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Subscribe to RSSHouse and Senate leaders are making a last-ditch effort to revive stalled legislation to overhaul federal transportation programs — Congress' best bet for passage of a major jobs bill this year — but prospects for passage before the November election are dimming.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, as well as two key committee chairmen, Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., and Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., are scheduled to meet Tuesday to try to reach an agreement on how to handle a collection of sensitive policy and financing matters still in dispute.
A 47-member House-Senate committee has been holding negotiations on the bill for over a month, but they have been unable to reach agreement on a host of difficult issues, lawmakers involved in the process and their staffs said.
Related: Senate makes progress on farm bill
Time is running extremely short. Authority to spend money from the Highway Trust Fund — the main source of federal transportation aid to states — expires June 30. As a practical matter, congressional leaders need to make a decision by about Wednesday on whether to continue to try to pass a comprehensive bill, or whether seek a temporary extension of transportation programs. There are only about a half dozen days left in the month in which Congress is scheduled to be in session, and it takes time to prepare an extension bill and pass it.
Boehner has already signaled that if there is to be an extension, it should be at least six months long. That would push off the question of how to shore up the trust fund — which is forecast to go broke sometime next year — until after the election. Highway and transit programs have limped along under a series of nine extensions since the last long-term transportation bill expired in 2009.
The Senate passed a bipartisan, $109 billion transportation bill earlier that year that would consolidate current programs, give states more flexibility on how they spend federal aid and streamline environmental regulations to speed up completion of highway projects. House Republicans also crafted a comprehensive bill, but were unable to pass the measure. There are deep divisions within the GOP about whether transportation programs should be forced to live entirely with the revenue generated by federal gas taxes and other user fees, even if it means cutting programs by more than a third.
After several tries, House leaders gave up trying to pass their bill, and instead passed what was effectively a shell bill designed to meet legislative requirements necessary to begin negotiations with the Senate.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce sent a letter to lawmakers Monday urging them not to give up on a comprehensive bill. To do so would mean "the economic growth potential of infrastructure investment would be squandered and job losses would likely continue in the coming months and years," wrote Bruce Josten, the chamber's executive vice president.
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Republicans in Congress are un-American and unpatriotic because they are deliberately preventing any measure to improve the economy.
Perhaps the dems could attempt to spend money on small business instead of just public union employment, ya know, that the taxpayers get put on the hook for.
trudat...
What evidence do you have that dems somehow individually spent money on just "public union employment"? Unless you are saying that cops, teachers, firefighters, nurses don't deserve to be compensated for doing a job? Ridiculous.
trudat - you know not what you are talking about!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT, if you are referring to GOVERNMENT EMPLOYMENT has declined over the past 3.5 years. Federal government employment has declined considerably and is way below that of 2000-2008.
trudat - you buy the talking points without determining there validity!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Too bad the article didn't list details on what is in the bill and which parts are being objected to...
LOL, and you believe this is because of democrats? Well i guess in a way it is, they bankrupted the cities and states so bad by giving everything to the uninos that cuts had to be made.
They never do ron, so people like harbinger and the 2 above cna just accept that the dems ideas are so great and that the repubs are "obstructing" the great ideas.
concernedusa,
It is funny you are trying to ridicule someone for not having any facts straight. Federal employment is up 88,000 jobs since 06. The fact is every sector is down since 08, because the US has lost so many jobs, even though the current admin claims they have created so many, yet unemployment stays high.
To trudat's point, public sector jobs like construction jobs are short term. They work as long as the project takes, then move on to another job if they are lucky, or get cut. Private sector jobs however are long term jobs, not defined by 1 specific project like building a bridge. Those are the jobs that will stimulate the economy long term, and provide more taxable income as well, which all libs like.
No one ever said teachers and firefighters should not get compensated for doing a job, that is a stupid claim. However they should NOT get free pensions and 401k's provided by taxpayer dollars like many of them are currently.
Don't worry about the RepubliCrats getting the money spent. After all, there is an election in a few months and votes need to be bought in order to keep the bribes, er- "contributions <wink, wink> coming in.
Nah, its not a stupid claim, its just lib/union divisive propaganda.
More blind lib party-line propaganda, as if dems dont take just as much money from the same sources.
Typical partisan bull crap....
The artical does not say WHY it is stalled, just that it is stalled..
BUT lets not let facts derail your post here..
( read the artical ) the last long term funding bill expired in 2009, back when dems had total control of Congress. Repubs didnt take back the house til 2010 midterms. SO they have been using short term stop gap funding measures since then.
Looks to me like the Dems were putting everything off ( remember they controlled what came up for Vote on the floors of Congress ) so they could pass healthcare reform.
trudat..I live in texas a nonunion state the tea party are after us also why is that
Elvis, your lack of intellect always comes out in spades, but Right-to-Work does not mean "non-union", it means, right to choose.
I thought you libs were all about being pro-choice? Oh only when it is about destroying a fetus.
This is the key statement to the entire article. Currently the feds are not taking in enough fuel tax revenue to keep up with the work that needs to be performed and they are using general funds to make up the difference.
The fuel taxes need to be literally doubled to $0.50 a gallon for both gasoline and diesel, then it should be increased $0.05 per gallon over the next 5 years. All that money should be fully exhausted every year repairing and upgrading our road network.
Now before anyone goes there, the transportation industry (trucking) in which I work, should not be shouldered with the brunt of taxes to pay for road building. Eighteen wheelers are only 4% of all registered vehicles and yet pay approximately 40% of all fuel taxes. We are already paying our fair share and increasing the tax to us will only increase the cost of transportation, which we pass onto the consumer.
I agree with not passing the expense to truckers wizard, but the real problem is the waste in the spending of the money in the first place. If the taxes went to efficient "road work" then there would be enough. It's all the waste that soaks up the funds and the infrastructure is last on the list for expenses.
Get rid of the waste and bloat and youll find we pay plenty of taxes.
perhaps we voters need to realize that..instead of placing all blame on Obama..who has at least tried to do right..we should instead look at the congressional reps we have elected to both houses and see that NONE of them are doing their respective jobs. They are all playing at politics careing nothing for the middle class who have been foolish enough in the past to keep re-electing those fools. I have to wonder just when we all will wake up...and get rid of them all and get set in place laws that will stop all lobbying for anything...and the huge sums of money that is now taking over all political races and there outcomes.
I believe this to be a fact: In this countrys history, there has been more corruption $ in transportation than all dirty $ combined. I would include foreign aid. Only the bank theft we have seen lately adds up to more $. And they did that practicly overnite. Transportation has politicly became a mainstay for our political partys corruption. So the question is now will republicans listen to the Chamber of Commerce AND the people of this county, or will they continue their unhonorable agenda of making this a "one term president"?
Concerned, public employment has declined in the last 3.5 years.
Has compensation declined and if so why has our deficit gotten worse? Where is the money going?
SORRY CONCERNED YOU ARE WRONG OR LIED.
http://www.opm.gov/feddata/HistoricalTables/TotalGovernmentSince1962.asp
REALLY! This is the "best bet" for passage of a jobs bill this year? Funny that the reporter didn't mention any of the other 25 "jobs bills" the House has passed that the Democrats are stalling in the Senate.
Harbinger (post 1)
You seem to be reading too much MSNBC. You might be surprised to learn that the Republican lead House of Representatives has sent 25 JOBS BILLS to the Democratically controlled Senate where Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) has been sitting on them. Hmmm, do you think Harry Reid is “un-American and unpatriotic” now, or doesn’t that jive with the talking points you’re trying to spew here?
http://www.gop.gov/policy-news/11/10/27/summary-of-jobs-bills-stalled
NOBAMA 2012!
.
Wizard61: "Now before anyone goes there, the transportation industry (trucking) in which I work, should not be shouldered with the brunt of taxes to pay for road building. Eighteen wheelers are only 4% of all registered vehicles and yet pay approximately 40% of all fuel taxes."
Although governments, both local, state and federal, have pretty much ignored the infrastructure for the past three decades and the roads and bridges are falling apart it seems to me that the mojority of damage to the system is caused by heavy trucks....... they should pay for their share of the damage which is more than 40%.
maddog-752810
First of all please define "heavy trucks". We (truckers) are regulated by the government as to what we can weigh, both as an overall gross weight and an axle weight. It the trucks are within those weight limits and driving on designated truck routes, that are supposedly designed to carry that weight how is the damage the fault of the trucks?
It's sad that so many on the right hate America and it's people.
Just the facts ma'am.
**Every state has a "highway department" that maintains and builds both state and federal highways. The federal highway system, by the way, if just a tad over 50 years old. It was created after WWII to facilitate the movement of military hardware. It was based on the autobahn style highways they found in Germany during the war. Those highways were built to help move military hardware efficiently throughout Germany. But I digress....
**The state's highway departments have an 80/20 split in funds with the federal government. In other words they received 80% of their funding from the feds. They employ thousands of people in each and every state.
**Tens of thousands of people are employed by the highway contractors in every state who do the actual work under contract.
**If the highway funding bill is not passed, MILLIONS of Americans will be thrown out of work and thousands of necessary infra-structure projects will be abandoned due to lack of funding.
**Then there are the materials suppliers who won't be able to sell their aggregate, asphalt or other raw materials necessary for highway construction. That will close businesses and put more thousands out of work.
And all that will have a ripple effect down through the already ailing economy.
Ok, those are the facts. They aren't Republican facts and they aren't Democrat facts, they are JUST THE FACTS.
Oh, and by the way, a lot of states, like Oklahoma and Texas are NOT union states. The state employees are not represented and do not collectively bargain their salaries or benefits and the contractors are not necessarily union since we are a RIGHT TO WORK states and do not force union participation. Yes, there are union contractors but they are in the minority. The vast majority of contractors in Texas and Oklahoma are non-union.
So, don't you think you need to contact your Congressional representatives and tell them to get of their overpaid backsides and pass this bill? It's good for America, ALL AMERICANS, in so many ways.
Wiz,
Every vehicle "damages" roads...even bicycles. it's a function of dynamic load on the surface. My personal view is that fuel taxes are the most equitable method of funding roads. You buy fuel, you drive on the road. If you don't buy fuel and hence pay taxes, you don't drive on the road. We will have to eventually work in electricity somehow, if we insist on going in that direction for transportation. The only "general fund" money that should be put towards roads, is some sort of contribution from the Department of Defense budget, which is what makes federal funding for the roads constitutional in the first place. Just a few random thoughts to stir the pot. :-)
The only reason this bill isn't law already is because Republicans have blocked it.
The reason they blocked it is they don't want the economy to improve because they see it as helping Obama politically.
Republicans are playing politics while real Americans are suffering.
Period.
Harbinger: Your reason stated for the stall is NOT correct. Re-read the article, the money for this bill does not grow on trees. It's because they need to find a way to fund it.
Mike
A well reasoned post, something rare here!
Harbringer
A typical partisan post, something that is in huge supply on these boards.
The debate seems to stem from how to fund these programs. When initially created, the fuel taxes were meant to pay for expansion and repairs. Now it seems through mismanagement they can't by themselves. The states also levy fuel taxes to contribute to the pot, how many of those are actually going to road repair?
It seems that in an effort to get something long term done, the house has chosen the way of negotiation to settle differences between the parties on funding and other issues. How is that Blocking anything?
There are a lot of partisan posts here.
Mine happens to be one that is true!
It is not true, it is at best a half truth.
As stated in several posts the revenue coming in does not meet the needs of up keep for the highway and bridges.
If it is this bad now imagine how much worse it is going to be when the EPA mileage really kicks in?
The legislative branch of our government is totally dysfunctional. A joint committee of 47 could not reach a compromise?
They have six days left in session this month!! Boehner wants to do a temporary bill!?! NO WAY
Senator Reid and Speaker Boehner should keep the whole Congress in session until they pass a comprehensive Transportation bill. If they have to miss campaigning so be it. Lock the doors of the capital, dock their pay until they do their work on this one item at least.
It is not partisan, it is about fixing our roads, bridges, and jobs.
If they cannot work together on this one item then vote against every politician who is up for reelection no matter which party.
Trudata 6445: you incorrectly accuse me of being a liberal. The term "RepubliCrat" (post 1.7) is intended to brand both parties with the same brush. You might want to reread it. Both sides are equally corrupt; the best politicians money can buy!
I want to know how any bill is this area is going to help the President to keep his promise regarding the deficit. Without conditions, the President promised that the 2012 federal deficit would not exceed 229.27 billion dollars , and I think that congress needs to help the President to keep his promise. All hail the chief. If one believes that the stimulus worked then unemployment should no longer be a problem. If one believes that the stimulus did not work then any more stimulus related spending will be on no value regarding unemployment. The President said that the stimulus "did its job" so hence unemployment must not be a problem. The President said that the federal government is out of money and congress needs to respect the statements of the President. All hail the chief.
It would actually be better for the tax payers if the states themselves funded all transportation related projects. With the federal government already more than 15 trillion dollars in debt and massive deficits predicted for the next decade, I estimate that any new money that the federal government borrows will end up costing the tax payers more than 9 times the amount borrowed to repay in 170 years. State borrowing will end up costing the tax payers significantly less then any federal borrowing.
Ah, i see now norm, and kudos to your point then, all the juvenile names people come up with i dont read the whole moniker, just go by the norm (name irony there), you are correct, both are corrupt and awful and need to be replaced.
Harbinger-2218646, no other way to say it, you're a liar and a fcking idiot to boot.
States can't do any planning for construction jobs if they don't know what the Federal portion of the project will be in advance. These short extensions only serve to factor in (warning repub. buzz word.) uncertainty into the planning.
I'm really tired of all the clown shoes taking about stalled jobs bills being held up by Reid. The bills are partisan horse cr@p with the word JOBS tacked on the bill regardless of what the bill is about (anti-abortion, what ever) just to make it a "jobs" bill. Get Real!
everyone wonders why SS medicare and other tax based programs are in trouble. Transportion act is taxes collected for the upkeep of our highways, bridges and public transportation. Now the states get the money but it doesn't have to go to use on infrastructure. It goes to other things. I wish I could just spend money that isn't mine for buying a yacht, few homes on different islands around the world but in the real world us little people live in we have to live within our means and if we take something that isn't meant for us it is stealing. In this Government it is call just some more deficit spending.
They can come up with a half trillion in new food stamp and farmer welfare...the least they could do is fix the roads for the rest of us to get to work to pay for the porkulus bill...
The farm bill has only made it through the Senate, and it cuts costs! Doubtful that the house will even allow that to get through, and they surely won't allow a bill that will provide jobs and infrastructure work to move forward. Those two things would look good for Obama and we all know the number one concern of the GOP!
Maybe if we weren't paying $4 BILLION in tax refunds to illegal aliens, we might be able to improve our Nation's infrastructure.
http://www.wthr.com/story/17798210/tax-loophole-costs-billions
maybe if we weren't giving the DOD 800 billion dollars a year we could get it passed!
The DoD employs over 3 million Americans (military and civilians) and protects our Country and our National interests. I'd rather have my tax money pay for a strong national defense than to just hand it over to illegal immigrants.
And that Comment is why your country is messed up, with no unity at all. All parties are a mess, but the people are whom will dictate what and how the direction of the States will follow. Stop whining and do something. Following rhetoric and what most are fed is mindless. Your elections are soon, so get on the ball, and be unified as One country. The people are the board, with your elected Representatives are the CEO. as you are a shareholder...if you like how you rep performs for the benefit of you country, then by all means re-elect them, if not find a replacement, it's that simple. Be shareholders, and not spectators.
Why would anyone vote for a Republican? The Republicans took the House in 2010 and have literally accomplished nothing on the jobs front...the supposed reason why they were sent there in the first place. As a matter of fact, they've done worse than nothing...they've stalled every jobs bill that has come through the chamber.
It is painfully obvious to see what their agenda is....tank the economy to take the White House. They are banking on the overall stupidity of the American public and assume we won't notice. I miss the old days (from 20 years ago) where you could actually have a conversation with someone from a different party knowing that you both had the same end result in mind. Now, the end result is much different depending on which party you talk to.
Here is the GOP's resume:
*Took WH and congress in 2000...took us into two wars without paying for it, passed 2 giant tax bills without paying for them, passed a giveaway to the drug companies without paying for it. Presided over a financial disaster that spread across the world and one that we're still digging our way out of.
*Took the House in 2010 on the promise of jobs...but have done EVERYTHING in their power to kill jobs.
These are the clowns that some people want to put in charge of the White House? Romney's financial "plan" is more of same only worse....he wants to cut taxes on the rich AND simultaneously build the military? There is NO excuse for voting GOP now. They've given us all the evidence we need to show they are utterly clueless when it comes to anything involving policy.
And what pray-tell did happened in the 2 years in between those items?
trudat...
So your argument isn't to refute anything that I have said.....but to try and pin in on the short time AFTER the financial disaster when Dems controlled the congress and presidency?? That is so abjectly ludicrous it is beyond words.....but, unfortunately, expected in what passes for political discourse nowadays.
trudat - in the 3.5 years since the REPUBLICAN GREAT RECESSION of2008, the Obama Administration has saved the U S Economy & the World Economy from disintegration. They have turned the employment situation from 750,000 job losses per month to 200,000 job gains per month, without ANY HELP from the REPUBLICANS in Congress.
The REPUBLICAN DEPRESSION of 1930 took 20 years and World War II to bring our economy back to sustainability. It is a SLOW SLOG bringing the economy back to sustainability, when the REPUBLICANS so devestate the Economy, LIKE IT OR NOT it will take 10 to 15 years of consistent work to bring our Economy back to sustainability, possibly longer if the REPUBLICANS, GOP continue to JUST SAY NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They have accomplished nothing because the democrat controlled Senate led by Harry Reid will not let any of the Repub controlled Congress' bills be heard on the floor. harry Reid is the great obstructionist, not the Repub Congress. Open your eyes to this fact.
Oh i like the spin.
Dr Logic, lol funny ironic name, you were blaming the repubs but not the dems, have the dems done anything positive for the country in the past decade?
You and concerned are just party line hacks, you blame blame blame but never see how awful your side is.
DoctorLogic,
The Republicans in the House have passed a number of jobs bills, but the Senate won't vote on them. Trying to say they haven't attempted to do anything is just playing partisan politics.
Now, if you want to discuss the merits of individual bills, that could be a useful discussion...
Also, the new Republicans have done part of what I wanted them to do, which is start talking seriously about the deficit and debt. I still don't think the party leadership (both parties) cares about deficits since they seem focused on short term politics above all else, but at least some of the new rank-n-file members do seem to care.
double post...
bmac - continue to consume the poisoned republaid!
ron - continuein denial and drink the poison republaid!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"concernedusa5031
trudat - in the 3.5 years since the REPUBLICAN GREAT RECESSION of2008, the Obama Administration has saved the U S Economy & the World Economy from disintegration."
This is amazing... This is the typical liberal, blind faith to Obama.
" They have turned the employment situation from 750,000 job losses per month to 200,000 job gains per month, without ANY HELP from the REPUBLICANS in Congress."
Last month it was 60k, not ANYWHERE CLOSE to the 200k you claim. The only fact about your posts, is that they are factless.
The brain of a lib, when all else fails (which it always does) resort to shear stupidity, Concerned you are a good lib, just not a value to a discussion.
"shear?" Really?
Dr. Logic (post 4)
Actually, they took control in January 2011. The elections were in 2012, but the Democrats remained in power in a "lame duck" status until the new Congress was seated. This was the same democratic congress that didn't pass a budget in FY09 and FY10, just relying on continuing resolutions, unwilling to do any of the heavy lifting of actually trying to run the Government.
So much for Hope and Change by our friendly democrats!
NOBAMA 2012!
.
Well said.
DR.Logic
How about 25 jobs bills sitting on Harry Reid's desk, passed by the house but tabled by the Democratic majority leader of the Senate that determines what comes to the senate floor! How about a budget that was passed by the house that was never brought to the senate floor? Obstructionism seems to work both ways, in fact they have a name for it, it's called gridlock! The democrats want to keep poring money into the hole while expecting things to get better. Republicans want to fix the leaks so the boat remains afloat!
Actually, I'm an independent that voted 90% Democrat from 2004 to 2008 (including voting for Kerry and Obama).
DoctorLogic
#4.2
Most blame the severity of our economic collapse on the sub-prime scandal. I have posted this several times and I have posted links to several more articles on the same subject. So far you liberals will not even acknowledge that these things happened.
http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/watkins/subprime.htm
Republicans CALL the bills the House has sent to the Senate "jobs bills" but since it has already been proven that cutting taxes does not create jobs, that is only a meaningless label. They are not jobs bills they are tax bills. The reason they are not being brought up for a vote is that all they will do is cut taxes which are already lower than they have been in a long time. If they were bills that would actually create jobs, Harry Reid would have already brought them up for a vote. We aren't as dumb as you think.
So heartlight, no one but harry reid has seen these bills, but you know the details? Amazing.
Having retired from a career in transportation I can tell you those who will suffer the most are the cities of 50,000 or less. They depend heavily on Fed dollars.
Get something done, congress! For a change.
To anyone in the GOP.....let's try something different: you need to act as if you're actually talking to a voter that is a genuinely middle of the road middle classer.....make your argument on WHY they should vote for you....(remember, right wing mumbo jumbo won't work)
And for the dems, try talking to your voter as if they arent in a public sector union or on welfare, there are other people that make up the middle-class besides those two demographics.
That's right Doctor, let's try something different. Like you know, maybe having a BUDGET. Like instead of BORROWING billions of dollars we maybe spend only what we have.
But wait! We can't do that! How would get those payoffs and paybacks to the public employee unions?
The SAD story about HIGHWAY and INFASTRUCTURE!
The areas of each state that are weighted heavily by Republican voter registration, are the areas that are plighted with poor highways, poor infastructure, poverty, decay and lack any opportunity.
The registered Republicans in those areas are the GENERATIONAL REPUBLICANS, they are blind to what is happening to them, just continuing the downward spiral of decay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The ones with family wreaths?
You are good with the non-sense, but my lib infested state has poor infrastructure in ever city, poverty in every city and absolutely no opportunity unless you want to be a public employee and drain the taxpayers more.
So please explain your logic. Oh you didnt have any, you were just making up some bull@!$%# as usual.
concernedusa
Funny, I live in Wisconsin and have lived in Illinois, and what you describe is in fact quite the opposite of what is true! In the recent recall election here, the counties that went democratic were the largest population centers of the state, all of which are plagued by pot holes, poor road conditions, and perpetual road work. The rest of the state has very good and in some cases excellent roads. In Illinois, all it takes is a drive through a Chicago inner city neighborhood, vs a drive between Rockford and any other community to see the difference. Political affiliation has little to do with it, it is the amount of traffic that destroys roads so your comments serve no purpose.
How terrible of the Republicans to actually want the Federal Government and States to spend ONLY the money they have instead of, again, borrowing more.
And of course the Democrats are the Saints of the Earth for, again, wanting to spend money we don't have.
Of course the Republicans made sure that they only spent the money the US had for 2 wars, yes, they are the guys in the white hats. LMAO!
The Transportation bill will create jobs for Americans who will then pay taxes; everyone wins.
It's sad that so many on the right hate America and it's people.
But they figure that throwing an American flag in our faces will make everything better. Not!!!!
trudat thinks the highway bill is a union bill retard as usual
Yep, ill bet that infrastructure work will be done by non-union contractors, just like it always is.
It absolutely is a Union jobs bill, just like the first stimulus is. That is why Obama is out talking about needing more money for teachers, police and firefighters. He wants money going to unions, not the private sector. It is clear cut.
Texas...why are you people hurting our state>>>yes the tea party
The transportation bill has nothing to do with the unions. these jobs are let out for bids to both union and non union companies. the only thing union about this is the prevailing wages that are paid to the workers according to the (republican sponsored Davis-Bacon law). BTW if the prevailing wage in an area is the non-union rate, that is what prevails. right to work is not about choice, it is about financially denying workers their constitutional rights of assembly, free speech (if money is equated with speech)and to organize for their betterment. They made a deal for their compensation as a group just like a businessman makes a deal for his company's services. Do you think the chamber of commerce doesn't get together to fix prices. Look at the price of gas, does it ever vary more than a few cents? Were is the "free market economy" Divide the workers by who pays and who gets the services for free and the union gets de-funded along with workers voices. De-funding and disorganizing the opposition is the name of the game here. all these clowns that think that because they have a gun in their hands that they can stand up to the most powerful standing army in the world without organizing are severely deluded. gobber with a rifle is just a joke. we have a construction industry in this country that is in a depression. give me a good reason why we should not be utilizing these people by putting them to work fixing what needs to be done. we are just wasting daylight and the construction season here. tax cuts and reducing regulations do not make up a jobs bill. tax cuts makes jobs in the caymens and switzerland for bankers. to say that these are jobs bills is a lie. demand makes jobs not tax cuts. trickle down has been proven to be a dismal failure because of the greed the goes along with unregulated capitalism. we have been giving tax cuts to the wealthy for years and we are still in this mess. deregulation is what got us here. I think that if the wealthy don't want to make some jobs with that tax money, then it's time we tax the money out of them just like President Eisenhower (a real republican) did.
The 112th Congress (Republicans & Democrats) has failed their country completely. Both parties are more concerned with re-election and pushing the others buttons then doing one thing to save this country. The Transportation Bill is more than a jobs bill for getting some workers employed. Our transportation infrastructure is a great boon to private business, spurring on the economy. Let the roads, bridges and airports deteriorate and everyone suffers big time. Congress should stay in session and work through this instead of taking a break every couple of weeks. Why did they put this off to thelast minute?
Th damn Republicans wont budge until Obama is out ..they want our benifits.. to do anything yes the God damn rich tea nuts
hey tea nuts why is every job a union job in your mind..Perry the tea nut took from our childrens schools yes a nonunion state.. trudat can you read??
Try learning something today, like what right-to-work means. You know the expression "you learn something new everyday"? Well youre years behind so you should get started learning something, anything really.
trudat I am a Texan you dumb azz....tell me why is the tea nuts like yourself hurting right to work States???
waiting for your dumb azz respond???
The Republican tea party wants every God damn road we drive on privatized...yes thats the fact
they want the water we drink...the schools yes in their hands.in their power
you people need to ask the tea party why are they hurting right to work states...i will tell you because they want the highway bill privatized..that's the fact
tell me tea party why are yall hurting right to work states>>waiting???..we know you hate the union rich corporation tea party so tell me>>
our highway needs repaired our roads need fix...in Texas the right to work state...oh thank you tea party for a job of nothing..told you the tea party were not just after union states
right to work states are hurting because of the tea party
The right to work states are 99% in gop hands. That makes them tea party states because the tea party is the gop.
trudat where did you go to mommys basment to cry...like you dumb azzzeezz tell me
this highway bill is going to help right to work states...so tell me tea nuts whats the problem
Oh boy, elvis escaped from the institution again, someone call the staff.
Mica and the rest of the Congressional repugs have been dragging their feet on this legislation for way too long, because they have no intention of doing anything that can be seen as a victory for the president. They fail to realize that getting this done will be a victory for the country and those Americans who are looking for work.The gop is so bent on sabotaging the president, just to try and gain political power, that they have become the greatest threat to the country's survival followed by the media.
I have to agree our Congress is broken,I blame BOTH partys for this,each side trying to gain power and the h-ll with the people of this great country.Ive just about decided to vote against ANY incumbant and get some new bloodin there.And ,YES, the media is also to blaame.
Anybody think this bill would not have been passed a long time ago were a republican in the WH?
They were quick enough to pass the tax cuts. Why not pass a bill to spend money on infrastructure that is sorely needed and creates job?
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce sent a letter to lawmakers Monday urging them not to give up on a comprehensive bill. To do so would mean "the economic growth potential of infrastructure investment would be squandered and job losses would likely continue in the coming months and years," wrote Bruce Josten, the chamber's executive vice president.
I would suggest that Obama run this as a campaign ad. We could ask Mitt his position, but we know in advance that he doesn't have one.
Why is this Congress looking at a 109 Billion dollar transportation bill?
According to the CBO, revenues from the Highway Trust Fund are 40 Billion dollars. Prioritize maintenance projects accordingly and if there is available funding remaining, allocate that to new Federal Highway projects.
Everything else is just more unconstitutional pork belly earmarks.
Larry, been out on the interstates lately?
We can prioritize maintenance and let the infrastructure get even worse as a result or admit it's been underfunded, which apparently it has if the state if disrepair is any indication, which it certainly seems to be.
Why would we wait to do something that we know has to be done eventually and doing it now creates more jobs when they are most needed?
Mark
If the funding from the Highway Trust Fund is inadequate, then raise the tax again like Reagan and the Congress did.
But I seriously doubt that the maintenance requirements are more than double what the fund produces.
When I ran companies I was constantly presented with proposals for improvements and changes to the maintenance budgets (and I oversaw budgets in the tens of millions of dollars so they weren't minor decisions). We chose to be responsible and prioritize. If something had a good return on investment for future profitability, we might sacrifice in another area to take advantage of the opportunity.
I want the Govt to start being fiscally responsible. Spending to create temporary jobs is NEVER a good fiscal decision.
Larry, I can't say that the requirements are double, triple or even less than the current funding but it sure seems to me that the roads are in disrepair.
Gas taxes haven't increased in almost 20 years while fuel economy improvements have reduced taxes per mile driven and costs adjusted for inflation are certainly much higher. To my thinking, that's an obvious financial underfunding problem.
Mark,
Then let Congress propose increase the excise tax.
Mark Thomas,
Question is have you been out on the interstates lately? I mean outside your city limits that is. Have you ever really paid attention to who is doing the work on the interstate projects? There are MAYBE 100 companies across the entire US that specialize in roads and bridge construction. There are another 10 or so that work on rail lines and railroad bridges, and maybe 50 more qualified for airport runways and infrastructure. These companies all work on a backlog of projects and will not create thousands of jobs overnight. Infrastructure spending is not stimulus worthy spending, it is long term growth spending that must be kept at high levels for decades to see a return! Infrastructure projects are not "shovel ready projects" which should have been learned from the first try at stimulus. They take long periods of time to study and prepare before requests for funding can be made, contracts awarded, and work begins. Significant projects take literally years to come to fruition and we are already racking up a trillion and a half of deficit spending every year! Yet you and other liberals are complaining that someone is at least trying to be responsible about how money is spent and how we find the funds to spend.
archangel, I understand what you are saying and it sounds reasonable but if the actual money won't be spent for years to come why is the GOP so against it? You'd think they'd pass it just to avoid the negative perceptions of obstructing progress.
There's also millions more cars buying that fuel, on much better vehicles that arent as hard on the roads, and there should be much much much more efficient ways to keep up the roads.
So why is the real problem the waste and bloat in spending, and why are so many ignoring that truth? As civilization prgresses it should cost less and be more efficient to do things youve been doing for 100years, yet it is costing much more and taking longer.
And that is the absolute truth that those crying for infrastructure stimulus want to ignore. Businesses stay open and continue paying employees, infrastructure jobs are not only short term, but then the people that worked them live off the taxpayers for months after they are done with their job.
Tru, good point, methods have improved but there are very few things that cost less today than they did 20 years, regardless of improved efficiencies. And certainly road repair is a function of miles driven and I don't think that cars or trucks are any less damaging to road surfaces than 20 years ago. Weather of course has something to do with it and that hasn't changed.
To your last point, infrastruture repair is endless because damage to the roads is endless. I don't know for sure but I have read where we haven't invested in infrastructure nearly to the extent we should have.
Sure they are, vehicles weigh half as much as they use to, if only half, tires are much higher tech which i would assume would be less wearing on roads since it is on the tires, the key there is assume, but it makes sense. As far as weather, that is true it causes wear but the climate hasnt changed in 20 years.
Id be surprised if the materials to repair roads is much more than it was 20 years ago, but the time to complete the jobs should have dropped 100x by now, yet it hasnt and thats what costs so much more.
Infrastruture on a small scale of employment may be endless, but to make it endless, it wouldnt supply nearly the jobs they claim.
The bottomline is if theyd work on making an environment where business will be created, grow and strive, then the tax money will be there for infrastructure, but infra jobs are a tax burden at this point and people cant afford higher taxes. That's a big problem i have with the dem party, they dont ever consider helping create business environment, they are too concerned with pandering to the "blocks" and businesses and their employees dont fit into any block. They want the tax money, but seem to be oblivious as to what a revenue source striving businesses would be in the country.
It's a shooting yourself in the foot syndrome, 'we want taxes so we can give all the money away, but we dont want to create that tax revenue source.'
Larry, GOP has already stated absolutely no tax increases.
Mark
I'm not a Republican- I'm stating that I support user taxes rather than increasing income taxes.
Larry,
From what I know about M. Romney at MA increasing user fees is how he dealt with budget shortfalls in that state. Apparently he had a surplus while there but the democrats managed to find a way to spend it.
You mean their owner, Grover Norquist, stated absolutely NO tax increases... for the 1% at least. He had them agree to it. Another thing Grover said is that all they (GOPnutbags) need is a figurehead president with enough digits to hold a pen and sign! I guess Rompey will be their lacky!