American Politics IV: 1400 Reasons Why(A Stimulus Serial)

[Saiwania]

Spending on infrastructure is a bit boring, and because its used its under constant wear and tear. Nobody really wants to raise the taxes needed to pay for it all. Infrastructure doesn't have a clear direct benefit for the larger economy but might benefit it in more intangible ways that is difficult to put a number on.

The US is doing too much spending as of late for inflation to maybe be a concern going forward. The infrastructure spending is only popular because its been neglected for so long that it needs to be done anyways. Assuming it is all pristine/new within a year or by end of Biden's term, its going to eventually be in poor condition again. It is something lame like roads and bridges. This probably isn't anything that'll last 20+ years like super high speed fiber internet being rolled out to more than just major cities.

[Neutraligon]

Spending on infrastructure is a bit boring, and because its used its under constant wear and tear. Nobody really wants to raise the taxes needed to pay for it all. Infrastructure doesn't have a clear direct benefit for the larger economy but might benefit it in more intangible ways that is difficult to put a number on.

The US is doing too much spending as of late for inflation to maybe be a concern going forward. The infrastructure spending is only popular because its been neglected for so long that it needs to be done anyways. Assuming it is all pristine/new within a year or by end of Biden's term, its going to eventually be in poor condition again. It is something lame like roads and bridges. This probably isn't anything that'll last 20+ years like super high speed fiber internet being rolled out to more than just major cities.

Boring? That is a weird take.

[Kannap]

Biden to split infrastructure package into two pieces-this week, an effort to improve roads, bridges and water systems. Next month, a second package will include spending on social welfare programs, healthcare, and child care.

So we'll probably get the infrastructure package while the latter package won't pass.

[Neutraligon]

Biden to split infrastructure package into two pieces-this week, an effort to improve roads, bridges and water systems. Next month, a second package will include spending on social welfare programs, healthcare, and child care.

So we'll probably get the infrastructure package while the latter package won't pass.

better than nothing considering just how bad our infrastructure is.

[-SARS-]

Infrastructure doesn't have a clear direct benefit for the larger economy but might benefit it in more intangible ways that is difficult to put a number on.

It has a very direct impact on the economy. Time that people spend sitting in traffic is time that they are not producing goods, providing services, or developing their career. If someone wants to work, but they have no transportation to get to their job, or they don't have reliable internet to log into their remote work -- you are losing productivity.

[Vassenor]

Infrastructure doesn't have a clear direct benefit for the larger economy but might benefit it in more intangible ways that is difficult to put a number on

Question: How do you think goods are delivered to you?

[Neutraligon]

Infrastructure doesn't have a clear direct benefit for the larger economy but might benefit it in more intangible ways that is difficult to put a number on.

It has a very direct impact on the economy. Time that people spend sitting in traffic is time that they are not producing goods, providing services, or developing their career. If someone wants to work, but they have no transportation to get to their job, or they don't have reliable internet to log into their remote work -- you are losing productivity.

Well that and it is needed for goods to get from point a to point b, for people to get their electricity to do...anything, for people in cities and suburbs to get water to survive...yeah the impact of infrastructure on the economy is pretty damn massive.

[-SARS-]

It has a very direct impact on the economy. Time that people spend sitting in traffic is time that they are not producing goods, providing services, or developing their career. If someone wants to work, but they have no transportation to get to their job, or they don't have reliable internet to log into their remote work -- you are losing productivity.

Well that and it is needed for goods to get from point a to point b, for people to get their electricity to do...anything, for people in cities and suburbs to get water to survive...yeah the impact of infrastructure on the economy is pretty damn massive.

Yes. I was thinking about why you'd improve infrastructure in places where it's not literally collapsed already, but everything you said is true.

[Kowani]

Spending on infrastructure is a bit boring,

As compared to all that sexy spending on fighter jets

and because its used its under constant wear and tear.

…are we supposed tonot use it?

Nobody really wants to raise the taxes needed to pay for it all.

that’s not what they’re for, and both Biden and Manchin do

Infrastructure doesn't have a clear direct benefit for the larger economy but might benefit it in more intangible ways that is difficult to put a number on.

Never be this detached from reality, kids

The US is doing too much spending as of late for inflation to maybe be a concern going forward.

no

The infrastructure spending is only popular because its been neglected for so long that it needs to be done anyways.

…and?

Assuming it is all pristine/new within a year or by end of Biden's term, its going to eventually be in poor condition again.

“how dare something be subject” to the laws of physics

It is something lame like roads and bridges. This probably isn't anything that'll last 20+ years like super high speed fiber internet being rolled out to more than just major cities.

…you know roads and bridges are designed to last 50 or so years and Biden wants to expand rural broadband internet access anyway

[Luminesa]

Spending on infrastructure is a bit boring, and because its used its under constant wear and tear. Nobody really wants to raise the taxes needed to pay for it all. Infrastructure doesn't have a clear direct benefit for the larger economy but might benefit it in more intangible ways that is difficult to put a number on.

The US is doing too much spending as of late for inflation to maybe be a concern going forward. The infrastructure spending is only popular because its been neglected for so long that it needs to be done anyways. Assuming it is all pristine/new within a year or by end of Biden's term, its going to eventually be in poor condition again. It is something lame like roads and bridges. This probably isn't anything that'll last 20+ years like super high speed fiber internet being rolled out to more than just major cities.

Boring, but necessary. Infrastructure needs an upgrade for the good of the people.

[Luminesa]

Biden to split infrastructure package into two pieces-this week, an effort to improve roads, bridges and water systems. Next month, a second package will include spending on social welfare programs, healthcare, and child care.

If this money will fix some of the pot-holes on our roads I’m down.

[Austria-Bohemia-Hungary]

Infrastructure doesn't have a clear direct benefit for the larger economy but might benefit it in more intangible ways that is difficult to put a number on.

How do you get your weekly rations of food delivered to you? By foot on pristine, untouched grasslands?

[Gravlen]

Spending on infrastructure is a bit boring, and because its used its under constant wear and tear. Nobody really wants to raise the taxes needed to pay for it all. Infrastructure doesn't have a clear direct benefit for the larger economy but might benefit it in more intangible ways that is difficult to put a number on.

The US is doing too much spending as of late for inflation to maybe be a concern going forward. The infrastructure spending is only popular because its been neglected for so long that it needs to be done anyways. Assuming it is all pristine/new within a year or by end of Biden's term, its going to eventually be in poor condition again. It is something lame like roads and bridges. This probably isn't anything that'll last 20+ years like super high speed fiber internet being rolled out to more than just major cities.

Boring? That is a weird take.

After over 200 weeks of Infrastructure Week during the pervious admin, I can understand getting tired of it.

[Omniabstracta]

Spending on infrastructure is a bit boring, and because its used its under constant wear and tear. Nobody really wants to raise the taxes needed to pay for it all. Infrastructure doesn't have a clear direct benefit for the larger economy but might benefit it in more intangible ways that is difficult to put a number on.

The US is doing too much spending as of late for inflation to maybe be a concern going forward. The infrastructure spending is only popular because its been neglected for so long that it needs to be done anyways. Assuming it is all pristine/new within a year or by end of Biden's term, its going to eventually be in poor condition again. It is something lame like roads and bridges. This probably isn't anything that'll last 20+ years like super high speed fiber internet being rolled out to more than just major cities.

Y’know, you’ve really inspired me not to eat from this day forward. After all, I’ll just keep getting hungry again, and I’ll keep having to spend money on it! Eating isn’t even exciting, I’m going to watch a movie instead.

[Gravlen]

The accomodations are as humane as can be managed given what the previous adminstration left behind. The Biden team is working every hour of every day to make them better. It's unfortunate that conditions, both at the US border and in the countries of origin of the migrants, are no better than they are. But I refuse to equate Biden's policies and effort with the criminally inhumane, murderous policies and efforts of a xenophobic, racist, self-centered resident of 1600 Penn. Ave. aimed only at spreading more hate, division, fear and ignorance in order to advance his personal political and financial interests.

I mean, frankly, I'm not just going to take the administration's word for it that they're "working as diligently as possible" to do so when the results thus far have been negligible. Yes, the previous administration was callous in this regard, but I think it is totally fair game to express discontent with the current administration's handling of the crisis when we see that little has changed in two months. Aside from the press conference this last week, there has been little talk from the Biden administration about how they plan on reforming things other than saying that they will, with little substance or tangible evidence to back it up.

In other words, you don't have to equate Biden's handling of it to the previous guy, but you shouldn't have to deflect in that capacity either.

However, you have to recognize two things:
1) Biden has to pretty much rebuild the system from scratch, and that takes time.

"I cannot overstate the fact that the prior administration completely dismantled the program, and it takes time to rebuild it in a way that addresses the humanitarian needs of the individuals who seek to access it," [Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas] told NPR.

That includes bringing in asylum seekers previously forced to stay in Mexico. That's processing about 25,000 people whom should have been processed already.

And assessing their claims take time. Since Trump attempted to demolish the system, it has created new hurdles:

On average, it takes almost two and a half years to resolve an asylum claim, and there’s now a backlog of 1.3 million pending cases, up from half a million under Obama.

2) The number of people arriving at the US borders have been increasing, making it more difficult to keep up:

What is new, though, is the pace: for most of March, about five hundred and fifty children have been arriving at the border every day.

The number of unaccompanied children, however, has exceeded the government’s ability to move them into the care of the Department of Health and Human Services, which is responsible for placing them with family sponsors. The priority is to keep them from languishing in the holding cells run by the Department of Homeland Security; by law, children are not supposed to be in such facilities for more than seventy-two hours. But the H.H.S. shelters are almost at capacity. Nine emergency shelters have been set up, two in convention centers in Dallas and San Diego, yet the average amount of time that many children are spending in D.H.S. facilities is almost twice the legal limit. “We’re providing for the space again to be able to get these kids out,” Biden said on Thursday, adding that he had “used all the resources available” to free up five thousand more beds, at a Texas military base.

So sure, you can be critical of Biden, but against a backdrop of complete opposition from the GOP, and the malicious and purposeful delaying of vital actions by the Trump admin. Having the starting point be a completely devastated and broken system left behind by Trump, and in the middle of a pandemic, makes it all the more difficult, and that all needs to be taken into consideration when you assign the standards to judge Biden by.

[Kowani]

Speaking of immigration: the current spike in minors crossing the border is expected to last...seven months

The Biden administration projects the number of unaccompanied children crossing the border could spiral from more than 16,000 this month to as many as 26,000 in September, according to documents leaked to Axios. Until this month, the record was 11,475 in May 2019. The minimum projections for each of the next six months are thousands higher than that.

To give a sense of how out of hand the crossings are getting, the administration projected just a month ago the figure for May would be 13,000. The new estimate is 22,000 to 25,000. The Customs and Border Protection range for September is 22,000 to 26,000. Under any scenario, projections include a peak month that would double the record that stood until this month. Spokespersons for the White House and the Department of Homeland Security did not respond to requests for comment. A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services referred Axios to DHS. The new figures indicate government resources will be strained far longer than under usual seasonal migration patterns.

During his news conference last week, President Biden repeatedly described the border situation as normal: "Nothing has changed. ... It happens every single, solitary year." But his own agencies are preparing for anything but normal, according to the leaked documents, dated last Wednesday. CBP data back to 2010 showed the May 2019 record of 11,475 unaccompanied minors trying to cross the U.S.-Mexico border. No more than 8,230 kids were put in shelters each year from 2004 to 2009, before a rise in child migration was first noticed in 2011, according to the Migration Policy Institute. Now, the government is planning for multiple months with more than 20,000 kids illegally crossing the border — and that's not including those from Mexico, who can quickly be returned to their home country.

The Wall Street Journal first reported on heightened projections for this April and May. The figures obtained by Axios show two worst-case scenarios through the rest of the fiscal year, one based on a 2016 model and another based on a hybrid model. The documents also show the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has an immediate need for an extra 6,000 shelter beds. That would allow it to house the migrant kids already in government custody while remaining at a targeted cap of 90% capacity. The agency is planning to open up space for more than 5,000 kids using sites on military bases. It will need an additional 34,000 beds in September to prevent kids waiting in unfit border patrol stations, if projections hold. The agency could have more than 53,000 kids in custody that month. The administration already has asked federal workers outside the normal immigration agencies for volunteers to work on the problem.

Under current policies, the government is facing unheard of numbers of migrant kids illegally crossing the border this fiscal year — from 159,000 to 184,000. Even the low-end estimate is double the total number of kids who tried to cross during the crisis year of 2019. In 2014, the Obama administration struggled to care for just 69,000 kids who crossed illegally. The data obtained by Axios did not include projections for migrant families, but the Department of Homeland Security is expecting from 500,000 to 800,000 migrants crossing the border this fiscal year in family groups, the Washington Post reported Sunday. The numbers would be equal to or greater than in 2019, compounding the growing crisis.

[San Lumen]

Spending on infrastructure is a bit boring, and because its used its under constant wear and tear. Nobody really wants to raise the taxes needed to pay for it all. Infrastructure doesn't have a clear direct benefit for the larger economy but might benefit it in more intangible ways that is difficult to put a number on.

The US is doing too much spending as of late for inflation to maybe be a concern going forward. The infrastructure spending is only popular because its been neglected for so long that it needs to be done anyways. Assuming it is all pristine/new within a year or by end of Biden's term, its going to eventually be in poor condition again. It is something lame like roads and bridges. This probably isn't anything that'll last 20+ years like super high speed fiber internet being rolled out to more than just major cities.

Boring but very important. Infrastructure is very important to the economy. Roads, rail, and mass transit move people and goods.

Remember the bridge that collapsed in Minneapolis about a decade ago. Imagine if that had been a majority artery like the Throggs Neck Bridge or Golden Gate. It would have been utterly catastrophic.

If you dont want things to fall down they have to be maintained.

[Stellar Colonies]

Spending on infrastructure is a bit boring, and because its used its under constant wear and tear. Nobody really wants to raise the taxes needed to pay for it all. Infrastructure doesn't have a clear direct benefit for the larger economy but might benefit it in more intangible ways that is difficult to put a number on.

The US is doing too much spending as of late for inflation to maybe be a concern going forward. The infrastructure spending is only popular because its been neglected for so long that it needs to be done anyways. Assuming it is all pristine/new within a year or by end of Biden's term, its going to eventually be in poor condition again. It is something lame like roads and bridges. This probably isn't anything that'll last 20+ years like super high speed fiber internet being rolled out to more than just major cities.

Boring but very important. Infrastructure is very important to the economy. Roads, rail, and mass transit move people and goods.

Remember the bridge that collapsed in Minneapolis about a decade ago. Imagine if that had been a majority artery like the Throggs Neck Bridge or Golden Gate. It would have been utterly catastrophic.

If you dont want things to fall down they have to be maintained.

Dear god, the Golden Gate in particular collapsing?

Nightmare fuel.

[The Black Forrest]

Kids are still in cages.

And this is a bad thing? Every parent has thought about it one time or another.

[San Lumen]

Boring but very important. Infrastructure is very important to the economy. Roads, rail, and mass transit move people and goods.

Remember the bridge that collapsed in Minneapolis about a decade ago. Imagine if that had been a majority artery like the Throggs Neck Bridge or Golden Gate. It would have been utterly catastrophic.

If you dont want things to fall down they have to be maintained.

Dear god, the Golden Gate in particular collapsing?

Nightmare fuel.

It definitely is. The Tappen Zee Bridge also known as the Mario Cuomo in New York was in serious danger of collapse before construction began on a new bridge in 2013.

[Immortan Khan]

Kids are still in cages.

And this is a bad thing? Every parent has thought about it one time or another.

Jesus fucking Christ...

Blue MAGA truly is real

[The Black Forrest]

And this is a bad thing? Every parent has thought about it one time or another.

Jesus fucking Christ...

Blue MAGA truly is real

Relax my red lad. Turn on your sarcasm detector and re-read.

[Saiwania]

As compared to all that sexy spending on fighter jets

Exactly, I'd much prefer for whatever spending is available for the yearly national budget to be spent on wonder weapons that can take on China or Russia if not both.

[Austria-Bohemia-Hungary]

As compared to all that sexy spending on fighter jets

Exactly, I'd much prefer for whatever spending is available for the yearly national budget to be spent on wonder weapons that can take on China or Russia if not both.

Can't ship the replacement jet engines for your fancy schmancy 6th gen anywhere if all your roads, ports and airports are broken.
*taps forehead*

[Omniabstracta]

Exactly, I'd much prefer for whatever spending is available for the yearly national budget to be spent on wonder weapons that can take on China or Russia if not both.

Can't ship the replacement jet engines for your fancy schmancy 6th gen anywhere if all your roads, ports and airports are broken.
*taps forehead*

Yep. Plus, can’t forget that a big chunk of Eisenhower’s plans for the interstate highway system had a military use in mind.