be funding rail systems for inner cities and the like is completely delusional; they're going to be concentrating on massive tax cuts for the wealthy, eliminating Obamacare, banning immigrants, putting up trade barriers, and removing environmental protections.

This will especially be a nightmare four years locally, as Trump has no clue re. the auto industry, and his entire economic platform is based on a fundamental misreading of the economy.

[Bham1982]

And I should add- I'm a high earner, and would keep more of my money if Trump's tax proposals come to fruition [[as they likely will as he adopted the same tax platform as supply side conservatives in Congress).

Even conservative tax groups agree that Trump's tax proposals will cut trillions in revenue, meaning the govt. will be starved of revenue outside of the military, which Trump has indicated is the only untouchable. So good luck with dreams of massive federal infrastructure investment when ultra ideologues are trying to "starve the Washington beast".

[JBMcB]

Well we just blew the one big infrastructure project this region has needed for 100 years. So f--- us, right?!

I voted against it because I couldn't get a decent answer to one question: Why, under the RTA plan, would there still be four regional transportation agencies involved? Why not just dissolve SMART/DDOT/etc... and bring all the services together under one agency?

To me, the RTA as planned would have been another layer of bureaucracy on top of four other stacks of bureaucracy. In extremely siloed organizations like that you end up with more in-fighting over resources than cooperation.

[swingline]

You guys realize that Trump and Congress have zero interest in infrastructure, right?

Trump barely mentioned infrastructure during the campaign, and the Republican-majority Congress has fought Obama's proposals for massive infrastructure investments. They have repeatedly attempted to cut all Amtrak funding and to end Obama's high-speed rail investments.

The idea that Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich and the like are going to be funding rail systems for inner cities and the like is completely delusional; they're going to be concentrating on massive tax cuts for the wealthy, eliminating Obamacare, banning immigrants, putting up trade barriers, and removing environmental protections.

This will especially be a nightmare four years locally, as Trump has no clue re. the auto industry, and his entire economic platform is based on a fundamental misreading of the economy.

Bullseye. Spot on.

[dtowncitylover]

You guys realize that Trump and Congress have zero interest in infrastructure, right?

Trump barely mentioned infrastructure during the campaign...

Wait, no that's not true at all. That was the one thing Bernie and Trump had in common is that they both wanted to invest in infrastructure here. Now you are right in that the GOP has not been friendly towards infrastructure under Obama, so maybe the Trump Admin and Congress can work something out.

It probably wasn't mentioned as much in the campaign because we were all focused on the horrible things he has said and Clinton's emails.

[emu steve]

Bullseye. Spot on.

I thought Trump was big on infrastructure jobs.

The GOP congress was always "pay for it [[with cuts elsewhere)."

Obama wanted big infrastructure spending early on but the Great Recession left most states broke and unable to put up their share of bucks.

I think Trump/GOP would be smart to spend big on infrastructure which would put hundreds of thousands to work on good paying jobs. Some of the jobs might be covered by Davis Bacon Act and would be high paying.

That is a good way to get one's approval numbers up.

[ndavies]

Keystone pipeline

[GMan]

This will especially be a nightmare four years locally, as Trump has no clue re. the auto industry, and his entire economic platform is based on a fundamental misreading of the economy.

I don't think he has misread the economy seeing as to it's how he made money.
He just might not support the type of economy you like.
Less bureaucratic jobs and more private sector jobs.

[Bham1982]

I don't think he has misread the economy seeing as to it's how he made money.

He inherited vast wealth and real estate holdings and has declared bankruptcy six times. Since when did Trump make money through the industrial economy?

He just might not support the type of economy you like.

You mean a growing, robust, economy, like we currently have in the U.S., including low unemployment and record wage gains? Nope.

But the people apparently want "change"; that's what they'll likely get. The uneducated rednecks who voted for this clown will suffer the worst.

I won't lose my job, my taxes will be cut, and I have enough in equities and real estate that he can't really harm me even if the economy is sunk. But the dudes who voted for Trump because they want to rocket back to 1950 and be paid $40/hr for putting together toasters are in for a very rude awakening.

Less bureaucratic jobs and more private sector jobs.

The U.S. currently has some of the fastest private sector job growth on the planet. We have a employee shortage in the auto industry and are desperate to get more talent. Trump will be a catastrophe for those actually looking to hire people in the private sector.

[GMan]

He inherited vast wealth and real estate holdings and has declared bankruptcy six times. Since when did Trump make money through the industrial economy?



You mean a growing, robust, economy, like we currently have in the U.S., including low unemployment and record wage gains? Nope.

But the people apparently want "change"; that's what they'll likely get. The uneducated rednecks who voted for this clown will suffer the worst.

I won't lose my job, my taxes will be cut, and I have enough in equities and real estate that he can't really harm me even if the economy is sunk. But the dudes who voted for Trump because they want to rocket back to 1950 and be paid $40/hr for putting together toasters are in for a very rude awakening.



The U.S. currently has some of the fastest private sector job growth on the planet. We have a employee shortage in the auto industry and are desperate to get more talent. Trump will be a catastrophe for those actually looking to hire people in the private sector.

Robust private sector? Government Workers Now Outnumber Manufacturing Workers
http://cnsnews.com/news/article/tere...orkers-9977000

Job market and economy flat for years.
http://www.bls.gov/cps/
Seasonaly adjust it all you want, more people are on government assistance.

Trump has numerous businesses, some which failed. He still bounced back.

Glad your well set for what ever the economy has in store for us. I will continue to work to support my family and ride out the changes also.

[1953]

I'd like someone to put a fresh coat of paint on all the bridges that cross over I-94 on the east side, and pick up the litter stuck between bridge fences and the bridge roads themselves. I think we can do that while maintaining some level of austerity [[since we are $20 trillion in debt and all).

[Richard]

You guys realize that Trump and Congress have zero interest in infrastructure, right?

Trump barely mentioned infrastructure during the campaign, and the Republican-majority Congress has fought Obama's proposals for massive infrastructure investments. They have repeatedly attempted to cut all Amtrak funding and to end Obama's high-speed rail investments.

The idea that Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich and the like are going to be funding rail systems for inner cities and the like is completely delusional; they're going to be concentrating on massive tax cuts for the wealthy, eliminating Obamacare, banning immigrants, putting up trade barriers, and removing environmental protections.

This will especially be a nightmare four years locally, as Trump has no clue re. the auto industry, and his entire economic platform is based on a fundamental misreading of the economy.

I guess you are entitled to your thoughts even if they are incorrect,there is already a 500 billion infrastructure bill put together to be signed on the first day in office.

Infrastructure is needed but that creates trickle down economics,what is needed and being addressed is economics that directly effect the everyday person in the street now.


He is already elected what is the point of continuing to spread false information and propaganda? You are aware of a complete republican control in place,yes?

The only road blocks are going to be those that are placed by people playing politics instead of what is good for the country.

[Bham1982]

I guess you are entitled to your thoughts even if they are incorrect,there is already a 500 billion infrastructure bill put together to be signed on the first day in office.

Where did you come up with this bizarre fantasy?

Straight from the 2016 Republican platform: Republican leaders plan to eliminate Highway Trust Fund spending on projects such as mass transit, bike-share programs, sidewalk improvements, and rail-to-trail projects.

Again, conservatives have fought Obama's infrastructure investments, at every turn. They have repeatedly vowed to defund Amtrak and to gut transit spending. The idea that your future alt-right Transportation Secretary is going to be funding subway lines in the Bronx is about as delusional as the redneck crowd thinking we can hurtle back to 1960 and everyone can make $40/hr for assembling toasters.

[Bham1982]

Here is exact language from 2016 Republican Platform. These guys are now totally in charge at all levels of govt. Does this sound like they're interested in urban infrastructure?

The current Administration … subordinates civil engineering to social engineering as it pursues an exclusively urban vision of dense housing and government transit. Its ill-named Livability Initiative is meant to “coerce people out of their cars.” …
We propose to remove from the Highway Trust Fund programs that should not be the business of the federal government. More than a quarter of the Fund’s spending is diverted from its original purpose. One fifth of its funds are spent on mass transit, an inherently local affair that serves only a small portion of the population, concentrated in six big cities. Additional funds are used for bike-share programs, sidewalks, recreational trails, landscaping, and historical renovations.

[Junjie]

Robust private sector? Government Workers Now Outnumber Manufacturing Workers
http://cnsnews.com/news/article/tere...orkers-9977000


Job market and economy flat for years.
http://www.bls.gov/cps/
Seasonaly adjust it all you want, more people are on government assistance.

Trump has numerous businesses, some which failed. He still bounced back.

Glad your well set for what ever the economy has in store for us. I will continue to work to support my family and ride out the changes also.

Your source is complete BS. It erroneously claims that 22 million people work for the government. In reality, the federal workforce was 2.13 million in 2012. If you add the postal service [[not most people's definition of "working for the government") that gets you up to about ~2.7 million.

http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-14-215

http://www.governing.com/news/headli...azon-deal.html

[Junjie]

The only road blocks are going to be those that are placed by people playing politics instead of what is good for the country.

You realize that we just elected a group that spent the last eight years doing exactly this, right? We could have had an infrastructure bill at any time in the past six years, but Republicans couldn't stand to do anything that might be construed as a success for President Obama.

Bham is exactly right. The country, and urban areas especially, are about to take it left, right and sideways from the radicals that just gained power. Enjoy the ride.

[GMan]

Your source is complete BS. It erroneously claims that 22 million people work for the government. In reality, the federal workforce was 2.13 million in 2012. If you add the postal service [[not most people's definition of "working for the government") that gets you up to about ~2.7 million.





http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-14-215

http://www.governing.com/news/headli...azon-deal.html

You are only looking at federal government jobs.
Need to include state level employees also. The comparison points to the shrinking private vs goverment [[tax dollar supported) jobs.

[GMan]

You realize that we just elected a group that spent the last eight years doing exactly this, right? We could have had an infrastructure bill at any time in the past six years, but Republicans couldn't stand to do anything that might be construed as a success for President Obama.

Bham is exactly right. The country, and urban areas especially, are about to take it left, right and sideways from the radicals that just gained power. Enjoy the ride.

Well all the congress can do is write laws and pass budget. The Repubs didn't write A.C.A. but they did fund it.

[drjeff]

After the big tax cuts for the wealthy pass, the government will be starved of money and be running unprecedented deficits. Because of this, they will say, "we can't afford to spend on infrastructure. We have no money." This will probably lead to even more tax cuts to "stimulate the economy," which doesn't actually work unless it targets the people spending money, i.e. the middle and working classes. Wash, rinse, repeat.

[Bham1982]

After the big tax cuts for the wealthy pass, the government will be starved of money and be running unprecedented deficits. Because of this, they will say, "we can't afford to spend on infrastructure. We have no money." This will probably lead to even more tax cuts to "stimulate the economy," which doesn't actually work unless it targets the people spending money, i.e. the middle and working classes. Wash, rinse, repeat.

Yup. Tax cuts won't do anything for my consumer spending. I'm just going to put my additional savings in long-term investments.

Basically Trump will be expanding investment portfolios in places like Bloomfield, Bham, Franklin and Northville, at the expense of everyone else.

The irony in this campaign is that he ran a populist effort supposedly against the "elites" when all the benefits from his policies will flow to the elites. His income tax cuts are almost entirely targeted at the over 200k crowd, and he has pledged to repeal Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform.

[GMan]

. His income tax cuts are almost entirely targeted at the over 200k crowd, and he has pledged to repeal Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform.

Dodd Frank caused a negative effect by making the banks hold to more cash reserves.
It helped the banks survive a "stress test" but hand tied the economy.

Better to bring back the Glass Stiegal act.

[Bham1982]

Dodd Frank caused a negative effect by making the banks hold to more cash reserves.
It helped the banks survive a "stress test" but hand tied the economy.

I'm not arguing for or against Dodd-Frank. Yes, it's at least plausibly arguable that Dodd-Frank should be repealed.

My point is that Trump ran as an "outsider" against "elites". It doesn't get any more "insider" and "elite" than Wall Street, which would hugely benefit from a repeal of Dodd-Frank.