While nations in Europe and Asia are investing in high speed rail, green energy, modern highways, and data networks that give users there ten times the bandwidth for less money than we have here, the Unites States is crumbling. Our roads and bridges are decaying, we are falling behind in green energy, our power grid and our data networks are obsolete. The longer this goes on, the less competitive we will become in the world economy. Democrats have tried several times to invest in infrastructure, also providing a much needed boost to our economy, but Republicans have blocked it at every turn. Meanwhile, the Republican candidates for President offer no solutions.
Republican presidential candidates have attempted to make their 2012 effort to unseat President Obama about the economy, but time and time again, they have proven unwilling to address the major crises threatening the future of America’s economic growth. At multiple debates, the candidates offered little in the way of how they would address the fiscal crisis engulfing Europe and failed to understand the driving factors behind it. They offered no solutions to the American housing crisis, even as millions of homeowners face foreclosure and prices continue to fall. In sum, their policies would warrant a failing grades in an Econ 101 class.
Now, with evidence piling up that America’s infrastructure is failing on multiple fronts, the candidates are again offering no long-term plans for the nation’s transportation or infrastructure programs, Politico reports:
Though the words “crumbling infrastructure” have become almost cliché in the American lexicon, candidates’ websites are barren of transportation plans, save for expansion of domestic energy production. Only Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) delves into infrastructure policy at all in his Web platform, proposing to privatize the FAA, abolish TSA and halve the Department of Transportation’s budget. DOT should consider itself lucky it’s not one of the five departments Paul would eliminate as president.
POLITICO reached out to all seven of the Republican 2012 campaigns; none chose to flesh out infrastructure positions.
The GOP may choose to ignore the many problems facing America’s infrastructure, but those problems aren’t going away. Economists estimated in 2011 that the United States would need more than $2 trillion in investments just to bring its infrastructure up to date… [emphasis original]
Inserted from <Think Progress>
If Republicans cared about our economy, as they claim, they would have plans to restore infrastructure. But the Republicans are lying. We know this, because, if they really cared about our economy, they would not keep sabotaging it to make Obama look bad. Every penny spent putting Americans to work restore our infrastructure is a penny Republicans cannot give to a billionaire. Republicans do NOT represent you.
17 Responses to “Republicans Ignore Infrastructure”
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You noticed that too! Deafening silence from them all — perhaps the single most job-creating, economy-improving desperately needed area in this country and not a word from the slate of r-candidates – pretty frightening – let’s let the country go to rot! – that way we can drill the hell out of it – and continue our slide to a third world status – the citizens here will be begging to get out in a few years at the rate we’re going! Might be nice to drop some of our military investments and invest in infrastructure – even put some of our military to work on it – this country is on a “red alert” !
But you are against the party that supports infrastructure.
I’m against a party that uses its military to arrest its citizens indefinitely and has no balls to stand up to an overblown budget on expanding that same military power – we need more than two parties, because the two existing parties are guilty of economic and political treason! Toss the dog a bone!
When you read the law yourself, how was your understanding of 1021 different from mine, which the ACLU confirms?
I guess the 1% will go live in Asia when the US falls apart.
They will just build their own and leave us without.
Never heard of high profits slums. The Republicans are for privatised high profit slumstructure. Pot holes aren’t a problem they are a benefit they test your cars suspension, cracked sidewalks aren’t a problem they are a benefit they test the qualiy of your footwear, collapsed bridges aren’t a problem they are a benefit, wait, I’m stuck on that one, I guess I am not a Republican ;D.
LOL. I meant to say thst within their gated communities, they will live without want, in sharp contrast to the rest of us.
I noticed that too (although I couldn’t stand to hear them talk about their policies) – I never heard a peep about infrastructure. What assholes they – think of the jobs it would create.
It does not enrich billionaires.
Republican/Teabaggers have such a myopic view of just about everything except their corporate puppet masters. I think back to Elizabeth Warren’s speech to a small group when she said that corporations have benefitted from having infastructure (roads etc) to get raw materials to their factories and move finished product to the markets, and as a result, they should help pay for infastructure projects through tax dollars. But of course, the Republican/Teabaggers have pledged not to raise taxes (corporate only — they are very willing to raise taxes of the dwindling middle class and expanding poor class). So if the Republican/Teabaggers aren’t going to put people to work on much needed infastructure projects, how are corporations going to get their products to market? Import cheap labour and blow their immigration platform to smithereens? Or ship jobs offshore like they have been doing now for years and blame Mr Obama for making it necessary?
The Republican/Teabaggers haven’t a clue, or if they have any ideas, they are so detrimental to the middle and lower classes, that just mentioning them is likely to cause a middle and lower classes riot instead of a cosy little election gathering. The Republican/Teabaggers would just prefer not to talk about it in hopes that nobody else will too. If I were Mr Obama, I’d be lining up my sights on any and all Republican/Teabagger turkeys.
That’s why they focus so strongly on social issues, to avoid more substantive discussions.
They are so filled with short sighted racism and hate they are unwilling to look beyond their soulless drive to destroy President Obama and with him the middle class- I listen to their posturing and hear nothing but a “social agenda” and hatred–
That’s why they need to follow the Whig Party into oblivion.
I agree 100% TC The republians are willing to destrory American just to get back that power back that Bush lost. I hope the American people see this before it is to late. It is so important that we stick with Obama and relect him and Biden if we are going to see any progress atg all.
Exactly