Daily PUMA Column - Commentary by Alessandro Machi

Showing posts with label A Bridge to. Show all posts
Showing posts with label A Bridge to. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Why Infrastructure Projects are a hit and miss proposition when it comes to Stimulating the economy.

Yes, infrastructure projects are a necessary part of government. The problem is, we can't use the acceleration of infrastructure projects to help the economy, unless something else is also done. I'll get to that something else momentarily.

Infrastructure projects should be a constant, steady part of the budgeting process on a yearly basis. To suddenly say we need massive infrastructure projects wrapped inside of a stimulus package means we either are creating busy work, or government skimps on infrastructure projects year after year.

Creating busy work is ok, but NOT when it uses too many resources that could be used to create new job streams and new technologies.
As for our government not spending the proper infrastructure budget on a yearly basis, that means the money that was supposed to be spent on infrastructure every year, has already been spent elsewhere.
So now we are paying TWICE for the same infrastructure project, and therein lies the problem. Paying twice for the same infrastructure project, the first time the money was reallocated elsewhere, is not a good deal and DOES NOT stimulate anything that would help the economy.
There is a solution to avoid paying twice for the same infrastructure project. Any infrastructure project that was previously delayed so money could be reallocated elsewhere, CAN ONLY BE DONE NOW IF IT IS COMBINED with a NEW, PROGRESSIVE, INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT that is generally regarded as helping save energy or resources, or create new products that save energy and or resources.
So if there is bridge that needs to be refurbished, FIND SOMETHING that creates energy efficiency that the refurbished bridge connects to.

Will the refurbished bridge support other types of transportation besides automobiles?

If the refurbishing of the bridge will also create an improved route for other forms of transportation, such as electric bicycles, joggers, and pedestrians, then it becomes an infrastructure project with an obvious purpose other than just trickling down money to us minions on projects that don't make us feel connected to improving our countries method of operating.

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Friday, December 12, 2008

A Bridge to Everywhere, courtesy of Barack Obama and Rod Blagojevich.

While I cringe at Barack Obama spending money on infrastructure projects such as bridges and roads so we can drive our foreign cars on them, I positively tremble when I read on Cannonfire CannonFire (Dec. 11, 2008 "What's at Stake") that Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich was also planning on getting federal funding for huge roadway infrastructure projects.

I feel like we are entering the world of double realities. On the one hand, the whole Chicago political scene can be spun as black versus white and that the White Daley regime was being supplanted by a black political caucus that allegedly was beholden to no one. On the other hand, there is the distinct possibility that Barack Obama interacted with a diverse group of politicians, and among them was Blagojevich and his plans for infrastructure projects that Barack Obama seemed keen on promoting from the White House.

Emil Jones seemed to take a huge liking to Barack Obama. If the Daley regime supported Blagojevich, and Emil Jones supported Barack Obama, and they are on opposite sides of the Political fence, then Barack Obama can possibly come out of this whole situation clean. If however, Jones and Daley are interconnected, or Barack and Blagojevich are interconnected, then that could be bad news for Barack Obama.

Could this be a situation where Barack Obama's denial of any involvement with Rod Blagojevich ends up becoming a bigger issue than any interaction that actually occurred?

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