Matt Davies for April 12, 2021

Our country wouldn’t amount to a hill of beans to be counted.

There would still be plenty of grandiose government buildings, though — where politicians enjoy luxurious “working” conditions. Monuments where tourists are allowed to gawk at surroundings that represent their tax dollars spent to build and maintain patrician excess: Taj Mahal Fantasy way beyond functional necessity.

Conservatives think “infrastructure” is that thing everyone uses that they fought against before it became that way. If it were up to Conservatives, “Infrastructure” would be caves, if you’re lucky.

Everything we consider infrastructure, from roads, bridges, tunnels, electricity, water, sewage, schools, etc. wasn’t before it was.

All those things were built before many regulations and environmental impact studies were a thing. It could still be done, but more expensively, even accounting for inflation. And how is health care wages an infrastructure? (In the current bill)

In reality, infrastructure is the things that allow public and private organizations [from households to corporations] to flourish — while performing their primary function —unimpeded by the need to furnish the things by themselves … at an expense, they are unwilling/unable to undertake by themselves. Education, construction, maintenance, are broad categories that supply some of these essential things that allow us all to prosper.

NASA. World War I. World War II.

And let’s not forget the one the bean counters almost won, Covid-19 inoculations.

Explain to them that the Chinese are way ahead of us in infrastructure spending, and we need to catch up to be a World Power.

Read “The Great Bridge” by David McCullough for the REAL story behind the Brooklyn Bridge and all the political shenanigans that took place…

Another “Bean Counter” that almost ruined a major corporation was Robert McNamara when he was both in the upper management levels, and then briefly the President of Ford Motor Company.

You mean people would have been free to spend their money the way they choose rather than helping a politician get elected.

We are talking about angry, old white people, who would love it very much, if “austerity” was being promoted in Peoria, but they were gettin’ an interstate, a safe bridge and the latest internet connections in their back yard……………………………..aka, fickle morons.

In those days infrastructure dollars went to actual infrastructure. Today not so much.

Any countries “greatness” is measured by the social programs it offers its citizens. Somewhere along the line republicans have been brainwashed to believing that the word “socialism” is bad.. just inches from that other evil concept “communism”.

Which incidentally is another word/concept they do not understand. In large part due to a biased education system that tried to justify American dominance at the expense of other cultures.

Conservatives assume that infrastructure repairs and improvements are “too expensive” and can’t fathom their benefits to society and businesses… but big permanent tax breaks for the rich and businesses DO provide benefits for society and cost nothing…

“Infrastructure” is anything “they” don’t need. They do need improved helipads …

I wonder how much those signs cost?

Are we going to completely ignore that the Brooklyn Bridge was built entirely for the purpose of Boss Tweed (D) skimming $45M off the budget? And that it took him $65,000 in bribes to get the bond issue passed and put the citizens of NYC into debt to line his own pockets? And that the NYC Subway system was built by private rail companies, who only bailed on it after years of city regulators denying them fare increases because they could no longer tolerate operating at a loss? Ironically after NYC took over the subway system, the first thing they did was raise the fares.

Left out Erie Canal.

Under Lincoln, the first Republican president, the party subsidized the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad, and under Eisenhower, the Interstate Highway System was launched, financed 90% by Federal funds. But in a way it’s appropriate that Republicans oppose Biden’s infrastructure program. They’re no longer the party of Lincoln, or even of Eisenhower.

Republicans aren’t necessarily against infrastructure. They’re just absolutely against whatever the Biden administration wants to do, and will prevent it if possible. If they succeed they will then campaign by saying, “Democrats didn’t keep their promises about infrastructure.” But they won’t have a program to fix infrastructure and will do nothing. Everyone write to Joe Manchin and tell him to stop being an honorary Trumpublican and blocking the Democratic administration from projects that are good for America, especially H.R. 1.

He left out the “Bridge to Nowhere” and the California Bullet Train

Every historic highway bridge over the Mississippi and other large rivers across the nation.

ISS

Yes, Government should be run like a corporation . . . Borrow money and invest it. Too bad the Reds gut government revenue and refuse any kind of investment in the people or our future

Panama Canal?

Grand Coulee Dam?

Weather Satellites?

Federal Airway system?

Picture worth a thousand words — well done, Matt ♥

Capitol Hill of Bean Counters?

Taxing the rich built the freeways.

The 1% doesn’t want to have to actually do anything to get the money, they just want direct deposit into their accounts.