Forget the trees for a minute and look at the forest. We are living through the economic singularity. This is where the oligarchs grab what is left of America's public and private assets. The right wing have been planning this for decades, and now it's happening. Trump, their front man, will get his share, and in a few short years, you and everyone else will be beholden to our new owners for the things you need to live.
We can squawk and moan, protest and complain, but they're ready. The police have been both idolized and militarized and the media have been margainalized. All the pieces are in place, and the operation is being executed according to plan.
To quote from Dr. Zhivago: Adapt yourself.
59
There's a common theme running through all of Trump's grand plans (schemes). Whether it's infrastructure, defense, or even entitlements (read closely: "Blue Apron" style benefits made and supplied by US vendors) there appears to be an ulterior motive: steer the money to the donor class, and himself - through his various shell companies. We've seen it plenty enough before (Huey Long anybody?) but maybe not so blatantly at the national level in this or the past century. With Trump, it's all he knows, so don't even expect anything else. Seriously.
Ironically, salvation may lie with those Republicans that seem to be Trump's lap dogs now. Being the political creatures they are (that's what got them there) even the Republicans in Congress will begin to fear that their base (not Trump's) will see the light and get a little restless. And when it boils down to Trump's survival or their own, well.......
And by the way, someone - besides me - needs to remind Trump (OK, the C word is not is his vocabulary) and Congress that Article I section 8 of the Constitution mandates that the federal government - not the states- is required to maintain a national highway system.
Let's check back in in a year or so, see how it plays out.
17
The idea that Elaine Chow Is running DOT shouldn't be overlooked. One might have guessed that she was put there to ensure McConnell's support in the Senate for an ambitious infrastructure program but everything I have seensuggests she is a figurehead at DOT. It is too bad, we have serious rebuilding and just plain building to do.
4
Of course it's a scam. Trump made his millions dumping his debt on others. Now he's trying to dump debt on the states.
15
Infrastructure is going to cost plenty and it will involve thousands of American companies, of all sizes, and that will mean millions of jobs across America. Those employees will get paychecks with the standard federal, state and local taxes deducted with will support local schools and other local projects. Those federal taxes paid into the Treasury will help to pay off the loans taken out by the federal government, and those loans will be granted with near-zero interest rates. I mean, does it get better than that for funding the infrastructure projects?
The key to those infrastructure projects will be keeping Dick Cheney out of the bidding process since only Haliburton and its subsidiary KBR (Kellogg. Brown & Root) would be allowed to bid on any project. All infrastructure projects will require competitive bids. period. Basically, these infrastructure projects must not be considered as "expenses." Rather, they sould be considered investments for America's long-term future.
However, privatizing public services (it's a very long list) has never improved those services. Here is what we could count on in the event such a tragic decision were made: cost overruns with profit motives designed to gouge American taxpayers for poor service and services. Some small towns and medium-size cities have tried privatizing water management only to see residential costs for water go through the roof.
We will need federal oversight to keep organized crime (The GOP operatives) out.
11
Here again it is tempting to blame the horrible Republicans but it is about Finance. These privatization schemes allow for income streams to be securitized and sold by the likes of Goldman Sachs, friends to Republicans but as we well know no less cozy with the likes of Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama. We are ruled by these lords of finance, they are determined to extract as much wealth as they can from our dying economy, and no Republican or Democrat will save us.
12
I really don't understand why he proposes this? One of the BIGGEST benefactors of improved infrastructure is the big Republican friend. Business. After the big handout to business in the way of a tax cut, it seems reasonable to assume the handouts would continue. Let us build you new roads, bridges, airports on the backs of the poor..... and all the while cut into the Democrats agenda. ????
Oligarchy is another word for fascism and that is what we have with the GOP. Next November we can vote for a free and just America where the rule of law and the American dream is possible or vote republican for fascism, oligarchy, plutocracy and the worst kleptocracy this nation has ever seen. Traitors are in the saddle and we have a tyranny of the minority, the worst traitors to freedom since the Revolution looking forward to a Russian rigged election. We must have a tidal wave of voters of loyal to justice, the rule of law and common decency to defeat at the polls and to seek some honest and useful work for a change.
6
It's all of what you say, Dr K. Summed up in two words. Two loaded words: Administrative Destruction.
4
He bankrupted 6 businesses, I'm just saying. Couldn't get a loan. Now he is working his magic on our country. The only thing he is consistent on is the Party line from the Kremlin, on that he never wavers. The real question, is he taking his orders from Putin, or merely incompetent?
18
Trumps next book might be called, "It Takes A Pillage".
17
The conventional approach for the GOP would be to give massive infrastructure funding to cronies but since they were holding all the cards they just made a tax bill that funded their cronies directly without all the subterfuge
6
If Trump's infrastructure initiative boils down to nothing, then he's still doing about as much as Democrats ever did on that front when they had majorities during the Obama Administration. An infrastructure initiative was not even mentioned back then.
So yes, let's blame Trump for everything he fails to do that the Democrats — who allegedly do give a ‘dam’ — failed to do as well.
2
Seems like Putin would have wanted us to have this bill rather than what most us think of when we think of infrastructure investment. Doesn't it seem that way to you?
1
"We’re going to privatize whatever we can. It’s conceivable that this would be done only in cases where the private sector really would do better, and contracts would be handed out fairly, without a hint of cronyism."
Yeah, could work. Just like in Putin's Russia.
9
The country is far better off with states and local government financing infrastructure projects for the following reasons:
1 - when the communities most likely to benefit from a project also pay for the project, the decisions of what to build is done with far greater care than when it will be paid almost exclusively with "free" federal dollars.
2 - most states have not raised their gasoline taxes to keep up with inflation and better gasoline mileage. Increasing these taxes also helps fight climate change - this is the better way to finance public transportation.
3 - Infrastructure projects such as airports, harbors, power grid, etc. lend themselves to financing through user fees. If the improvements are worth it those benefiting will see the benefits exceed what they need to pay.
4 - For infrastructure in poor communities in poor states, yes the Federal government needs to take the bulk of the burden. States like NY and CA are wealthy enough that they should pay for infrastructure in their poor communities with little federal assistance.
5 - Sen Minority Leader Schumer was foolish arguing that state taxpayers should not foot the bill for infrastructure projects but the Federal Government should. Someone should tell him, state taxpayers are also federal taxpayers. For states like NY, NJ, CA and others that complain their residents pay far more in federal taxes than they receive in benefits, their interests are best served with states paying.
So more fraud from Huckster Trump. Line the pockets of billionaires at the expense of every social program. I thought Urinetown was a pleasant satire, but Trump is making it a reality.
3
Dear Paul, Keep on writing and thinking as hard as you can. We need people of the likes of you doing what you do well. Clueless in Oregon. RAW
3
Learn from the privatisation mistakes of other countries.
Britain's National Audit Offiice has just reported that the Private Finance Initiative (i.e privatised infrastructure) is costing taxpayers billions of pounds. See:
http://www.bbc.com/news/business-42724939
In Australia the privatisation of strategic monopolies, essential services and critical databases - and the creation of tax farms in the form of private road tolling monopolies - has been a disaster as acknowledged by the head of the Competition Commission. See:
http://www.smh.com.au/business/privatisation-has-damaged-the-economy-say...
Privatisation offers politicians the possibility of quick cash without appearing to raise taxes. Government Ministers and senior public servants also get the added incentive of lucrative directorships and other informal kickbacks when they retire from public office.
All of this has a long run cost for consumers and for other parts of the economy.
Unregulated or lightly regulated private monopolies under-invest (or don't invest at all) and over-price their services.
In the field of road finance, efficient road and transport planning has been subverted by the contractual constraints imposed by incumbent private road tolling monopolies seeking to maximise their profits.
This is not modern This is not innovative. It is a throwback to the pre-modern era of government finance through sale of monopolies and tax farming.
Private infrastructure is a recipe for entrenched corruption.
6
Dr Krugman, yes indeed: except for professional experts and ethics.
Ethics? Hardly. Trump has hundreds of professional experts in law, accounting, economics medicine, the military, writers and journalists, diplomats, banking and on and on and on who are all eager to spout Trumps lies and nonsense. This is their time to make money and it won't be repeated. They are going to make hay whilst this opportunity presents and these United States of America can take the hind most.
The Constitution? We have a traitor in White House.
The Republicans could not care less.
6
This "plan" is actually worse than you portray. Sure the numbers are phony, except for redistributing funds from blue states to red states..."rural areas" and forcing a competition for the few remaining Federal dollars, which will not be judged on merit, by according to how much state or private money is being used. Also, Trump reverses the 80/20 Federal match to 20/80, effectively taking Uncle Sam out of the game. The Founders and their successors in the 19th Century saw the value of "internal improvements" and made them a priority for Federal funding, and regulation of interstate commerce was reserved to the Federal Government in the Constitution. Trump's privatization scheme is just what Putin and his buddies did in Russia: basically steal or pay cents on the fair market dollar value of public assets. Once public assets are gone, they are gone and no longer under the control of the people. Usually for 99 years. Problems with my fees, tolls or physical condition, says Mr. Private Investor? Feel free to sue me, but if I am following the contract, too bad for you.
4
Give a tax break and then take it away. Pathetic. The President and His minions should be cast out.
2
It's time to call a spade a spade.
Donald Trump is a dope.
4
I know the difference between "their" and "there". Thank you auto-complete.
1
In New Hampshire we have a far out group called "Free State" which is composed of libertarians so extreme they do not believe in public roads built by the government or public schools or government doing anything other than "protecting individual liberty." I'm sure they will be all for Trump's privately built roads. They often argue (without evidence) there are plenty of European countries where roads are privately built.
Can you imagine an interstate highway system built by Wells Fargo? We'd be looking at extra roads and bridges to nowhere, no doubt, roads like the accounts customers never knew were being opened in their names.
8
As I recall, after Obama was elected, he designated over 700 billion dollars for infrastructure. I'm not sure what that accomplished. I know that Pelosi and Ried were planning to have a railway line between Pelosi's disrict and Ried's Las Vegas. I'm not sure that or anything else got built. So what has been done about infrastructure in the last 10 years. Have there been any programs or ideas or proposals. There is no question we need to begin working on infrastructure. There's a lot of work that needs to be done to repair bridges and roads. Many things that Trump proposes but will never take place and many will not like. But at least he's getting the subject talked about and considered. Is this the best? Probably not unless more people in authority as in Congress help develop an infrastructure program that will actually be effective.
2
Ron, you need to pay more attention to the reality before you write some nonsense. Obama had only about 200 billions for the infrastructure in 2009 stimulus, most of the stimulus was tax cuts and help to states which couldn't deal with massive leyoffs on their own.
Obama did propose a 500 billions infrastructure plan in 2010, paid with modest tax increase on wealthy, but it was easily blocked by GOP.
6
Thank you, David Brooks. You, and others, brought us to this dismal state.
7
Yes, Trump's infrastructure "program" is not a program, its a scam and worse. A scheme to enrich shady construction magnates like himself at the expense of the public, ie the government.
Trump's Dad and his partner were indicted for trying to bilk the government by overcharging it for GI bill housing in the 40's and 50's. And now that Trump has fallen into the seat of power he'd feel like a chump if he didn't try to rip off the public sphere too. It's like his personal code of honor. The seal of this particular administration is "Pigs at the Trough." Soon a tableaux commemorating it will be installed in public places all over America.
But . . . in fairness to Trump, I actually believe he thinks this is the right way to do infrastructure. He doesn't trust the government, the only people he trusts are wheelers-dealers like him who rip it off.
7
I think the most important figure to keep in mind in evaluating this budget is the number three.
Which is the number of jobs Mick Mulvaney already has in the Trump administration (Director of the OMB, and acting director of CFPB) plus the one he's widely rumored to be in line for next--John Kelly's replacement as White House Chief of Staff.
The number is important because it reflects both the power and influence Mulvaney has with Trump and this administation.
Which is important because I strongly suspect the entire document was largely the handiwork of Mulvaney and the Tea Party zealots who have surrounded him during his time in Washington.
It certainly WASN'T crafted by Trump in any serious way--given all the evidence that Trump by most accounts suspects his head will explode when confronted by a document of any length beyond a page or two.
Color me cynical at this point--but I suspect three is also the number of bullet points on the memo Mulvaney used to sell this budget to Trump.
1) Lots more money for the country''s beautiful defense.
2) Lots more money to build your magnificent wall.
3) Lots of cheering from the folks at Fox & Friends.
If America still had Truth In Advertising laws with any teeth in them, Mulvaney would be required to always appear at work or in public wearing a tri-corner hat and one of those ridiculous Tea Party Patriot costumes.
11
If Robert Mueller loves his country, and he HAS found obstruction of justice, (how could he not have?) money laundering, fraud...or any other things that can remove this con artist/low life from office, it would behoove him to move swiftly now. As much as I know that these investigations take time, and must be thorough and perfect, in order to do good...I fear for this country, and I fear for all those people who will be harmed by the cruel and sick policies of trump and the GOP. We need them to be gone as soon as possible. And perhaps if Mueller can indict (and remove) at least SOME of these crooks, miscreants, and thieves, it would temper the arrogance immorality, thievery, and entitlement of the rest of them...so that they will be chastened, and thus tread more carefully than to keep churning out budgets and legislation designed to weaken, sicken, and kill 99.99% of us, and destroy the strengths and decencies of our country, by replacing them with tyranny, autocracy, and abject stupidity. The con artistry and mendacity of this cabal of GOP human waste is stunning; breath-taking in its criminal and immoral scope, and in its sheer chutzpah. (How dare they?!?!?!) Although millions of us are in despair and disbelief, as we see our country being dismantled, and millions hurt...we know that we can only make a difference at the ballot box. Yet we also know; we have seen, that this GOP human garbage can cheat, steal, and grift our democracy away...ballot box or no ballot box.
8
Scam, yes. We don't have time for games just now. Our infrastructure is bad enough to even hurt corporations that need educated and/or work-trained employees, pay people to sit in traffic, deal with out of date airport and train infrastructure when travel is needed, etc. We all need bridges that don't fall down and water management and electrical systems that are modern and reliable.
I hope someone will share Kristoff's ideas and help sell something what we all need to Trump and the Republicans. The time for getting started needs to be now. We (whoever that "we" is, whoever wants the credit for getting things done) must Make America Great Again now!
1
Trump and Congress will get infrastructure done because it has to be done. Every single member of Congress knows what her/his district needs as well as any expert.
Asking why Trump doesn't do the sensible thing is always a waste of time. He is not rational. He works minute to minute and can't even plan ahead to fulfill his need for adoration.
8
The most frightening thing despite that every day is worst than the last is the very real possibility he could be re elected and we would have this guy for 8 years. Imagine the horror.
7
Profiting off of what we already collectively own is known as the theft of the commons. So no, we should not want private entities like Enron and their ilk anywhere near any part of the infrastructure. Down with pirates like DT.
8
At this point, I firmly believe that the GOP is looking to bankrupt the government.
This would leave a huge power vacuum in our society, with only one institution with the money, power and will to fill the space. And that institution is the corporations.
I no longer think of this as a crazy, dystopian, sci-fi movie thing.
Given what they have been saying about "starving the beast", and "drowning the government in a bathtub", and the sheer monetary power the corporations have over the GOP, I view it as the only interpretation of their actions that makes sense.
11
The concept that government should do nothing that doesn't enhance the power and/or wealth of Republicans and the perpetuation of same is not limited to federal. It has become the Republican credo in North Carolina, and I expect in many other states. They seem to observe no boundaries in their quest - more than the traffic can lawfully bear. The consequences of court rulings are slow and can be circumvented. They seem limited only by their imaginations.
6
"One section says that it would 'authorize federal divestiture of assets that would be better managed by state, local or private entities.' Translation: We’re going to privatize whatever we can.'
The threat of privatization is exactly what scares me the most about Trump's infrastructure "plan." Anyone who thinks privatization is always a good idea should talk to the people who work for the national laboratories. Privatization has been a disaster, putting us under the thumb of corporations whose whole purpose is not to serve the nation but to make as much profit as possible. They don't don't know anything at all about science, and they will cut any corners, even when handling nuclear materials, in order to keep their profits as high as possible. Corporations should NOT be doing everything, especially when the nation's welfare is at stake.
8
Being a grad student, I have tremendous respect for the New Mexico scientific community. Would like to work over there someday myself. This is a dejecting thing you've pointed out, E. Purity of purpose and the importance of public service are evaporating right in front of us.
1
No one should be surprised. His effort has been zero, in order to produce a plan. He has no clue his words do not wrought miracles. His pronouncements are that of a mouse who squeaks, on occasion. The President of the United States is a fraud, who gasps for air at the mention of American policy. He cannot wrap his head around any government issue. He has his billionaire friends, including Putin, to take care of his three hundred million American servants.
2
this column is a real prize winner!
(too bad I can't feel the same about Trump's "plan").
3
I have a short proposal: #notonetrumpvote - Not one women in America should ever vote for donald trump again. This soulless, mindless virulent strain of humanity should never again be trusted with anything concerning the common good. His true soul is with white male predators, sexual abusers and con men who step on women and must never again be allowed to be a role model for any decent person, male or female.
Not one vote should be cast ever again by any intelligent American for any other politician who is aligned with Trump. These awful people are destroying the bedrock values of our nation and its founding men and women.
#notonetrumpvote.
7
They key takeaway from the Trump/Republican agenda is: learn to love feudalism.
11
Its pitiful watching the USA deliberately flush itself down the tubes, transform itself into a 2nd world backwater. I got out 14 yrs ago, anybody who can, should. I am a US citizen and vote and remain active, but for professional and life reasons it would be foolish of me to continue to reside there.
5
Trump bit off more than he could chew. It's just not possible to improve infrastructure and decrease government spending. When you try to do both, what you're left with is poor infrastructure and overspending. The worst part is, in an attempt to not look like a liar, Trump is doubling, tripling and quadrupling down, claiming that he can do both when he can't. A $200 billion budget is a joke, and it's not a funny one.
5
The infrastructure plan is just another scam by the carnival barker in the Big Tent.
6
Let's see. The deficit is going through the roof, military spending will be at all time high, corporations and the rich are getting richer and paying less taxes, and funds for infrastructure is a scam. For Trump and his republican cronies this is business as usual. Wait, and it is only going to get worse.
8
Trumpacious, n. triumphant, rapacious narcissism characterized by florid twittergoguery camouflaged as populist drivel. In computer terminology, a fatal error. See also Tacitus.
3
Trump supporters don't care about anything as grandiose as infrastructure. They were far more impressed that Trump could get around a rule that limited the height of a flag on one of his properties. Or that he could identify Jeb as weak, Marco as little, or Hillary as "lyin". With the election and continued support of Trump we get a ghastly look into the demonic soul of America.
6
A real infrastructure plan from a President who doesn't read? Oh wait, he does read! From his tweet defending Rob Porter "Something false and something true, something old and something new", slightly adjusted to generate the rhyme. Sound familiar? His library clearly contained a number of books by that Dartmouth grad and prolific author Theodore Geisel.
Just another means of legalizing corruption.
4
History teaches us that privatization of public assets always end with enrichment of of few political connected on the back of the public and in particular. Just check what happened in Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the creation of the well connected ex party functionaries oligarchy, or Israeli selling off its Dead Sea natural resources and public banks to local tycoons and/or American and European Jewish Billionaires.
4
Thanks for this, Prof. Krugman, and for all of your other brilliant pieces that explain so clearly why this president is a fraud. I only wish the 30-odd% still in support of the charlatan could read and think clearly enough to understand what you are saying. You are a hero to many of us. Please keep up the good fight.
3
Is Trump’s infrastructure plan a scam and a fraud, like so many of his other plans, or should we trust him? He answered that already. He has an infrastructure record: Puerto Rico. He dropped the ball bigly on Puerto Rico.
There is no reason to trust his infrastructure promises now. Before he presents another plan, let him finish the repairing and rebuilding in Puerto Rico
4
To date the administration has put nothing of substance together for the country simply because they cant. They did manage a lucrative wealthcare package in the form of tax cuts for the upper echelons of society. Even that though will ultimately cost the lower echelons dearly in order to cover the cost of any real infrastructure plan. The only winner here is elitism. Everyone else has been successfully scammed under the disguise of what is good for elites is ultimately good for them too. Pure unadulterated garbage at its best.
4
What is becoming more and more horrifying everyday is that 62,979,879 of our fellow Americans sold America and its future to the scam artist Trump. And, for so dismally cheap too!
2
You know, I just bet that Trump and Maddox were great friends. My wish is that one day they would be sharing a cell together where they can diddle each other for years.
hope my dogs don’t read this. I checked their breakfast this morning. It looked better than the “infrastructure plan”, but I’d hate for them to get any ideas.
1
"The interest rate on inflation-protected long-term bonds is still less than 1 percent"
And what happens to deficits if inflation rises substantially from here?
The super rich think they have or can buy all the infrastructure they want. And in the back of their minds they know if things get really bad in the U.S. they will just relocate to one of their properties elsewhere on the planet.
A budget plan that could have only been hatched by Paul Ryan, Mick Mulvaney, and Ebeneezer Scrooge. An expansion of the Selling of America to the best-connected bidder. Counterproductive cuts to the Departments that expedite and organize infrastructure projects. Hand-offs to broke State governments, likely block grants, to do with as they please.
All to be paid for by cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, Unemployment Insurance, and other survival programs in your town.
And the Base will be easily convinced this is all good for them.
4
America is rotting and the stench is becoming unbearable. Who but the wealthiest would want to see their kids go through what's coming down the road? Apparently close to 50% of the population like what's going on. We are a divided nation and there is no going back. America was a grand experiment and I suppose we were a great nation once except for the genocide of the native Americans and the whole slavery thing. Oh yeah and the continued systemic racism. Whoops forgot about the wholesale incarceration of black men and slowly taking away workers rights and voters rights. Maybe it's best to ignore climate change so hopefully the planet dies for a while and God will give a mulligan to mankind like the evangelicals give to the sex offending president who pays off porn stars for extra marital sex while his wife is nursing their newborn child.
4
The $200B in Trump’s infrastructure plan is simply the profit margin on any of the profit motivated projects that are undertaken under this program. Profitable projects (think toll roads to suburbs with lots of gated communities) will attract private $ supplemented by the federal $ guaranteed profit margin, so that they are ultimately super profitable cash flows to the 1% who invested in it. Building a toll road to a poverty stricken rural area where no one can afford the tolls-not so much.
6
This "proposal" is just the Viking mantra of, "Rape, loot, plunder...then burn."
4
Another con job. What a surprise.
3
We elected a fool who is supported by more fools. What could possibly go wrong.Trump knows he has been successful when the majority of Americans shake their heads in disgust. What a travesty.
8
The Electoral college was designed to protect up from a populist idiot. Instead it Delivered America into the hands of a ignorant incompetent fool. It need to be abolished, the one time it should have worked it failed and failed miserably.
12
Correct. The same thing happened but 17 years ago also, with what one could argue was a similar result.
3
He doesn't give a D......... no ,matter how you spell it. Maybe he will when he drives over a bridge that collapses. All he cares about is that stupid wall that he keeps harping on. And further more, lying has become a contagious disease in this administration. It reminds me of "Ten Little Indians"....and then there were none....... and hopefully sooner than later.
3
Why bother discussing anything Trump proposes?? He has the intellect of a flea and the worst Cabinet in our history!! The Republicans support this idiot totally and we will stuck with him for four of the longest years ever!! He is the most sickening politician ever!!
8
Sure Trump cares. About himself, his specious progeny and his golf handicap. Everyone else be damned.
7
During the presidential campaign Trump promised to “Make America Great Again” by fixing every societal problem from healthcare to infrastructure faster, cheaper, and more effectively than any of his predecessors, and millions of gullible Americans drank the koolaid.
With the current GOP stranglehold on the Congress, the tightening noose around the Judiciary, and the Republican donor class in the driver’s seat for for fiscal matters, we’d sure better “give a damn” about what happens in the 2018 mid-terms and the presidential election beyond if we care anything at all about future generations and the America (and world) they will live in. Under Trump this country’s “greatness” is hanging by a thread and it’s unraveling faster than the majority of us ever thought possible.
4
Hopefully some infrastructure will get fixed this time. In Obama’s 2009 stimulus plan, $98.3 billion of the $800 billion stimulus was dedicated to transportation and infrastructure. Of that $98.3 billion, only about $27.5 billion was actually spent on transportation infrastructure projects. Why was that? Did he not “give a dam?”
Trump has never given "Damn" about anything or anybody except Trump, since he was born. It is who he is!
4
We all need to be very concerned about that $200 billion. It’s nothing when held against $1.5 trillion but it’s a hell of a slush fund for corrupt political operatives. Every American knows that Trump is at war with Blue states. Would a nice guy like Trump use $200 billion to further his personal ambitions?
3
I have got NEWS for YOU...Professor...but it is old news ...
Of Course Trump doesn't give a dam or a damn about anyone but himself.
Wake UP.....the coffee is still brewing....
The way to get rid of this failing Congress is to get rid of campaign financing by
SuperPacs supported by the wealthiest .01 percent ...Citizens United in my view
is UNCONSTITUIONAL.....it allows the USA to be ruled by the .01 percent.
That is the old news which should be front page every single day..until
the journalists get it right !!!
8
It has taken me a long time to come to this conclusion: Donald Trump is the second coming of John Gotti. The Teflon Don wrote the script for his successor. So far, nothing sticks to Trump as the Republicans are willing to go with the Trump flow as long as it doesn't involve murder. And that too might be questionable. Both have/had a flair for bombast and sizing up Gotti against Trump, I can't tell the difference. They both put on one helluva Fourth of July fireworks show only Trump's is three hundred and sixty five days a year. Is Mike Flynn the Sammy the Bull? I hope so.
4
All I really want to do, is secede from U...........S.
3
When will Trumpland (a shocking 30% of America) admit that—instead of a dealmaking, outside the box thinker, who understood average Americans—they were swindled by the ultimate con-artist and entertainer, who—turned by ineptitude and laziness—is now the lap dog of the radical conservative, free-market ideologues who despised their meager existence of the average American?
We have the first Republican President incapable of realizing that some debts have to be paid, some investment in the average American needs to be made . . . and we all knew this was President Trump's view of economic strength before he was elected. A businessman who gambled large amounts of other's money knowing the wealth of the US would bail him out when needed.
Now we have two additional branches of government controlled by Trump's party. And they're going to allow him to cut taxes and programs for Americans until the voters boot him out. Watch carefully and you'll actually see soulless congressmen appear to seem reasonable. Of course they can appear to be reasonable as we approach 2018, they just completed the largest financial coup d'état in American history. Propping up their greedy market policies over reasonable economic policies; "trust and verify," "party of ideas" by damned.
We get the Worst. President. Ever. Billionaires get an 11% increase in profits for the next four years and a weakened and at risk economy, ripe for the picking.
6
O.K. Professor Krugman, we get your oft made point. Trump sucks. Anything and everything he says, does or will say or do sucks. We get it, Paul.
Since you are a hotshot Nobel Prize winning Economist, how about telling us what a "real infrastructure plan" for the US should look like?
As you will recall, Paul, the ASCE claimed that the US desperately needs $3.5Trillion to shore up its deteriorated infrastructure. Right now, as in immediately. Tell us how to accomplish the mission. Share with us your expert advice about how to pay for the rebuilding of America.
Don't be bashful, Dr. Krugman. The folks at The Times would surely be glad to give you all the space you need on P 1A to strut your stuff and show the world again what a moron Trump is.
We're waiting.
Trump only gives a dam about what happens on or in or near his properties including Trump Tower and Mar-a- Lago. While the extent of Trump's caring concern is callously cleverly and cynically hidden from the American people in his personal and family income tax returns and business records. No one knows if Vladimir Putin or Xi Jinping give a dam about making America great again. But I doubt it.
4
Wow what a hate fill opinion piece , I wonder if any conservative writer's ever wrote a opinion piece ad hate filled as this one is . Barry gave all kinds of gifts to his liberal buddies like a billion dollars to AARP to shut up us old people , did you libs ever opinion that ? Think for yourselves and don't listen to this hate filled " opinion "
1
Yes, Paul Krugman,
Throw the bum out. Trump's whole life has been a scam. A damn scam.
[And YOU, as "The Conscience of a Liberal" as you called yourself (am I understanding those words correctly?) are part of the reason he is in the Oval Office instead of Bernie Sanders, who would have "infrastructured" like an FDR.]
Thank you Paul for explaining this complicated con that Trump is trying to run by the people of the United States. What a beautiful dream this would be for America if it could ever come true. Beautiful highways, safe bridges and of course one of our weakest links in this country is our electric grid. It's practically holding together by duct tape. The Republican Party is hell-bent on tearing this country to pieces. I only hope these people in the Midwest and the southern states that believe in this con open their eyes, before it's too late.
3
"Trump Doesn't give a Dam."
What he wants us to give him is a Wall.
"The Art of the Deal" strikes again.
I'll give you your Social Security and your Medicare.
You give me my Wall.
Also:
The GOP Borrow and Spend Party strikes again.
The only question is:
Will the lender be China or Russia.
2
The real question, unasked as usual, is where have the billions already spent to maintain and refresh infrastructure gone? One commentor posited that the States are the best stewards for monies to rebuild. Well, having worked for a large State's (that is in the I-95 corridor as well as having several other interstates running through it) highway department and witnessing the waste and attitude toward federal funding of projects I would caution against trusting the States with money any more than the Federal government.
The idea that public infrastructure is so deperately in need of repair ought to be looked into criminally considering the amount of money already paid into them year after year after year.
1
A man who knows nothing about policy or politics will be utterly dependent on establishment politcians, i.e., Ryan and McConnell. Trumpbots who thought otherwise are fools. But we knew that.
6
"True, we’re no longer a depressed economy that needs public investment to put the unemployed back to work..."
Tell it to the millions of underemployed people working two jobs and still earning less than they were before Bush and his bankster criminals crashed the economy.
Doctor, you need to get out more often.
2
There is a third and obvious reason. Any good Republican knows that tax cuts benefit the wealthy, and the wealthy then provide the money with which to run a political campaign. Said campaign — in collaboration with Fox News — will convince enough blue collar workers (who could benefit from a real infrastructure plan) to vote R.
Even if the Grand Old Plan doesn’t work, and they lose an election or two; we all know that the American public will reliably swing back the pendulum. After all, can America keep one political party in the presidency for longer than 8 years? The rich play the long game. 8 years out of power is a small price to pay, when you know you’ll be back in power for the next 8!
3
For corporate investments, managers set hurdle rates, or ROIs, that investments must clear to gain financing. For example, if a corporate investment has an ROI or, internal rate of return (IRR), of 10%, and its cost of capital, or cost of funding is 7%, managers would elect to finance this project; in order to capture this extra 3% cash flow. But, the criteria to invest or not in such a private sector investment decision, are as concise and as objective as possible, the goal: to maximize ROIs and ultimately a firm's profit. If the project turns bad, with little ROI expected, past costs on such a project can be labeled as "sunk costs," and further spending on them declared verboten.
As noted, in gov. investment, or infrastructure, decisions, more subjective criteria can enter into the gov.'s decision making. AIso, in an era of almost unprecedented inequitable divisions in US wealth and income distributions, how much more should richer shareholders profit from additional infrastructure spending; in addition to, the major corporate income tax rate cut, and disproportionately larger individual income tax cuts already directed to the wealthy?
Prioritizing infrastructure investments by gov.s often means rewarding the richest with projects that protect and reinforce their advantages. Simply, the riskiness of gov. investments in richer communities is smaller and "sunk-cost" calls easier to make, via management by exception rules.
[2/13/18 Tu 12:08p Greenville NC]
Forgive me, but all I want from Trump and his GOP enablers is to see them gone. Recall the expression, "Lay down with dogs, get up with fleas". Those without principles have no place in government.
5
I read the WSJ and the Times every day, trying my best to get at some semblance of the truth regarding politically motivated issues. And believe me, it is difficult to do, considering the deep level of polarization in our country.
Can we not all agree to disagree and discuss pros and cons of ideas without the general lack of respect shown in so many editorial writings? A president of the United States, ANY president, deserves respect. It is essential for the very foundation of our democracy. Not to mention what the rest of the world must think of all the shaming and name-calling. Sometimes it is best to think of the greater good of our country rather than our own endless, selfish needs.
No, I'm sorry, the office merits respect, but the person occupying the office needs to earn it. The current occupant has long since discarded any pretense of respecting the norms of the office or of humane discourse. He could earn respect by behaving respectfully toward others. Smart money says he won't.
1
A person earns respect. It is not simply attached to the office he holds. Trump has done nothing....nothing to earn respect.
1
Republicans, having accepted Reagan's dictum that government is the problem, have worked against the best interest of the nation as a whole for over three decades. They've proved him right: "The most frightening words in the English language are: 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help."
3
And this is only day two of Infrastructure week. Substitute 'weak' if you want.
"Republicans don’t care at all about deficits as long as a Democrat isn’t in the White House". This quote says it all. The Republican Party has become a list of talking points aimed toward the next election cycle. As long as we have a sizable core of voters who do not carefully research their choices before entering a voting booth, we will have government that squanders our past successes, our expertise in almost all fields, and, most important, our chance at maintaining a healthy, open democracy. This administration is tragically clueless, and it is focused on its own survival, not the nation's.
2
This the worst time imaginable for a big infrastructure program. Private sector employers already can’t find enough workers. Any big infrastructure work is going to pull workers from the private sector. And with full employment and the tax cuts markets are already worried about inflation. The last thing we need at this moment is more stimulus. The timing could not be worse.
This is so disappointing. Why should American taxpayers pay anything at all for roads and bridges and airports?
Surely Trump can get Mexico to pay for his $1.5 trillion infrastructure "plan," too? Why not?
1
Trump's plan is to sell off taxpayer funded assets to private industry for pennies on the dollar.The scenario is described in The Shock Doctrine" by Naomi Klein.These private concerns float bonds and get the government to pay the interest on them. Then they collect tolls etc. on the structures involved.This is all cheered on by Republicans in congress.Who knows, they may even get plum jobs with some of these private companies as they leave government.This isn't just a scam as you described it....thus is a perfect scam.
2
Nothing to add, but I just have to say I love this piece - because it nailed it, depressing as it is.
3
How Ironic, Mr. Krugman. Obama's "shovel-ready" infrastructure program never materialized. He later admitted that "shovel-ready" was not a viable concept. Yet, you never criticized Obama for his failings. The upshot is--Obama never really presided over any sort of infrastructure rebuilding effort. I suppose if you never propose anything--you can't be faulted for it being unrealistic.
In his own compulsively lying mind, I think that trump actually believed that he could do infrastructure 'on the cheap' when he claimed that as a candidate, because he built buildings 'on the cheap'.
What he's forgetting is that the reason he was able to do that involves his 4 bankruptcies, and his penchant for paying contractors and workers less than they were owed - or just not paying them at all - and then hiding behind his lawyers.
2
According to the coverage elsewhere (e.g. Seattle Times), the Trump plan guts spending on mass transit. There are reports that cuts to existing infrastructure programs exceed the new infrastructure spending.
Minimize environmental review. Privatize assets held by the government for all citizens. Attack blue states and their needs. Mislead the public.
Pretty much par for the Trump administration.
4
A government by the rich and only for the wealthy. Richy Rich went to Washington and delivered.
4
Trump tried his hand at creating new wealth and became insolvent, owing creditors far more than his properties and operations could produce. He bailed and stuck to taking money from those who make wealth from then on, and did well. But it meant for him making money and retaining it meant focusing on making deals and avoiding all the risks involved with making new wealth. Infrastructure is making things that did not exist with the hope that it will be used to expand the economy—a lot of risk management where Trump’s expertise is useless. For Trump he cannot see any advantage with public infrastructure but private infrastructure is a big opportunity for collecting vast amounts of rent.
2
The scam is simple. Democrats will stop privatization in the Senate. Then Democrats will be blamed for "not wanting to spend in beautiful infrastructure".
Oh, so simple...
3
Didn't Putin start by "Privatizing" everything the Russian government managed? And what happened...all his friends got very rich and the Russian people got nothing.
6
Japan has beautiful infrastructure, but pays for it. The Japanese public debt exceeded one quadrillion yen (US$10.46 trillion) in 2013, more than twice the annual gross domestic product of Japan. Japan spends around 1% GDP on defense, which includes payments to the US Government to support its presence there, but also to local communities to offset taxes loss due to the presence of US bases. USA spends 3.5% on military. In USA, the defense industry is the pork barrel for politicos. In Japan it is infrastructure. It shows, and both have a cost.
In Japan, roads are a major source of jobs in rural areas. It costs a lot to drive around, because the major roads are all toll roads, administered for the most part by the central government. To drive from Tokyo to Aomori prefecture in Northern Japan, about 400 miles, is about $130. The toll to drive to Kyushu in Southern Japan, is more like $300.
The latest new ring road around Tokyo, the Western Bypass, was completed by the central government in 2014 and cost around $9m a kilometer over 120+ miles. These are toll roads, and travel on this road would cost roughly $11. The latest new Subway line in Tokyo was completed about 4 years ago, using private venture cash. These are engineering marvels.
In California, near where I live sometimes, CALTrans built its first tunnel in many years, for roughly half a billion dollars. It's about 900 feet long and took 23 years to design and build. There is no toll.
2
Oh my, more shovel ready projects !
3
Oh my, poison pills attached to each Jobs Bill. Finish what you start, Woof. There was a reason to table those projects included in a poisoned Jobs Bill.
You'd think the Republicans would have some sort of shame about their open dishonesty. Trump is a shameless charlatan who will try to use infrastructure spending as money making scheme for R cronies and even for himself. He made millions in the tax cut scam. The Rs are trying to use the dire need for infrastructure repair to cut middle class programs like Medicare and Social Security. Trump has now reached his apex of stupid robbery of his own supporters. Those folks who brought him the electoral college victory will continue to get attacks on immigrants and praise for 2nd Amendment people but the white stagnation in the heart land will run the same as usual.
16
Private ownership of infrastructure means big profits in large dense population areas and major losses in "fly-over" areas with low population density and only small towns.
I realize nothing will happen before the elections, but isn't this eventually going to hurt Trump's base most? I wonder if any of them will figure that out?
14
I lived in CT when there were toll roads, all of which were poorly maintained, full of axle breaking pot holes. If you drove from CT to MA, you were immediately struck by the difference. Finally, we became part of the Federal highway system, and the roads were repaired and made better. We had no shoulders due to developments which impinged on any land which might have been available to increase lane size, or to add lanes. We had a corrupt State legislature. We were a suburb of NYC; Metro North lurched into Grand Central pretty much on time. After that, we were at the mercy of the NYC subway system. We still had Town Council meetings to decide everything, including whether we should pay for a small children's playground at Westport Beach. As a transplanted Californian, the learning curve was steep.
3
They will probably not figure that out. They will blame any failure on Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton or maybe even the Easter Bunny.
1
Trump is trying to keep his promises to the American people.
You, Dr. Krugman, are trying to keep your promises to the Alt-Left i.e. always be anti-Trump, denigrate anything he does or tries or says. Offer no solution, ever.
You were wrong about the economy; you are wrong about immigration. You are wrong about calling him a racist. You are all wrong. All of you and many of the readers below.
Just like the anti-Trump Dems...Losers, all of you.
5
Trump supporters are not the whole "American people". Indeed they are a minority.
5
Cutting Medicaid, medicare, and other components of the social network is not keeping his promise to protect the "little forgotten" people.
5
Replace all of the "lefty" references of today in this post with right-wing references throughout the 2 Obama terms and this could have been written by some on the other side any time between 2009 - 2016. The claim that Democrats only want to bash this administration is simply an easy knee-jerk response to avoid the real issues.
Obama era Republicans explicitly stated that their primary goal was to fight Obama at every step. Democrats are focusing on actual evidence and facts upon which you base their positions.
This all comes down to one big distinguishing characteristic between the two political parties: The Left wants to govern. The Right wants power. Of course we all know one shouldn't bring a knife to a gun fight, so the Left is finally using some of the tactics used by the Right for so long now.
3
All else aside, the photo-op at the top of the column has a disturbingly strong resemblance to DiVinci's "Last Supper" with Trump as Jesus.
19
Except that all of them are Judas. Hopefully.
1
“Just wing it!” = Trump’s motto for everything.
13
More pathetic than the Trump infrastructure proposal was Chuck Schumer writing in the Washington Post a couple of weeks ago about how eager he was to work with Trump on infrastructure.
5
More pathetic, maybe... that's up for debate.
But cluelessness and dishonesty? The don has a lock on those.
Trump’s not a real president. He just plays one on TV. And not even a mediocre one at that. He’s so awful he’s not even good enough to be a bad president. No class and no brains.
28
I placed this comment on the editorial page, but it is more relevant here.
There is an important dimension to infrastructure repair and replacement, one that I haven't seen discussed in the news: the effect of climate change on the longevity of highways, bridges, railroad tracks, and other transportation infrastructure. So many of these structures were built within a few miles of coastline; thus, they are subject to river surges and other storm damage that scientists warn will become more intense and longer-lasting if we take no action on climate change.
But wait . . . is this disconnect in the discussion somehow related to federal agencies' discarding phrases such "climate change" and "Paris Agreement"? Haven't the Department of Energy, Transportation, Environmental Protection, Health, etc., swapped climate-relevant words for phrases like "new jobs" and "wealth creation"? Hasn't the departure of scientists from federal agencies left the discussion with too limited a vocabulary to plan adequately for future generations? Trump's head-in-the-sand approach to long-term infrastructure investment has me wondering whether much of the cost of repairing coastline highways and bridges may be wasted while we're still trying to pay for it, as we witness more superstorms wiping out multi-million-dollar structures. If we are not going to take action to fight climate change, we leave ourselves vulnerable to it--foolish neglect in the face of reality.
12
Yup, his $1.5 trillion is right up there with his 3% annual growth. But the Trumpsters keep buying his nonsense garbage so what can we do? Caffeinate the water in Trump districts to wake these people up to his fraud?
18
Any time you think the vileness of the Republican party has hit it's bottom, along comes another day and another low point
They literally want to feed the elderly and disabled to the rich. Kill us off, auction away our future to the highest Russian oligarch, and make America as "Anglo Saxon" as possible...
15
Paul Krugman for President. Pass the word.
12
Another ploy to win votes for the GOP this November, and with Americans so foolishly willing (like lemmings) to follow our narcissistic sociopath on everything and anything be proclaims policy-wise, one more plung over the cliffs won't harm them at all, only America as a whole.
6
Trump is a golf playing Medusa, the face of the snakes that spring from his vacant head. Is it possible to destroy their venom that is creating a slow death of our institutions?
6
OK, Donald, I'm down for the count; I'll throw in the towel: I give up!
I didn't vote for you, but, hey, it's an ill wind that blows NO good, right? I thought that, if nothing else, America will get some desperately needed infrastructure out of the next four years.
But now the last scales have dropped from my eyes, and it is blindingly clear that it was all - ALL - a con-job. You are a political black hole, a vortex of destruction, and the sooner you leave office, the better.
P.S. On the way out, check in with your South African pal Zuma.
20
Another possibility is that Trump is ignorant, doesn't know it, doesn't care, and is too lazy to learn anything.
11
And, doesn't have to Rob.
NYT, you’re in town, ask Sydney how they feel about our privatized airport!
5
It's all smoke and mirrors. Trump knows this plan will go nowhere. But the Republicans will use it as campaign rhetoric. "Democrats were against the infrastructure plan" they'll claim, and a good % of the people will buy it because it was fed to them thru the lying Fox news and the crooked mafia known as the GOP.
11
fraud by the king of fraud.
11
So many things wrong with this that it is hard to know where to start. First, this is DJT's typical M.O. Use other people's money and then, when things go bankrupt (as they will) let someone else (the banks) foot the bill. Why do you think he had such a hard time getting loans in recent years? Second, he will certainly steer work to his buddies and his own companies. Who knows how many he owns, since we haven't seen his tax returns. Third, using typical RepubliCON logic, it will be paid for by taking away from those who can least afford it. How many of the lower income class does it take to make the tax contribution of the 1%? 1000 to 1, 10,000 to 1? And these are the same wealthy that just got a huge tax break. When, oh when, will those that still support Don the Con finally get the message that he is just using them to enrich himself and his friends?
12
It won't be the banks footing the bills, it will be WE THE PEOPLE because we'll be taxed out of our incomes.
1
Yet another TrumpScam. Professor, who among your readers did NOT see this coming??? His contribution to infrastructure is the big, beautiful Wall, and THAT would be a boondoggle for the ages. Or maybe not: build it 200 ft. High, 20 ft. Wide, but hollow. Then, it could be used for grain storage. Right, Dr. Carson??? Hello, paging Ben Carson. Hello?????
8
Trump has never done construction a day in his life. He puts his name on a building and claims success for it. 5 bankruptcies means he doesn't know how to run a business. he owes billions to russia and deutch bank. his gold plated lifestyle is just that - a facade of emptiness. He has no original ideas. He is putting in time. He got his billion from the tax scam; 25 billion for a wall, didn't that start at 12 billion? - 100 million for golf last year and the same this year; a mega fridge on air force one for burgers and cokes; 71 grand for melania's spa day; over 350 grand last year for her travels . he intends to drain the coffers and bankrupt america.
13
Trump has the attention span of a house fly. He doesn't intend anything, because he doesn't think about anything. Is he looting the treasury? Yes. Will he bankrupt us? No, because we can print more money. He owes Deutsche Bank 250M as documented by an investigative reporter for The New Yorker; that loan would show up on his unreleased tax returns. The money was from Russian oligarchs in London, laundered through The Bank of Cyprus and Deutsche Bank which refuses to release its records.
1
Key issues are the economy and jobs. We have a booming stock market (despite recent volatility), solid GDP growth, many workers seeing more money in their paychecks (even if temporarily), and historically low unemployment. Trump and the GOP are winning on these core fronts.
The only infrastructure project Trump really cares about is his worthless and environmentally destructive wall. That will surely bear Trump’s name. And as one commenter relayed some months ago: “Trump’s wall isn’t worth a dam.” Now that’s a good message.
Trump’s infrastructure plan is all about messaging, particularly with the midterms coming up. Trump doesn’t care about getting anything productive done – just take a look at his Cabinet. He did not expect to be elected in the first place; he just wants money and fame. His idea of work is a Super Bowl party at Mar-a-Lago and more time out on the links. He takes the easy way out. Sending messages. Short ones. Tweets. He’s not going to spend time on anything else. Democrats have already said his infrastructure plan is dead on arrival. Trump wants it that way. He can say Democrats are stymying his plans to Make America Great Again.
So for election-year persuasion tactics, Trump wins with the economy, jobs, and infrastructure. Democrats are left with tough, long-term issues like immigration, education, the environment and climate change, and health insurance.
Democrats need to learn good persuasion tactics from Trump – before it’s too late.
4
Infrastructure plan? #Fake
5
Trump:"I've got a bridge in Brooklyn I can sell you."
Literally.
5
Spot on!
2
We don't seem to have a president so much as a crime boss, operating on a level of sophistication that we'd get from Tony Soprano, minus Tony's charm. Why congressional Republicans in particular and the Americans are allowing tos Osceola beyond me.
4
Among Mr. Krugman's particularly pertinent reminders is about how much distrust and fear Trump has of people who actually know what they are talking about. [In this connection we have to note how ambivalent Trump wants us to be about whether there is anything valuable in what women say: if the ladies in question are slathering sycophants such as Kellyanne the conwoman and Sarah the huckster, well, from God's truth to their lips! But if the kittycats are Rob Porter smacked about throw-a-ways, or those who dare to reveal the nasties about Roy Moore or Il Duci himself: dirty filthy liars! There are experts about the facts, and experts about the false and the fake, and only our stable genius leader and his mouthpieces know the difference!]
4
Need to revise Reagan’s quote to “ the most terrifying words in the English language are......I’m A REPUBLICAN from the govenrnment and I’m here to help”.
7
When Trump tried to go all in on his development ideas, he damn near went bankrupt. That's when he hit upon the big idea of letting someone else take the risk and he take the credit; and it worked. People see his name in lights and assume he has some magic sauce to get things done. Madoff is in jail for such schemes and Trump is in the White House. Go figure. However, this is not Trump's doing. Americans have been ducking the infrastructure problems for decades as we have refused to pay for repairs and improvements (taxes) over and over again. Until we decide that there is a price for what we have, a con man will always come forward and promise us something for nothing.
6
Trumpy and the wifebeaters do give a damn. They give a damn for themselves. 2 damns even. A gang of thieves has taken over.
6
Trump is rapacious on a multitude of levels. He's rapacious toward women. He's rapacious toward our environment. He's rapacious toward our constitutional system of government. He has violate them for his own gain. Krugman's pun is clever but if you end that word with the letter n, it pretty much sums up Donald Trump, who gives a damn only about Donald Trump.
3
Hmm, Trump "doesn't give a damn" -- "is afraid to try...." -- "couldn't put together a plan even if it wanted to" -- "Republican orthodoxy and GOP hates...." -- "This administration doesn't do expertise" -- "Republicans don't care about the deficit". Well Paul Krugman, ain't we just a bundle of confirmation bias. This opinion piece starting with it's title would be a great English 101 Lit case study for a host of bias....and I might add, most of the comments here should be included in the case study. p.s., yep I did use the word "ain't."
I feel as if we are trapped in a dystopian novel.
School teachers dragged out of school board meetings and arrested for questioning budgetary matters.
Candidates for state legislatures dragged out of hearings for listing the contributions from industry to members of the committee while the committee considers legislation that will effect said industry.
Coal pushed over renewable energy.
National security and possible blackmail targets ignored by the white house.
Science on climate change ignored despite overwhelming evidence.
What planet are those that support these policies planning to move to after totally trashing this one?
The rest of us have to start giving a damn, and being a good bit less apathetic.
"History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people." Martin Luther King, Jr.
8
We are screwed. We have the options of delegating our infrastructure future to a private sector that acts mainly in its own best financial interests, a government that is more dysfunctional and, frankly, stupid than ever, or just sitting around and watching while the country continues to rust away under our noses. I have been following an organization called Common Good for over a decade. While they speak common sense and propose realistic solutions they have not received much traction to date. And we sit here in intolerable inertia and watch it all play out on cable news.
2
... and he never did.
3
I'd bet my Social Security pension, which I'm not yet collecting, and Paul Ryan wants to steal to pay for tax cuts, that buried in Trump's byzantine finances is a way to funnel billions in infrastructure funding into his own pockets, a la Putin.
After all, he's already funneled millions of election donations from the suckers who think he's their savior into his bank account, by having "events" as his venues, election HQ at Trump Tower, and, as soon as HE wasn't paying for them quintupling the rent!
When he found out son Eric's charity event for sick kids wasn't paying for his Westchester club, he went ballistic. Now, something like a third to half of the donations go to pay for using the club...into Trump's pocket instead of helping sick kids. Who cares if sick crippled kids suffer and die when they could be saved? Not Trump if there's a nickel to be gotten!
Trump has only one, total, never-break, absolute "moral" dictum: never, ever propose any policy that doesn't benefit his #1 charity: Donald John Trump.
7
Scam, Fraud, Cronyism were used in the article. Grifter, Huckster or Charlatan we’re not. All roads lead to one name as the common denominator.
1
"Trump doesn't give a dam."
What's the surprise in that? The surprise is that some people are still surprised at his ignorance and indifference and some others are still in awe of this callous ignoramus.
If only there was a way to build a Trump property and pass it off as part of America's infrastructure, Trump would have gladly approved allocating much more money.
1
The essence of the scam is a slight of hand pretending that you are giving something to someone while not giving anything, but taking away plenty from those you are scamming. This is Trump's particular expertise and is the only thing he can do well. Actually fulfilling on promises is beyond his nature. Making a pig's ear into a silk purse never happens no matter how much you desire or expect it. Trump only knows deceit and deceit is the enemy to truth. Welcome to Trump world.
4
Why does ny times give a platform to this guy? People gripe about Fox News but in his last 114 columns the worlds problems are all owing to Republicans. And Fox News is the joke?
For 8 years the problem with obamas borrowing, according to Krugman, was it was not enough. Yes different times call for different measures, but as Democrats connect dots on Trump Jr and Russia meddling, are there dots to connect when Krugman goes from a spender in October 2016 and a deficit hawk in December 2016?
Point is, I have no idea of what he claims here is true. He’s going to write in a manner that criticizes Republicans and praises Democrats. And this is as intellectual as Alex Jones or Rush Limbaugh.
2
>
You are just coming to this conclusion?
This seemed obvious to me for a good year.
Indiana, a great republican state, privatized the Indiana tollroad (I80) several years ago. What do they have now? A crumbling miserable road; fewer service plazas being replaced by tiny glorified 7/11s; no signs at exits noting services available off the tollroad because it is not in the interest of the private owners to alert drivers of better alternatives to the overpriced and limited so-called services on the tollroad.
Priviatization is a total boondoggle, and most of the citizens of this country are being cheated by such plans. The public should own and control public roads, bridges, and infrastructure.
8
Trump has always been the ultimate scam artist and he's scamming us. Trump envisions that every road, bridge, waterway, highway, and airway will exact a toll in the future.
2
President Trump and his supporters are probsbly trying get Truth Intolerance or Truth Allergy declared legitimate medical condition.
1
There really is no value in continuing to analyze Don the Con's lies, ignorance and hypocrisy. Democrats must mobilize to turn out the largest midterm vote in history to start to take back the country we love.
7
The American Civil War, Part II.
We are at war. Slavery is still the issue. This time around it is economic slavery for poor whites and black and brown people.
Russia, Poland, and Hungary think this is the way to go! Shall we join them?
5
And this time around the economic slaves elected the slave master.
The Classic Question: Is There No SHAME? How can their be so many Fausts in America.
2
Remember how the oligarchs became oligarchs in Russia? By being politically connected enough to buy state property on the cheap. Maybe Trump is simply taking a page from Putin.
1
I just wonder how much damage this administration will do before we can
remove and replace it.
1
Republicans do, indeed, hate doing anything that will show that federal government spending can help individuals. Republican voters (and many are middle class or well off by all accounts) will give a column like this (if any read the NYT) a collective yawn because what I constantly hear is "he is better than Hillary." No facts are given, just that phrase. Fox News and the Russians have done their jobs. They have brainwashed America.
1
What do you mean he doesn't seek or take advice from experts easily? He gets stellar advice from Fox N Friends and Alex Jones.
3
Why didn't he offer something legit? Because he is a con man, so he offered a legit con-yeah it really is a con. Why did so many ignore his 50 years history of cons and vote for him?
1
Trump will be known to history as the Architect of The Chinese Century and the Me First movement.
5
As the author and others have pointed out, Trump is a fraud. There is nothing substantive or genuine about him, including his "infrastructure program." His foreign policy is even worse -- a all talk and bark, no stick or bite.
2
Why? Because neither he nor anyone else in this administration is capable of it.
1
I don't know ... if you called it the TrumpWay, maybe you could divert some funds to the New York subway system.
If you called it AmTrump, maybe you could also bring in some of the DeVos Amway money to get that stalled rail safety system implemented.
If you called it the KochWay, maybe you could get some real sewer-system improvements under way.
Maybe you could put the Army Corps of Engineers in charge of all pipeline approvals, and let the chips fall where they may. The corps will be over-funded for the next year-and-a-half.
We could call the government contribution the Peter's Pence, and let Koch open their spigots and flow out all that money that they are promising to get the right Republicans re-elected, so we'd have a Public Private PartnerShip.
Who knows? Even Texas might partner with such a Private Ship.
The Republican/Trump infrastructure plan is a feeding trough for rent seekers. The private investment they seek is simply the ticket to privatization of our infrastructure. Just imagine, everywhere you go, everything you do will have a toll station to feed profits to those who could put up the money from their inheritances to own America's infrastructure. Next thing Trump will be selling are titles like Secretary of Education - oops he's already done that.
3
"So why isn’t Trump proposing something real? Why this dog’s breakfast of a proposal that everyone knows won’t go anywhere?"
Rather, what comes out is a pile and it stinks.
2
Nothing new here...trump's career has been a Big Scam!
1
Trump is trying to PRIVATIZE as much of the US Government as he can. For example, DeVos is doing that in the Department of Education. Zinke is doing that in the Department of the Interior.
Hie Emperorness must has gotten an earful from Putin, who told him how the Russians sold off (at kopeks on the ruble) many national assets to the oligarchs (apparently with Putin getting cut in for a share of all of those deals). Cadet Bone Spurs can see the dollar signs.
This is definitely going to be remembered as the most corrupt administraon ever, with violations well beyond the scandals of the Nixon, Harding and Grant administrations.
Mark my words.
4
What makes Trump so certain his Russian buddies are going to pony up billions for infrastructure?
2
Wiping out the National Debt would be so easy that I can't believe no one has thought of it yet...
...Have the government run Trump's Impeachment trial as a pay-per-view event
6
If only Trumpian voters and sympathizers could spend a couple of weeks traveling across modern Europe, they would be shocked at the shoddy circumstances of our lives in comparison, all the while spending vast sums on a military to supposedly keep us at the top. What myopic fools we are !
2
When will this national nightmare be over?
3
Stumpy is a warrior... against the U.S.
His motivation is his frustration with a system that stymies rape and pillage. His preferred M.O.
His solution... and philosophy?
HATE and DESTROY...
A seething, hate-filled maniac won because he realized there were a whole bunch of like-minded Americans to be cultivated. Very, very Sad
The Solution ? LOVE and BUILD.... Those are the essential pillars of Democracy.
2
Once more, the man is, and has always been, a real estate salesman. He does not know and cannot do anything else. And, as a salesman, he cares only about perception. In his view, the reality is irrelevant unless it happens to line up with his sales goal. That is why he incessantly lies.
He lies about his past sexual adventures, he lies about who is going to pay for the wall; he lies about why he does not want Muslims entering the US; he lies about his Russian connection; he lies about his support for white supremacists; he lies about fixing DACA; he lies about infrastructure budget; he lies about everything!
1
The vaunted infrastructure plan is no such thing. It is a privatization
scheme, Make way for toll roads it dumps the monetary burden
on states and localties who really don't have the money to do this.
Rural America would not have roads but for the Federal Government.
Yet another pile of piffle from THE VSG.
1
Old spy movie: never trust a cop; you never know when he's going to go straight on you. Same with experts.
It isn't just Trump. It is the whole Republican Cabal. They want the money for the rich and the military. The super rich use airports and as long as the road to get there is open or if they have a helipad nearby, to them it seems frivolous.
WAKE UP!!!!!!!
1
Today, anything that's for the public good is rejected as if it’s un-American. The GOP norm is --profit is the American way and highest good....but anything for the public good is B-A-D.
The GOP worry that govt projects might lead to who knows what---don't set a precedent! .
Think of the contrast of our interstate highway system, under GOP Eisenhower, one of the biggest infrastructure projects ever, led by the federal govt (horrors). It was an economic multiplier---it stimulated building of new suburbs, homes, schools and stores, and car buying.
Gop Ike would seem too liberal today. He even supported social security and unions.
Ike’s letter to his brother is online and shows the contrast of how US politics has shifted. He said of the rw in his day … “their number is negligible and they are stupid.” ! But could Ike foresee that they would grow to dominate our 3 branches of govt and most states?
The worst thing per GOP is more "big govt power" favored by voters. Big vs small govt is a hoax to protect the corporations from proper taxes and govt regulation. When it comes to basic duty to the public -- such as affordable health care, low cost education, secure retirement, a safe financial structure---we the people get little or no protection. We're on our own. But the wealthy corporate donors who subsidize our elections, they get huge govt protection.
1
Trump is the "let's not and say we did" president. It is all about the con. And an amazing percentage of this country gleefully drinks the Kool-aide.
1
Trump probably spoke with Putin today to get tips on how to sell off U.S. assets to hand-picked cronies.
1
"So the Trump administration probably couldn’t put together a real infrastructure plan even if it wanted to. And that’s why it didn’t." This last statement says it all... ignorance, arrogance, incompetence and indifference, the mindset of the Trump self-serving nitwits who trotted out the old GOP budget playbook to create this travesty. Perhaps Trump et al. should cavort with the Chinese as they seem to do infrastructure rather well. After all we're going to need some good roads for those parades POTUS is advocating.
1
How do you get your message through to the Trump supporters, Dr. Krugman? You write brilliant articles, such as this one. NY Times readers agree. Nothing changes.
1
The message will become clear when the Trump supporters in the Heartland run through their unemployment benefits, no jobs in factories shuttered and run by robotics, no money to maintain their small town main streets, nothing left but to scrape together enough money to move to where jobs are. They don't even have the benefit of education subsidies offered by Clinton, or the job re- training she offered. Trump will come back for his next election campaign, maybe a stop over during the mid-terms if he can unload that girth from his golf cart. They weren't happy with a black gentleman who actually cared about them; now they can suffer with the bigot they liked.
Pay attention to Puerto Rico, folks. When Drumpf and the Banana Republicans are done with our public infrastructure financing, it won't take a category 5 hurricane to blow it down.
2
Trump responds to his ratings. They were poor. I can hear him implorng his staff to come up with something to improve his ratings. As for the plan, how can we be surprised? This is a man who made his wealth on other people’s money. And when US turned him away, he tested, um, foreign banks.
1
if you think donald trump had anything whatsoever to do with the logistics of infrastructure repair, think again. this man doesn't have the intelligence to read, much less construct legislation or even a policy. please know that he doesn't contribute a word to anything w/ his name on it. the party does it, meaning his minions (and i do mean "despicable me" minions). if we knew the real donald trump, we would be in shock, especially his hair. i laughed myself silly at the video of his hair flying about, showing his bald pate. his hair is as real as he is.
1
It.s clear Tump doesn't think big enough to even comprehend the benefits of a true infrastructure project. His only experience is with project that involve laundered money and whatever fix is required. Let's get honest with America Donald. It'll do us all some good.
1
It's all a charade...farce, travesty, mockery,
parody, pretense, act. Charade, the perfect
word to describe the Trump presidency.
3
Wrong. His upcoming plan for his likeness on Mt. Rushmore (might also require removing GW, et al) will be fully funded by Federal dollars. BTW: any road or bridge or tunnel built will require that it be named after him. (GOP boot-lickers would have no problem with that.)
China or Russia, hiding behind acceptable front figures, controlling the airports of DC? What a scam! It won't happen, but Trump can say he tried and he can whip his baying hounds to the polling booths with the accusations that the elites once more blocked his way to a greater America.
Too bad ruby red Oklahoma is broke and can't even afford 5 day a week public school schedules. Otherwise we'd love to help our buddy Trump out.
1
Trump's government is the Kochification of America with a dash of Waltification and a side of Mercer.
1
This is Trump's (con)crete plan.
Trump also proposed increasing military spending to 718Bn, which Forbes reports would have us spending more than the next 14 countries, combined.
(2016 FY).
If the man had a lick of sense, he'd redirect 200 Bn from "defense", stop extending stupid, pointless wars and cut back on being the world's policeman.
Instead, defense oriented corporations could redirect assets toward infrastructure improvement projects...making as much money, but improving things at home. (instead of piddling it away in the mountains of whatever 'Stan.)
Or, would anyone like to form a private corporation to buy the street in front of Trump Tower NYC, and save the city the cost of maintaining it? Naturally, we'd need tolls to support the private sector investment. Just sayin... Hey, maybe Donald would invest in the startup!
Oh...silly me. Donald doesn't use his own money.
"And if you believe that, I have a degree from Trump University you might want to buy."
Well jeez Paul, why would I buy a degree from Trump University? I can just make one up and print it on my computer. It will be every bit as valuable as the degrees people actually paid Trump for.
Having said that, this thought now weighs heavy on my mind. Do you suppose anybody actually admits they have a degree from Trump University? Can you imagine somebody applying for a job at a real estate firm and saying, "I have a degree from Trump University." The only thing I can imagine is the interviewer bursting out laughing, then rejecting the applicant for being stupid enough to (1) get a degree from Trump University and (2) being stupid enough to admit that they got degree from Trump University.
Sad.
He didn’t think he’d win. He didn’t have a plan, apparently still doesn’t and seems to delegate any and all work to subordinates. In the corporate world, folks like this don’t last too long. But they can go on for a long time in a small closely held family business Net-net: he’s in over his head and he thinks we’re all too stupid to see that the emperor has no clothes.
If you want the road in front of your house to have a toll, vote for Trump.
This is NOT stupidity on Trump's part or the GOP's part. This is the plan. Would the NYT and other media outlets and the Democrats keep this clear. he is not bumbling, he is not stupid, that is his reality TV schtick to distract you while he sells our assets and pockets the profits and makes sure e eat cat food unless we're at Mar a lago.
The simplest explanation is that Trump is a con man by profession, preference, long habit, and personality. He doesn't care for policy or understand any substantive area. He has managed virtual reality for years - as a manipulator, juggler, charlatan of emotive symbols, in the end pursuing his own profit and image. Behind him are the shady and crooked enablers and rogues in the cabinet and among his circle of cronies and advisers. By the time they have finished, they will leave America's infrastructure more broken than it is, as they will have destroyed credibility in the government.
6
Sounds like trump university, long on promises, short on results.
4
100% of New York railroad infrastructure and 90% of its subway infrastructure was built by private enterprise. all the screaming and nashing teeth here is ridiculous. government does not get the job done but we are left to believe government is the only solution. complete nonsense.
1
I predict whatever roads and bridges that are built or repaired will be done by newly-arrived immigrants - Mexicans and Salvadorans. That's called irony.
Wait, you actually have a Trump University degree? Put it up on ebay, you'll make a fortune. Wait, did I just describe a plan to fund the infrastructure deal?
1
The king of debt wants to sell roads and airports and even the Space Station to private companies.
He can't borrow a dime from an honest bank, but now that he owns the Treasury, he can put the nation in debt for his personal gain.
Look for Trump Turnpike coming to a state near you.
7
Vladimir Putin could not be happier. His election meddling has produced the self-destructive bomb of the Trump Administration. I do not think this administration could be working any more diligently toward Putin's goal of destroying the USA than this budget portrays.
Do you think we're headed backwards? No infrastructure plan, drain the treasury, eliminate healthcare, roll back Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Let's try the 1870's on for size! #MAGA
5
This plan parallels how Trump ran, and continues to run, his businesses. Talk a lot, get someone else to pay for it and when the deal goes sour just walk away and don't pay the bill. Only in this case instead of a lender taking a hit for being dumb enough to invest in a Trump venture, it will be the nation that takes the hit. But that doesn't matter. He will rant and rave about how he made the deal and how he won completely ignorant and not caring that the country loses. With no one in the GOP willing to stand up and say this plan is ridiculous and unacheivable the whole of the Republican party is com;licit and should take the blame and be held accountable when this mockery of a president fails and sends our nation into a downward spiral.
8
Trump's building plans always seem to follow the same path, promise the locals everything and anything to get approval but try and use OPM and bend the rules to get it built.
2
Unfortunately most of the GOP and rump supporters don't use much of the infrastructure. I mean, why would you drive through rural America or anywhere in America if all you cared about was Wall Steet and a couple of square miles around DC? Take the train?? Surely you must be joking...look what happend the last time they took the train.
3
“...the modern G.O.P. hates any program that might show people that government can work and help people.” I would add that the modern GOP pretty hates anything and anyone that do not need bring $$$ to the table—for their benefit, power, and glory. At one time, I could find plenty of common ground with an archaic form of Republican: what I call the Rotarian Republican or local Chamber of Commerce Conservative that were my parents and many of their friends. These were upright, pragmatic, positive citizens who, guided by a pretty firm morality and conscience, believed limited government in partnership with private enterprise was a force for good for all citizens. They knew building quality infrastructure at taxpayer expense was an economic multiplier. They often disagreed with their local Democratic counterparts over the balance of public and private financing and involvement. The key was ALL believed in government participation was necessary. Now our public discourse and what passes for governance these days has sunk to scorched earth rhetoric and take-no-prisoners tactics and strategy. No lasting infrastructure can be built on such a negative and polarized foundation.
I don’t have an answer for this, but it does disgusts me that the current GOP is vastly more about destruction than construction. As long as that mindset and determination brings in vaults of money and votes, it’s not likely to change while our roads, sidewalks, bridges, water and sewer systems crumble.
2
My favorite part of the budget is the food box! Replace the SNAP provisions with a box filled with milk, cereal, canned fruit and veggies and peanut butter! This idea is courtesy of Mick Mulvaney.
1
The typical wealthy entrepreneur, manager, or stockholder just doesn't need the typical American worker as much as they used to. The robber barons of the gilded age robbed their fellow Americans to get wealthy. Now, a lot of goods and services are produced "overseas" and sold to consumers overseas. If a tech company can make goods in China and sell them in Dubai, who needs the "forgotten" Americans? They will be sliced out of the federal budget and the economy more and more as they have less and less economic clout. How to fix? Progressive taxes that soak the rich and enforced anti-trust laws that protect the consumer in this country. Any industry that produces mega-millionaires and billionaires isn't really competitive, is it?
1
We can count on Trump and the Republicans to do the right thing here. Just like we can count on them to do the right thing for responsible tax legislation. And DACA protections. And fiscally responsible spending. And not being racists. And not supporting candidates or office holders credibly accused of sexual predation.
1
I too, have some infrastructure improvements needed on my property. As my civic responsibility to spur the economy and create jobs, I am putting forth my proposal to spend $1 million in upgrades. Of course, I can only manage to shell out $2,000, but if you kind readers will indulge me with contributions to my GoFundMe campaign, together we can get this done!
4
trump is inept. he can't do anything. what's happened in the last two months has been the unbridled congress. they found a way to keep him out of it, and passed in december a cut of $500 bil a year in government revenues, and in january a spending bill adding $500 bil more government spending. now they're going to pass a budget?
2
When the top GOP donors get into the road, sewer, bridge business, we will get roads, sewers and bridges. We must bear in mind what politics is about.
3
"But I also suspect that Trump is afraid to try anything substantive."
I didn't realize that one of the definitions of "afraid" is "utterly incapable."
2
We just had a massive sale on US defense projections around the world. No one benefits more than our businesses plying their trades around the world with the US Navy protecting global shipping and ensuring stable foreign market opportunities. Doing the math is not hard, no global businesses benefit more than US businesses from our collective Federal spending. So naturally, we decided that the best way to recognize all the value created by our public efforts was to cut the funding by a massive $1 trillion. The GOP has lost their senses, and Trump is not just a symptom, he is now the illness itself.
2
Calling this infrastructure plan a “dog’s breakfast” is an insult to our canine companions.
3
Even though I thought when trump was elected he would end up among the worst presidents in history (at least as long as we remain a democracy), I am constantly amazed at how mentally lazy he is. John Oliver called him incurious, which is a perfect description for this fraud. Anyway, thanks for another picture of his Stepford cabinet. I always like to see Elaine Chao's face when she is with POTUS.
2
State and local governments love free money from the feds. They don't have to answer to their taxpayers for the fraud, waste and general mismanagement that usually characterizes huge projects.
The big dig in Boston with its huge cost overruns is a great example of local mismanagement - and it was 50% financed by the federal government.
Local taxpayers and private enterprise are accountable to their voters and stockholders, respectively. Don't you think they would be a whole lot more careful with their 80% contribution to these infrastructure projects than if the feds threw money at them - meaning 100% financed by the feds?
1
Ah, cannot wait for the "Sheldon Adelson Las Vegas SuperHighway", complete with mini-casinoed rest stop areas. Then there's the "Koch Brothers National Power Grid", of course burning clean coal 24/7, and the "Hedge Fund-Private Equity Big Apple Subway Line" serving the East Side to Wall Street corridor with impeccable concierge service. Just the start of great things to come across America. MAGA!
5
Trump is only smart at PR and branding. His PR has proven successful to hide in plain sight the payback to Russia for their help (social media troll farms, hacking of DNC and state voter rolls, etc.) in the election.
First help is the silence on the sanctions - PR "just the thought of these sanctions is enough" just like the thought of getting caught works for thieves.
Second help is the dismantling of the State Department. Little by little, with little fanfare, through budget cuts, reductions of transparency, complete micro-managing from the top (who have no specific expertise) with more to come.
Third is with this infrastructure. "Private Investment". President Trump's administration is going to start to push for the sale of everything and US cronies (and this is why Congress is still sticking with him) and foreign cronies(Russia) will purchase public assets left and right. We will have tolls everywhere (taxpayer funded technology has made it easy to collect), we will have increased water & utility rates, and we will have plenty of fodder for made for TV movies about illnesses due to poor water, disasters due to flooding, disasters due to pandemics. We will have shiny enclaves of wealth (most likely guarded by private police) and then large swaths of waste.
But, Trump and the Republicans will be happy as they will have succeed in reducing government to a nub and the oligarchs will own the US, just like Russia.
3
Trump has always been a con man who relies on shiny gold letters to distract others from his true purpose and bankruptcy court to protect him when things go downhill. Why would it be any different when he's in the White House?
2
If the recent news about the private contractors failing to deliver in Puerto Rico is any indication of quality of services, we're in for a world of hurt.
3
Oh, and that lady Paul Ryan praised for getting an extra $1.50 per week will now have to pay at least $1.50 per day to drive on toll roads!
Tired of winning???
1
Again: As my Labor Econ Prof said in the sixties "we will pay our taxes one way or another".
With this latest scam, we will be paying more tolls which will hit the poor and middle class the hardest. Have to get to work? Pay the piper every day. Waiting for a bus, tough.
Trump's supporters bought a 'pig in a poke'.
1
So sad that Trump is incapable of grasping any policy in its details, so he defers to the Republican establishment to provide him his proposals.
Trump did excell at building failed, bankrupt casinos. Staring to feel as if we are living in a giant, crumbling failing national casino. In our casino the house still always wins—the house being the Trump Family Grifters, select corporate interests, and other assorted 1 percenters.
The rest of us won’t have a chip for a rigged nickel slot machine, and that “free buffet” of tax cuts is starting to look rancid and nasty.
There is going to be an infrastructure plan and Mexico will pay for it.
Trump is not interested in national infrastructure, only in his fantastical border wall.
1
We, the People are in a Sick Situation, with a diagnosable Sociopathic
Personality Disorder (Sick) "President". Meanwhile, we, the People,
are in Need of Treatment; however, we (the Major portion of Majority
Choose to ignore (in Ignorance) our Real State of Being. Thanks to Dr, Krugman for a dose of Reality! Maybe the Rich can afford to enjoy Fantasy.
1
You have to wonder when the Trump die-hards are going to figure out that Trump simply doesn't have the competence to deliver on his promise to make America great again. He's a showman and a huckster at best, and that ain't going to cut it. Please stop enabling this scam artist before he totally sinks our nation with an even greater burden of debt than we already have. Yes, we have major problems that need fixed, but Trump ain't the guy we need to address them. it's time to grow up, America!
1
For two years, the media has been turning Trump over and over looking for another side of him. A better side, a different side, anything but what everyone knows he is. He's a grifter, a hype man, a con artist, a lazy kid sitting in the back of the classroom who spends his day either putting people down or talking himself up. Trumps a barking dog who's chasing cars and caught one. Now he doesn't really want it and has no idea what to do.
3
one wonders how this administration would respond if a global recession occurred as it did in 2008.
obama was vilified by the gop who fought him tooth and nail for his economic stimulus, and his stewardship of bailing out the automobile industry, and getting dodd-frank passed.
this inept infrastructure plan, combined with their extremely mean spirited budget, and their contempt / neglect for rebuilding puerto rico is contemptable.
trump is a human pandemic.
1
"Doublespeak is the ability to lie, whether knowingly or unconsciously, and to get away with it; and the ability to use lies and choose and shape facts selectively, blocking out those that don’t fit an agenda or program."
_________________________________
Edward S. Herman, Beyond Hypocrisy
My God! Trump’s budget shell game with peoples access to Helthcare including Medicare and Medicaid can only be described as heartless if not downright evil. Through the callous autocratic actions of Trump, Ryan and McConnell’s prayers at the altar of their only goddess, Ayn Rand, are being answered. And, the aactions of evangelicals in their unfettered beatification of Trump and his irreligious racism, misogyny, narcissism, and basic inhumanity is truly sacrilegious!
1
Way to go Paul! You did it! You called it what it is, not what you hope it could be or should be. "It's a scam". Right on the mark! That's Trump and all like him, scam artists, also known as con men.
"Look at this shell!" "There is a pea underneath it. " "You can't see it, but trust me, it's there." "The pea is called infrastructure (this time)." "I have lots of other shell games to show you, just like this one called infrastructure". "When I lift the cup you'll see the pea is there - our infrastructure plan!" "But before I do the big reveal and let you see it, look over there at my latest Tweet, my latest scandal, my latest abomination." "Oh, you missed it?" "While you were looking over there, I lifted the shell, didn't you see the infrastructure pea?" "Too bad, but don't worry, I've got another shell game for you, this one is called - I'm not going to fire Robert Mueller."
And the game goes on, endlessly, round and round and round.......
"So why isn’t Trump proposing something real? Why this dog’s breakfast of a proposal that everyone knows won’t go anywhere?"
That's easy. It reflects one of Trump's favorite strategies. It makes him look like a victim. After all, he tried to do something about infrastructure per his campaign promise, but it got blocked. That serves two purposes, he doesn't have to take responsibility for something he knows nothing about and it demonstrates to his base that he's a victim just like they are and thus lets him off the hook regarding his campaign promises.
This man is a master manipulator without a conscience. He's focused solely on game playing to get what he wants. And that includes constant attention (good or bad) and electorally winning again next time the way he won last time by keeping his base's loyalty and their votes. Winning is necessary to feed his fragile ego. That's what narcissist (not an insult a dis-ease) do.
1
And you are afraid of any private enterprise program that would be faster and cheaper than one you'd support for your "government" cronies who are every bit as corrupt and self-interested as Trump and his allies.
I thought I left Mexico 34 years ago. Apparently, I was wrong.
Watch the fed bond yield (the coupon rates)... ;-)
Trump and his people understand they don’t have to give their supporters anything of substance to keep them happy, a simple illusion will do for the base. The three-card-monte of a tax cut, the “killing” of Obamacare’s evil health care for all, putting men back in charge [women back where they belong], and the magical fixing of the infrastructure that won’t cost a cent. Why should they take the blame for raising taxes when they can force states to take the fall or fall into a literal sink-hole. He is dividing the national infrastructure into 50 little districts each resonposible for their own area, turning the U. S into medieval Europe. America is now experiencing Trump’s business “genius” writ large; of letting others take the fall while he takes the money and glory.
Yay!! Trump blows infrastructure--the one thing he could have parlayed into real popularity. Whew! That was a close one. Now, let's hurry up and elect people who really care about everyday Americans and their needs.
The chief huckster and con artist never changes his MO. Get naive investors to put up the money, short change or stiff the contractors but get his name on the building then take all credit until it goes bust then put the blame elsewhere.
Be assured that any project will be tainted, that only his "buddies" will be awarded the work and disappear when the inevitable cost overruns and delays begin.
I get almost weary over the constant reminder that Trump is a vile snake oil salesman--snake. My apologies to snake oil salesmen and snakes. The scared, frustrated and angry (and yes, some bigots) people who voted for him and may even still be die hard supporters must need psychological help. The art of the con is to set two traps--one, to sucker people in, and the other to keep them because they cannot admit to being suckered. And with the aid of the P.T. Barnum advertising agencies, Trump and his Republican and corporate Democrat ilk sure know how to apply the art of the con. It's shameless, destructive, vile, and wearying. But Bernie, let's keep working, so I may live to see some turnaround!
Tthe dogs got into the pantry. They are going to eat everything that they want and leave the rest strewn about the floor. It will be a heck of a mess to clean up in the morning.
I find myself quoting Gomer Pyle often these days,
"Surprise, surprise surprise!"
I have long ago ceased to expect fairness or objectivity from the NYT readers crowd (at least those who express their opinions herein). But the complete unwillingness to call a spade a spade, i.e. to give credit to the President for his (first of its kind) courageous and financially ingenious plan is simply appalling. Where was Obama's plan? Or Clinton's, for that matter. - Nowhere to be found. The Dems love talking about needing to repair infrustructure, but
As you said, he’s afraid to try anything of substance. He lacks the courage and the imagination to try something new, not even bold, just new. And so, as you said, he caves into his Republican cronies because, for one thing, it’s easier.
He’s not the smartest person in the room, just the loudest bully.
I expect that the Trump organization will dip its beak into any infrastructure deals that it can. Profit before patriotism!
Mr. Krugman, I see what you are doing. Audience of One.
The infrastructure plan is pure T rump con. This has been DJT's business plan since day one, and it's a con that is so ingrained in the coal that's his soul, he totally believes in it himself.
By bringing a little bit of money and his name in large gilded letters to a project, in the past he's been able to convince some other fools (even banks and state regulators can be marks) to invest in "his" projects. Even when it doesn't work, he still believes it works, or someone else is to blame.
A con man that everyone know is a con man can't be a con man any more. A con man who's been exposed, and still thinks he can pull off the same old con game is a fabulous fool, the most amazing fool you've ever seen. Hail to the chief fool.
". . . and the modern G.O.P. hates any program that might show people that government can work and help people."
As you know, it's important not to let your writing become bombastic or over the top if you want to convince people who aren't already on your side. I like to keep an open mind and while I feel disgust and disappointment with regards to our president, I'm not blindly subscribing to your sentiment as stated above.
Care to back up that statement or were you exaggerating? You're basically calling the republican party treasonous. True?
Trump is the King of Debt...that's a self-declared title and boast. The Republican party is now...and in truth, has been in every Republican administration at least since Reagan...the Party of Debt. All these supposed congressional deficit hawks would drop their Republican affiliation if they were sincere. Obama was reducing the deficit yearly; there was no need, indeed there was every reason not to change that course, but the donald and the party of debt have thrown away all restraint. Now, the Trumpster and his merry band of thieves says we can't afford infrastructure because we spend too much, so he proposes to give away America's assets to pay for it, including all future revenues from the infrastructure build-out. You have to give him credit, Trump has trumped P.T. Barnum, the guy who famously stated, "there's a sucker born every minute." The greatest con-man the world has ever known? That would be an honest boast.
Next will be Trump Pass. It will in every vehicle. You'll pay to drive on the highway. You'll pay to drive to the store. You’ll pay to drive out of your driveway. Like Les Miss Master of the House, you’ll pay to look in the mirror. The man with the world’s greatest memory can’t remember what he promised over and over during the campaign. It’s bait and switch. He baited those voters (known to him as suckers) with images of modernized transportation glory, but instead will give them a future of crumbling bridges and trains that continually derail. This is the man who said multiple times I will not cut Medicaid or Medicare. The budget he just submitted to Congress cuts them by hundreds 100s of billions. Trump voter, you’ve been snookered by the Master of the House of Trump.
1
Excellent summary. No surprises with what Trump is doing. He is a liar and a conman and 63 million or so voters drank this bitter beverage mainly thinking his actions would not effect them. When the right bridges fall down the right people maybe things will change. No need to head off problems before the occur with this gang that can't shoot straight. That way they won't have to pro act on an infrastructure strategy. They can wait until a disaster strikes and decide whether to fix or let go. Pretty easy in their eyes.
...and when state/local govt folks scream about the burden placed on them for these repairs, tRump and his faithful followers can just call them treasonous cuz they're 'not with tRump's perfect plan'.
His followers will eagerly turn on Democrats if he tells them too. There can be no actual conversation about the best way to do this because Donnie always points at someone who needs punished for contradicting him, and his cult members will gleefully do so.
The Art of the Deal just turns out to be.....you're bad if I don't get everything I want. Treasonous even!! Donnie is no American President.
Thanks for this article. You understand that Trump is just a criminal. He is in the White House---to paraphrase "Slick" Willie Sutton---because that's where the money is.
Prof. Krugman is absolutely correct. And there is no way to better demonstrate Trump's not 'giving a dam' than examining the activities of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), created by Obama after the global financial crisis to protect consumers from financial malpractice. It recently dropped a lawsuit against a vulture firm, Golden Valley Lending, that charged a woman 950 percent interest on a defaulted loan.
The National Public Radio network cites 27-year-old Julie Bonenfant, a Michigan resident who said she took out a $900 loan from Golden Valley. In less than 12 months, her scheduled payments will total $3,735, NPR said. She told the radio network she voted for Trump and felt "betrayed" by him because CFPB chief Mick Mick Mulvaney dropped the lawsuit.
https://www.npr.org/2018/02/12/584980698/trump-administration-to-defang-...
If the Democrats ever needed a "Willie Horton" case to demonstrate the Trump Administration's total disregard for the welfare and security of ordinary Americans, then this is it.
All part of the accelerating downward spiral of dysfunctional incompetence of Trumpism which is resulting the in the U.S. being increasingly an "outlier" compared to other advance societies. Questionable whether Americans will ever pull back the curtain to realize the Wizard is a Fraud.
Conveys the feeling of being immobilized under a nefarious regime lorded over by an unethical crackpot. And all we can do is standby and tolerate because the Party that could do something, won't? Maybe it's time to rethink how this might play out in future administrations--if democracy survives this one!!
Consider that we might be experiencing a slowly advancing end of federalism (at which there will be a good deal of cheering) and the deepening of free enterprise (ditto). The result will be, some say, a highly functioning autocracy (Trump's model, btw, is Russia) in which the working class (formerly "peasants") will have their usual day-to-day gripes that will one day result in an all out revolution (cf: Edmund Burke). La plus ca change....Remember ole Nakita K: "We will bury you." Shovels up! NOTE: Interestingly, Trump will likely not live to see this or his crowning as the father of our new brave world. These things take time. We will hardly notice the change until....
200 Billion for infrastructure...take the rest from the states. What a plan. Are we going to want to drive on these roads, over these bridges if Trump is the "builder?" It's going to be like one of his shows, the sets look fine, but don't touch anything.
Now the base will begin to feel the love from their dear leader...he just gave the 2018 elections a great push to the left. Thanks for that, anyway!
Using terms like "fraud" and "scam" is just over the line. I loathe Trump and his cronies but when strong words like that are thrown around recklessly it's clear that the hyperbole on these opinion pages has gone out of control.
1
The failure of the private companies given the contract to fix the electric grid in Puerto RIco and to provide meals for Puerto RIco shows that private companies are not more efficient or cheaper. Privatizing infrastructure improvements needs government oversight.
1
So if a private entity owns a bridge/road/etc., and that bridge/road/etc. operates at a loss, will the owner shut it down - just like a non-profitable store would be closed, for example?
If they are forced not to as a precondition of purchase, what incentive is there to buy in the first place?
They could possibly try selling, but who would by a money loosing proposal?
1
Trump's plan is neoliberalism on steroids. I actually thought--why?--that you would take this awful proposed scam of his and finally discuss neoliberalism and why it is so destructive to our society. But you didn't, and for some strange reason I cannot understand, you won't.
People need to know that these privatization schemes are of a piece with what's been happening in this country and across the globe for decades now. Instead of publicly funded goods and commons, instead of everyone pitching in and building up our infrastructure, WHICH IS POSIBBLE, we have these public-private partnerships or outright "private" funding and policies, including privatization, which end up funneling our tax dollars into the pockets of private entities, and often NOT for the public good.
It's a mess, and we really need a high-level economist who can speak in plain English to alert the American people to what's going on. The current Congressional Democrats, as usual, go silent, or accede to neoliberal ideas themselves. They seem to have no fight left in them, at a time when we badly need an opposition to stand up to this man and his corruption. The GOP are complicit. Perhaps you will deign to discuss neoliberalism and how awful it is. I pray it's before this man, billionaires and global coprorations, and the GOP itself have completely carved up our country. Because time is running out.
1
Trump and the GOP are incompetent. The only things they are good are lying and stealing.
When November comes, We the People must act to rescue our republic from Trump, the GOP, and the Russians.
Please watch the American Experience documentary on the Gilded Age.
I don't see a problem with infrastructure projects being financed by private debt but I do see a problem with financing infrastructure with private equity. The payback on the debt would be determined by the market, fixed and finite and paid for by tolls and user fees for as long as the debt is outstanding. After the debt is paid off, income from the project reverts to the municipality or state that proposed it for ongoing maintenance. Private equity and private ownership would be a disaster and a giveaway to the wealthy and the "owners" would raise tolls to achieve an outsized return.
2
Municipal bonds are purchased by private investors.
I understand, but these infrastructure securities I am proposing would not be backed by the municipality's taxpayers, but rather from the future tolls or fees specific to that project. This is a way of having the users of the infrastructure pay for it as opposed to burdening the entire populace and putting the municipality at risk for default.
So Speaker of the House Paul Ryan celebrates the $1.50 per week increase 1 woman is getting as proof of the tax cut effect. Now this same woman will end up paying over $1.50 per day in tolls just to drive on public roads thanks to the GOP infrastructure plan.
11
Yup. That was the plan all along. Ryan just pretends to be stupid.
For anyone who thinks that private infrastructure is per se better, I suggest two train trips. First, take a ride on Amtrak. Next, take a ride on Italy's TrenItalia (Frecciarosa, Frecciaargento, etc.). Amtrak is plagued by bad service, delays, derailments, and crashes. The Italian system -- and Italy is not known for efficiency -- runs on time, quickly, and safely. Here's the good part: Amtrak runs on *private* infrastructure while TrenItalia runs on government infrastructure.
The Trump plan, then, is little more than wanting to bring the benefits of Amtrak to our bridges and highways. Sounds great!
8
There is no doubt that Donald Trump deserves the most vociferous criticism for his infrastructure plan. My question is where is the Democratic Party in all of this? It is not enough to point to the serious faults in the Trump Plan, it is necessary for the Democrats at long last to not only talk the talk, but walk the walk!
1
I would also like to hear from the Democrats about this, Saggio. As the minority party in Congress, Dems can propose all the legislation they want...but none will have a hearing without the Repub leadership allowing it. It isn't that the Dems don't have ideas on legislation that might be good for America; it is just that they can't get it on the floor of the House or Senate!
It would be great if you could provide a clue as to what Dems plan might be. Thanks.
Krugman: "...(a)nd as we’ve just seen, Republicans don’t care at all about deficits as long as a Democrat isn’t in the White House..."
But we will again hear about the concern of Republicans regarding deficits as they consider the cost for health and human services programs. Their solution will be, as usual, to cut back on all these programs because of the deficit--we can't afford them. Of course, for Ryan and McConnell and their Republican colleagues, explaining the need for cutbacks in these programs because of the deficit is thought to absolve them of their cruelty.
4
It may be so, but GOP detestation of competence hasn't become an article of the faith at the local level, where even local non-reading Republicans expect the traffic lights to work.
It seems more likely that the White House itself lacks the competence to create a coherent infrastructure plan and has thrown this out without reading it. We know Bone Spur has no idea what's in it.
5
The non-reading Republican voters will soon enough reap this rotten fruit. In a way, I'm looking forward to it. Schadenfreude.
Here we go again. New cycle. Republicans drive the economy into the ground for 4 to 8 years. Middle America realizes they’re not going anywhere. They do a 180 and elect Democrats who spend 4 to 8 years turning the economy back around.
“The best democracy money can buy “
6
Just put a 25cent tax on a gallon of gasoline and you'll have enough money to fix the infrastructure. And we will still pay less for gasoline than Canada and Europe and Asia. We got used to 3.50 a gallon back a few years ago. Don't worry the economy won't suffer much and we will all get used to the tax. It's the best way to finance these projects. Everyone who drives will contribute, which is just about everyone. It's fair and makes sense, which is probably why it will never make it through our dysfunctional Congress.
8
I think the real reason that emperor trump doesn't really want infrastructure spending is because he really just wants to spend what is left in the till on more money to the rich; i.e.- him.
4
"Privatization"... Hmmmm
It is another way to increase taxes to the average citizen.
Before roads and other services were paid by taxes. No the citizen still pays the taxes, but will have to pay por the same services, eating into their budgets.
A citizen chooses to use a toll road because is better and faster; the governments purposely do not maintain the roads: Presto! It is a "citizen decision to pay for the private road.
Americans are weird. They'll get outraged at their local democratically elected government collecting taxes to fund infrastructure improvements and passing zoning laws, but they'll gladly submit to even more restrictive control and higher fees from an authoritarian development corporation that creates a fake village for them to live in.
It is no surprise to me that now holding power, the Republicans are stealing everything the Democrats built in American society and good will, by formulating laws that legalize what are obvious criminal actions. It's "Highway Robbery".
4
In any occupation, I believe, that is the professional pride which supports its ethics, and in which, the part "professional" can most widely apply to any job being done honestly by good people. Just the context for each differs.
China and Japan used to be major creditors of the bonds, I understand. And now? That annulling the debts led to a war was famous historical examples of England in the past. Excluding that possibility for the modern America, what would be the concretely situational consequence, even as minimum, regarding America as a debtor with expanding deficits?
Once our household suffered much from credit cards debts, because of the lack of our knowing about the credit company's mechanism. At that time, our health insurance was covered (by our choice, but literally mandatory) under the one which Mr. Obama, during his first presidential campaign, described as [practically] nothing but the insurance for preventing your home from taken away in case serious accidents occur. Many years have passed from then to now.
If the 1% and their companies won’t fund these infrastructure unless they’re given control over their new investments. Can anyone afford to pay tolls to get to work or school or church? And can we afford to pay for a trip on an interstate highway that is now the Koch Brothers highway with tolls every five or ten miles?
1
I have driven to AZ several times and passing Thru OK on route US 40 one comes to a privatized portion of the US highway system, which means that we subsidized the building of the highway and have to pay to use our system. Is that the direction in which we're heading? I think particularly about privatization of our sewer system and whether we'd have to pay each time we use it? Now that would be a great money maker for some american entrepreneur and of course "make america great again." Professor Friedman would be amazed at how far his free market ideas have taken hold in the US.
The President has made it clear that he intends for private industry to build and manage many of the infrastructure projects. The hand wringers that fret that privatizing much of our infrastructure will transfer control have to look no farther than the commerce clause of the US Constitution (Article 1, Section 8, Clause 3). It's been proven by using private concerns to put payloads into space that it is much cheaper than relying on federal agencies to do so.
I think Congress bungles management of destructive state vs state economic competitions with the same monumental ineptitude as it does its aimless fiscal policy.
Obviously Steve you are not versed in those 16 words and their history. Read up!
Krugman has stated elsewhere, but not in this column, that Trump is making a false promise when he claims that states, not the federal government, will fund most of the infrastructure. (Just like his false promise that Mexico would pay for the wall, that Trump is now demanding that U.S. taxpayers fund.)
Contrary to Trump’s fantasy world:
1. All states but Vermont are required by law to balance their budgets.
www.ncsl.org/research/fiscal-policy/state-balanced-budget-requirements.aspx
2. The federal government, not the states, has a much greater capacity to borrow long term at a much lower interest rate than the states.
If there's one thing this administration will be remembered for it is its tendency to hire people with a lack of expertise. Time and again we see unqualified people move into important government jobs including Cabinet level positions. What does Rick Perry really know about nuclear energy or weapons? Does Betsy DeVos really understand public education? And on and on.
As you mention, a solid infrastructure plan would require the work of many people with expertise in transportation, construction, water treatment, etc.
Better to transfer the responsibility of implementing this plan to the private sector. They have the expertise to do the best job and the lowest possible price. Plus, they always have the public good as their primary concern. What could possible go wrong?
To us older Americans, infrastructure implies bridges, dams, and Interstate highways. The Army Corps of Engineers generated the blueprints. The federal gov't provided the money. Native Americans, immigrants, and the unemployed supplied labor.
Now, clean water, air, energy, the power grid and Internet access as well as sewage systems and high speed rail subsidies are included in infrastructure.
But the tax bill passed, revenues will drop sharply, we're near full employment already and interest rates will rise in the next decade. Already, reduced federal assets are being squandered by timber, grazing, and mining interests, and lands carved out of National Parks for private takers. The times are out of joint for an infrastructure initiative.
138
So, maybe--just maybe--we shouldn't be cutting immigration of those laborers who would be willing to do this work?
2
While I agree that “the times” are not conducive to what’s needed for an infrastructure rejuvenation, this is without a doubt the last best time to do it (who knows when rates will be this low, and for as long as they’ve been, again). That’s because the interest rates are still historically low, and they’re almost certain to go up.
Sure, it would have been better to start five years ago. It’s almost always better to start sooner rather than later just because of inflation. But it wasn’t politically possible then either. The Republicans wouldn’t let Obama do such a thing, no matter how beneficial (and prudent) it was.
2
Check the cost per mile of New York’s subway system. Not exactly efficient. I would welcome private investors. And cronyism? No, that never happens in government contacts, LOL.
2
I realized yesterday why this is such a brilliant political scam. Trump can spend 200 billion and claim that this resulted in over 1 trillion in new infrastructure spending. But most of that is not going to be new spending. Localities and states will gladly take the 20% match on projects that they were going to do anyway, but I doubt that a 20% match is going to stimulate much spending that would not have occurred anyway.
Mr. Krugman, you know that Trump did not write that Infrastructure Plan.
You know that he did not read that Plan, and you know that he has absolutely no idea what is even in that Plan.
His aides told him that the Plan was great, and that it would make him look great. That is the extent of his knowledge of the Infrastructure Plan.
All he did, was to read out loud the prepared remarks that his staff wrote for him.
So, who's Plan is this really?
Who actually came up with these ideas?
The Republican-Right-Wing-Network has been working on schemes like this, for decades.
It goes hand-in-hand with their Tax Breaks For The Rich Legislation, and their plans to gut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.
At the core of their Infrastructure Plan is a give away of hundreds of billions of dollars of Tax Payer Money to the "Private Sector", to rebuild bridges and roads.
Then the "Private Sector" can charge people for use of those roads and bridges, that their own Tax Dollars built.
The "Private Sector" that they're referring to, is the super wealthy Republican Donors who put them in office in the first place.
Mr. Krugman, you know what happens to a country that is corrupted by unchecked greed.
It collapses.
3
Paul, the only reason PPP is evenly a remotely credible plan for infrastructure, is the unaccountable federal and state procurement regulations that have made public works projects bloated. Just read your own papers account of the MTA's botched second ave subway. Or (closer to home) the single bidder to replace the Scudder Falls Bridge in NJ that came in 2X the budgeted price. Obama could have de-regulated during the recession when there was significant demand for jobs and the will to spend. When Democrats have power, they do nothing to reform government of waste.
The GOP is severely allergic to any idea that involves the government doing anything for the common good. As Dr. Krugman points out, they want no demonstration that government can do anything to make peoples lives better.
Spending on the military, spending on walls, spending on police - lots of lucrative contracts there for the military industrial complex, and it plays to the fear mongering that keeps the base in line.
But if somebody somewhere can't make a profit off it, they're against it. When you come right down to it, the GOP model for government looks an awful lot like a protection racket.
1
The Traditional Republican mantra is that the Democrats "Tax and Spend" and after they gain power, the G.ang O.f P.illagers pillage the proceeds. That's just what this infrastructure plan is, and also the Tax Cuts of last December. I am absolutely convinced the Republican political leaders have criminal minds by virtue of the fact that they pillage the nation being lawyers, knowing how to not only skirt the laws, but to create new laws that enable obvious wrongdoing. They may now be breaking laws, but they certainly are committing criminal acts in a moral sense to anyone with a sense of moral right and wrong.
My 91-year-old neighbor who currently survives on the Social Security and Medicare she paid for wants to know where she can get a tin cup and some apples.
1
Were he serious (caveat: he's only serious when he's looking in the mirror) he would have rode into the White House on a populist horse, given an inauguration address unifying the nation and advocating a bi partisan approach to bring our infrastructure into the 21st century....rather of course than further dividing with brutish tweets and rants and hitching onto the Conservative wagon to destroy healthcare and appease the donor class with huge tax cuts. The tax cut points out that he's not serious at all about infrastructure...or healthcare...or the working man. Surprise?
1
Trump and his policies is the very definition of "smoke and mirrors." First, he generate a lot of smoke, which confuses various publics, then, he projects mirror images of himself on the issue of the day, which enrages various publics. What Trump's gift has been thus far, with his smoke and mirror routine, is continual confusion over where this country is going, what we are doing, and how are we doing. Over the short term this is not a bad strategy, over the long term, it will destroy the Republican party as we know it.
Trump thinks that by announcing this "plan" he has fulfilled his campaign promise. He proposed huge beautiful spending. It doesn't matter to him that it makes no sense and will never happen. Not his fault.
1
"It's a rigged system". Turns out Trump was right all along. Just not in the way his audiences thought.
2
I guess the real reason why Trump put such a lousy infrastructural plan is that he wants to start negotiation. Whether it is the politicians, business people or foreign companies, he can demonstrate his importance and showmanship during negotiation. With this foreseeable drama unfolded, he can continue to occupy the front page of every important newspaper or websites. President Trump does not have a infrastructural plan but a daily script written as you go.
1
A real infrastructure improvement plan would have actually created thousands of jobs for Trump's uneducated base but most of us knew he had no interest in helping them, aside from giving them approval to be deplorable.
The goal of this budget is to bankrupt the government so severely that Social Security and other social programs have to be dismantled. The only social program that will remain will be the military.
1
It more frustrating to notice that many in American policy making and in military still do not understand that mere military strength can never win a war even against the poorest of poor and least technologically equipped enemies abroad. Our long wars in the past (in Vietnam) and present (in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria) failed to make these people understand this simple truth.
Probably they do not care- either about the lives of common American people in the country or in the foreign land fighting wars for America. These policy makers seem to be either ignorant (who can does not have the ability to process information and understand even the simplest form of truth) or motivated by greed by supporting lobbyists of military industrial complex- probably both.
growing influence of our military industrial complex is now negatively affecting our own police force and turning it into an army- only to fight its own people, justifying more gun sales for common citizens. IN the process we are destroying not only our money but also the democracy that we fought so hard to build and develop over centuries.
1
Trump supporters will simply dismiss all facts about cuts to programs they use as fake news. They will believe only what FOX tells them and will stand by Trump all the way to their graves, a journey that will be accelerated by Trump cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, and other health-related programs
1
the plan has always been to weaken our country to then point where the super wealthy, who are nations unto themselves, can take over justifiably and openly. republicans always project onto their enemies what they themselves are already doing so i have ben intrigued by their references to a "deep state"...... i sense that the real deep state is getting restless while they wait and we will be seeing an all out assault on our republic.... this budget being the first salvo.
If the president has his way, America's infrastructure will become weak and decay will set in the way it did in Puerto Rico. And when the next major hurricane or tornado devastates the mainland and destroys power grids, bridges, tunnels, highways, electricity and railroads and people are going hungry, the president will tour the country tossing out paper towels as he did in San Juan. And blame the Democrats for the natural disasters.
3
Nov. 2018 is the time to stop the madness. If we don't, then it might be too late.
1
Is anyone surprised by this proposal? It is just another in a long line line of "bait and switch" marketing claims from the White House fraud. There is as much substance behind this as there was behind "Make America Great Again." ZERO!
All of his promises to the poor and middle class in this country carry as much weight as a degree from his Trump University. In his remarks before governors and mayors yesterday, he stated that we were about to be doing some great things in this country that had been long neglected. Yet, the key word was "we." If anything great was going to be done in this country it would have to be done by state and local governments funding infrastructure programs on the basis of completely reversing the standard equation of 80% federal funds/20% state and local contributions.
In other words folks, if you want major infrastructure improvements in your area, prepare for local and state taxes to increase, thereby negating the tax cuts you just received from the federal government. And when its all done, be prepared for your president to take all the credit. Believe me.
2
Trump's proposal is nothing but a thinly veiled attempt to privatize public works and anything for the public good.
1
Trumps' recipe for infrastructure is like the one for stone soup. Four quarts of water and a fist size stone. Bring to a boil in a soup pot. The meat and veggies will magically appear. Voila Trump Soup. Season with lies and contempt to taste.
2
The Brent-Spence bridge carries traffic from 2 major interstates (I-71 and I-75) over the Ohio River near Cincinnati. It is 54 years old, carries many times the traffic it was designed for, and is literally falling down. For as long as I have lived here - 10+ years - local governments have been wrestling with how to pay for a replacement ($2.6B). The Tea Party types on the Kentucky side refuse to countenance a toll, and other sources of revenue just don't add up. Local politics don't always engender the best solutions, and this is a perfect example of how federal funds are needed for infrastructure that ALL of us use, one way or another.
5
Some may remember Trump showing up near Cincinnati during the campaign with a staged event along the Ohio River and boasting that a replacement for the Brent-Spence Bridge would be "priority No. 1" of his grand infrastructure plan.
Right. With his new "plan" released, the states of Ohio and Kentucky would have to come up with the lion's share of bridge funding, and without a doubt, a toll is the only possible way either state could afford it.
Both states are controlled lock, stock and barrel by the GOP. Kentucky's governor is an utter disaster; Ohio Gov. John Kasich detests Trump (and vice versa). Bottom line, nothing will happen as long as Republicans remain in power in Washington, Frankfort and Columbus, and the bridge will continue to deteriorate, endangering lives and interstate commerce.
This is what government passes for these days. Remember who's responsible when you vote in November.
1
Our country is being run by amateurs whose only qualifications for holding office seem to be their ability to tear down and dismantle the department they lead. Not a good way to run a country.
Vote this gang out of office ASAP.
7
"Republicans don’t care at all about deficits as long as a Democrat isn’t in the White House".
The Republicans' complete "180" on deficits (mortgaging our children's future) should make the GOP Congress an easy target for midterms.
3
When they passed the tax bill, Trump and Congress missed an opportunity. Corporations should have been required to invest a significant portion of repatriated profits in an infrastructure trust fund - without privatization - in exchange for the tax rate reduction they received.
25
When will we begin to discuss the infrastructure that matters more for the future - the digital one? Blazing fast internet and universal connectivity, and other things I can't imagine?
The countries that are doing that (Korea, France) will win the 21st century.
16
"Where would the money come from?"
As reported by Sen. Charles Schumer, Trump's infrastructure plan is to be privately financed, not government financed. Trump's plan will force taxpayers to repay the debt to Wall Street private lenders at a higher interest rate than if financed by the government. The Republicans' big tax cut will starve the government, leaving it less able to finance public projects and more dependent on private lenders.
29
You're exactly right, Mr/Ms workerbee. Indeed, even if the repayed infrastructure debt was at the SAME interest rate, it would still be a massive transfer of wealth from taxpayers to the private sector.
Moreover, if history is any guide, the private sector infra-structure builders won't be "accepting the risk." Rather they will be granted various government guarantees AND their investments will will be highly subsidized (probably with a plethora of new, imaginative, complex tax credits plus low low low interest rate government loans).
More sham corporate socialism. BIG LEAGUE.
This budget is the result of the tax giveaway to the rich. It leaves no money for an infrastructure program of maintenance and new construction. The expected cuts to social programs is there as promised by Ryan. Republicans can't resist the transfer of programs from poor to rich.
Good luck to those coal miners in W.Va. Ky. Indiana, Ohio and Pa. Not only aren't new mining jobs coming but the government aid to survive is being cut. We empathize for you , but did tell you it was coming.
82
I don't empathize with them. They did a stupid thing, & now they may be beginning to see the price. But probably not.
I call it "suicide by ballot."
1
Once again we see the standard operating procedures of this president. An item of importance to the country, infrastructure improvement, is supposedly solved by the president's proposed budget, providing another "promise" fulfilled. But other than proposing a number of dollars as the government's contribution to solve deal with infrastructure improvements there aren't any details how, who, when and where the solution will be accomplished.
So what we see, once again, is that the showman can and does take credit and gain support from his base, while neither doing nor proposing anything substantial to solve the problems, others will do the work, "I'll take the credit and if a solution isn't achieved it's the fault of the doers. I've done my job".
This will go down in American history of presidential administrations as the "Trump solution" to national problems.
42
Perhaps it is just as well that Trump can't put together a proper plan for repairing and building the Infrastructure that we so desperately need.
All Trump would do with that plan is give his company the contracts. No bidding necessary. And certainly no oversight.
33
We better save Infrastructure spending for when the economy crashes. There will be no tax cuts to be had. Infrastructure spending will be the only thing to spark some economic growth when we need it is the future.
26
Investment in infrastructure always sounds laudable , yet often it ends up in projects that are outdated and no longer of any relevance. This is in part due to what such spending targets. Bridges and tunnels sound fine but modern infrastructure includes access to the internet and health care.
The difference between infrastructure and …i suppose structural spending , I suppose is that infrastructure is somehow basic to the nation. What could be more basic than the heath of the American people, more important than that its citizens are able to access the internet without economic barriers !
We look at steel and concrete as basic building blocks but today the heath of the people and their ability to utilize modern information technology is just as important . When last I looked access to both health care and information technology is being pulled back under the Trump administration …I can only conclude that the Trump administration has no real interest in the real infrastructural needs of the American future.
31
Ignoring its actual detailed structure, the Trump plan could actually be beneficial to the overall US economy. Currently there is plenty of capital in the US - most corporations don't even have to borrow and they are using their money to buy up their own stock. A well-designed program would put that capital to work on things that would have immediate benefits (jobs, although this is somewhat past time for that) as well as long term improvements, rather than financial stunts.
The main drawback is that if it did work it would further augment the wealth and power of big corporations and reduce that of government. And aside from the competence issue, the program would not actually draw the capital unless the rewards are very great and the payoff is relatively fast. Private capital was drawn in to build the transcontinental and other railroads in the late 19th century by giving away huge amounts of public land. The builders became instant billionaires by ownership of the land, not selling tickets or hauling freight. The land was of little value until the railroads were built. There are no such giveaways available now.
13
Maybe one reason for corporate offshoring is our decaying infrastructure, which makes it difficult to get their products where they need to go. Here in Indiana, after former governor Mike Pence thankfully left to become vice president, our extremely conservative Republican legislature increased the gasoline tax to pay for road improvements. This despite heavy lobbying against the plan by Koch-backed political groups. As far as I can tell, legislators won't pay any political price, because people don't like driving on crumbling roads.
A federal infrastructure plan could be partially paid for by clawing back some of the recent tax breaks lavished on corporations and the very wealthy. The federal gas tax should also be increased. Corporations need the infrastructure to function.
17
This is a political diatribe, not a reasoned analysis.
Has Dr. Krugman ever evaluated the use of public-private partnerships (P3s) in Canada, the UK, Australia or elsewhere? This is fundamentally the Trump administration's approach, and it can be used well or badly.
P3s are long-term contracts between government entities and private consortia for the design, construction, operation and maintenance of infrastructure. If done correctly, projects are better designed so as to reduce ongoing operation and maintenance expense over decades. If done correctly, P3s are also evaluated up front to ensure that they produce savings over traditional procurement with public funding.
Do P3s always work? No. They are inappropriate in situations when infrastructure contracts can't be readily monetized-- in rural or low-income areas for example. And the terms of the contract can be fair or unfair to the government entity.
But don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. P3s, used judiciously, have a place in the Trump infrastructure plan. Yes, the Trump plan can and should be improved. But it is not a complete travesty, as Dr. Krugman would have us believe.
3
Except, we know that Trump cannot possibly get this done for the reasons mentioned, in addition to the dilutive effect corruption always has on public projects. The money never seems to ge where it is supposed to go. Do you really think the cronyism and corruption so far in evidence with this adminstration will take a holiday for infrastructure?
Public/private roads can exist only as toll roads as that is currently the only way private investment can be paid back and a profit realized. Here in Western Pennsylvania we have a perfect example of how 'successful' this approach would be. The Amos K. Hutchison Bypass PA-66 constructed by the PA Turnpike Commission is underutilized to the point that you can drive it's entire length and not see 20 other cars. Yet the side roads that allow you to byass the tolls are busy with traffic. The expectation that private capital would invest in such a financially dubious scheme is a rediculous fantasy.
It is a complete travesty. Take a look at the debacle of privatization of British rail.Once affordable and pretty efficient,it was privatized by Thatcher.The owners did not renew infrastructure.There were several resultant rail disasters.Then fares spiralled.There were bankruptcies.It was finally sold off to French National railways.The irony - that a state entity in France is the private owner of a once public entity in Britain. The private sector in Britain knew how to profiteer, but not how to manage the railway system.. Do you have a better word than travesty?
Imagine the Washington Monument privatized by Trump. A food court, lots of gold and marble and mirrors, and advertising up each side. With a giant T at the top.
A fee to take the elevator ( adorned with his face on the inside) and a recorded message from him.
The ultimate disgrace to American Democracy.
36
I believe that under current laws, most any infrastructure project that was funded 7:1 state/local to federal would be approved. To then give it away to private interests is nothing but theft and gross negligence. I look at prisons as the example. Trump thinks of everyone as a chump, that he can outlawyer.
19
We've already been had with privatization of major roadways with demand pricing. Just how are minimum wage earners supposed to get to work with $40 tolls????????????? expect more of this with this plan
Sooner or later, and I'll go with the former, the lack of infrastructure upgrades is going to have serious negative ramifications for the economy. Ask someone who depends on NYC's subway system, or has to commute from Jersey to NYC (thanks Christie!). Ask someone dealing with avoidable delays at airports that were built decades ago (JFK, O'Hare) and don't have sufficient runways to deal with the vast increase in passenger miles flown. Ask folks who would love to have high speed bullet trains connecting the country's economic engines like they have in Japan, China, and Europe. Ask the drivers stuck in horrible traffic that plagues so many of our larger cities.
That's without mentioning catastrophes like a major bridge collapsing during rush hour, cities getting inundated by weather events driven by climate change (hello Houston!), a sewage treatment plant going kaput and laying waste to a city's river/lake/ocean.
What is it about these GOP politicians? Why do they literally hate America and progress while they wear their stupid flag pins on their lapels and blather about freedom, liberty, and bootstraps?
54
I blame The Greatest Generation for building the roads, bridges, dams, sewers, electrical grid, etc in the first place...only kidding, but there should have been a plan in the beginning to pay for the upkeep of any infrastructure project...when you buy a house you know (or should know) somewhere down the line it will have to be painted, a new roof put on, a new septic system installed, the driveway patched or redone, new fridge bought, and so on...hopefully you set money aside for these certain eventualities, as well as the occasional surprise...
7
Obsolescence is always a factor in infrastructure investments.
Self-driving cars may call for basic redesign of roadways.
3
Gasoline tax that hasn’t been updated for decades was designed to pay for road maintenance.
Many readers will recall “The Highway Trust Fund” and ask “Why didn’t that work? I wonder if it’s the same reason behind some statesmen/women being perfectly OK with borrowing against implementing and sustaining Social Security, Medicare, and other safety net programs. Just saying.
1
Beware of Trumps bearing gifts.
Any infrastructure plan will be a Trojan Horse for the privatization of everything.
Prepare for the great giveaway of all that’s public to the private sector.
Prepare to eat poverty Putinesca
Putin’s goal of revenge by bankruptcy is getting closer and closer to succeeding.
Never mind that those in the Whitehouse lack security clearances.
Never mind that Trump has disobeyed our Congress by refusing to deploy the sanctions against Russia that were voted for 6 months ago.
36
I find it very hard to believe 'Trump' is coming up with any of these ideas. There has to be other people behind the scenes in his administration cooking this stuff up. Trump is too lazy, self centered and his attention span too short to have even hatched this sorry, half baked plan.
24
Half baked? You should have said full baked!
A column by Dr. Krugman several years ago mentioned the "Confidence Fairy" that budget-cutting "Austerians"evidently trusted would appear. The mystery multiplier walks hand-in-hand with the Confidence Fairy.
Cadet Bone Spurs infrastructure proposal is one more element of American Oligarchs' dreams of privatizing everything for maximum profit for a privileged few with minimum benefit for the majority of citizens. This would complement the privatization of America's armed forces by the profiteers who benefit most from America's "War Without End".
This economic shell game is nothing less than the selling-out of America, its resources, and our national treasures. Hugely pathetic, not to mention extremely foolish. Mindless greed has killed the economic goose that laid the golden egg(s). Capitalism is dead, slain by short-sighted profiteers.
28
I vaguely remember that in the first years of the Obama Administration, a proposal was put forward to invest in improved or new urban rail services all across America. I also recall that after the Supreme Court made expansion of Medicaid in the states optional, many states -- all of them red politically -- turned down what was in effect a huge infusion of Federal dollars to pay for the expansion, claiming with crocodile tears that they couldn't afford to even accept Federal funds because they'd have to match 10 cents on the dollar.
So how is it that the current GOP hegemony is adding trillions to the deficit with huge new defense spending and tax breaks for the wealthy, while also accepting without a hint of irony or doubt Trump's infrastructure flim-flam?
You guessed it. Party over country. Anything over Obama.
Remember this in November.
869
This is the phrase I have been looking for: Party over country. Anything over Obama. In six words it summarizes the republican party. We need bumper stickers.
11
The Republican party has always been this way, what else is new. I just can't believe people vote over and over again for them and all they ever do, is for their party and themselves. They have never cared about the country or the people.
6
In response to Paul867 Yes, one of Obama's most glaring errors was to put so much political capital into passing the Affordable Care Act with so many health-care lobbyists writing its provisions. A national service plan with the youth of America focusing on infrastructure repair would have been a worthwhile project.
1
I expect that "flyover states" will take on a new connotation as low-tax, low-investment areas watch their highways become impassable.
11
Cutting the Dept of Transportation budget while pushing an infrastructure initiative is like saying we are going to increase milk production, then start slaughtering cows.
36
That sounds like a joke about the Soviets back in the day. Unless something changes that is where we are headed.
Our job now is to convert the message of this column into votes for high-quality Democratic candidates this November, and flip control of the House and Senate.
25
There is absolutely nothing surprising in this column. It's a very straightforward brief on what Republicans in office have done since the days of Reagan.
What still amazes me, however, is that people continue to elect Republicans, even though they really don't hide their intent to privatize virtually every public service and gut every strand of the safety net. Good gosh, I read an article just today about a county in Northeastern Kentucky that has no reliable source of fresh water for drinking. This county's residents either buy bottled water or boil the water that comes out of their pipes.
Who are Kentucky's senators? Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell, staunch Republicans both.
Perhaps I'm stating the obvious, but if I had no source of fresh drinking water in my home, here in the U.S.A. in 2018, I'd seriously change out my elected representatives.
Perhaps you really can't fix stupid.
45
But the Democrats are running child prostitution rings out of the basement of a pizzeria in Washington DC that doesn’t even have a basement! We couldn’t possibly vote for them!
Stupid must be aware of itself, before undoing it can occur, and while stupid is what got Trump and the Republicans elected, both he and his party are the foxes in the henhouse, drowning the hens as they salivate at their wealth accumulation prospects.
You're so right, Dr. K!
The Taliblicans measure America's "greatness" by the number of scams they can get away with, confirming their credo that political power comes from deception and lies accepted by their economically desperate and uneducated supporters, who must be kept economically desperate and uneducated to pull this long term scam off. Their America will only be great again when it resembles the Golden Age of wealthy industrialists and land owners telling poor subjects what to think believe and vote for!
We'll soon find out ifa large enough number of less well-off Americans are smart enough to shelve their partisanship and unite to eliminate this odious threat to all the positive values America claims to stand for and which justify the US claiming to have a "greater and better" society than any other countries?
10
How do you like me (him) now? To all those who work in the construction trades and engineering(my dear old did when he was not building and lost his hearing while working on highway projects) this administration and the GOP do not have your welfare in mind. Please vote democratic in the future. There is much essential, interesting, exciting, rewarding work to be done in our country the next 10 years and the democrats will help you do it.
16
GREED. GREED. GREED. That's Trump's Strategy. Review American History. Review World History. Violent and destructive things happen to human beings when 3% of the people control the wealth of a nation. Trump is a puppet for Oligarchy that wants to destroy democracy. In their minds, they (the 3%) are the "chosen ones". They don't care about health care, education costs, jobs, education or the environment. They (the chosen ones) will be saved and the rest of us will perish. Robots are far less expensive and easier to maintain than human beings. Every American needs to go to the polls in 2018 and decide: Do you support HUMANITY or do you support GREED? Do you support DEMOCRACY or do you support OLIGARCHY? Are we going to improve and advance life on this planet or are we going to destroy it?
13
Bravo, truth in every paragraph! When he was running for office I always said "We are being punked" by this guy. It's scary, they have no clue.
4
So, we can add fantasy infrastructure to the alleged middle-class tax cuts, soon to be followed by the fantasy boom. A microcosm of the Trump Miracle is the windfall doubling of Mar-a-Lago membership fees to $200,000, and the hypocritical use of temporary visas to employ foreign workers (including -GASP!!-Haitians!!!) in order to pay the same old $10 to 13 per hour. And now that Bears Ears National Monument has been shrunk to the size of an actual bear's ear, will we at least reap big fees for the right to destroy Utah? I'm guessing not...
9
Yesterday, Donald Trump, the figurehead wannabe dictator, fully exposed what the future of America will be, in the publication of "An American Budget", and his "Infrastructure Plan", if he and his Republican handlers are allowed to continue the policies of economic destruction of the welfare and wellbeing of the poor and the middle-class, and the infrastructure which maintains the basic needs of a developed western nation.
And he and his handlers have presented their devilish vision with inglorious fanfare and the kind of lying which only the truly sociopathic would be able to do, given the absence of empathy in such dangerous creatures.
Even a basic cursory examination of these plans is shocking in the extent of the dearth of real progressive proposals and plans which all western democracies are accustomed to seeing.
It seems all that we knew and always expected in our society has been inverted, turned upside down, and sold as desirable.
Regardless the middle-America support of this ship of fools, this cabal, surely something can and must, be done to stop this corporate owned operation from gaining any further traction.
11
This piece on President Trump’s infrastructure proposal really falls short. Professor Krugman fails to provide any information about what the overall cost of such a program might be, what financing alternatives are available, or how the public-private financing scheme suggested by the President compares to public-private financing programs that have been employed for other public works and infrastructure projects in the history of our country and elsewhere. Krugman is undoubtedly capable of better, but of late he seems so overwhelmed by his hatred of Trump that his columns read more like shrill leftist-versions of the kinds of angry and superficial opinion pieces we might expect from the likes of Sean Hannity and Mark Levin. Dear Professor Krugman, as a Nobel prizewinner and former esteemed member of the Princeton University faculty, you can and should do better. Please try.
1
Really?!! You think Utah Krugmans job to offer alternatives to this farce of a budget? I’m guessing when you finally realize you’ve been had by the GOP, you’ll be looking for who to blame. Look no further than your own bathroom mirror.
RE: And even the $200 billion is essentially fraudulent: The budget proposal announced the same day doesn’t just impose savage cuts on the poor,
Paul Krugman is mix up as usual. Charity is not a function of the federal government.
FYI—many of the working poor serve you dinner in a restaurant and change the tires on your car. This isn’t about charity. Good grief.
Trump has caused me to look deep within my soul and examine who I am and who I want to be. He has challenged me to rise above the urge to look at the millions of Americans who voted for such an obvious liar and will now be harmed by his lies and Say, “You got what you deserved”.
If I didn’t know that what harms them will also harm me, my children and grandchildren for decades to come I just might succumb to the urge.
3
Or, and more likely, he's plain lazy, and signs whatever sounds like a wow as it passes his desk between TV shows.
The truth is always simple.
4
The one saving grace in this comedy is that The Donald and his band of Merry Men are completely incompetent. This really is the gang that couldn't shoot straight.
They will keep on tweeting out "policy" ideas to the 37%, but none of this will ever see the light of day. They are shouting into the wind.
3
The truth hurts immensely. Trump is a massive fraud and his infrastructure plan is identical to his essence.
So much for a modern America ready to compete effectively in the 21st century! Yes this massive fraud will lead to his inevitable next greatest achievement - his 7th bankruptcy, the American government and economy.
6
But, but, but he’s a businessman?
2
Thanks Paul you are right again.
2
Brilliant - take out the infrastructure necessary to build the structure then look like a champion by touting the need for more structures. There has got to be a name for this kind of "quietly pull the rug out from underneath them" policy-making that is at the core of their undermining philosophy in everything from the environment to health care to education. Shameful.
2
It's called bait and switch.
Yet another “plan” to make the rich richer by bamboozling the country.
Selling off infrastructure rights to the highest bidder, so that instead of having a country that is ours, we can be charged to access every aspect of life in America.
Want to use a road, cross a bridge, or do anything else.
Under the tRump plan, you will have to pay the rich guy for just about everything.
I guess that’s what they call MAGA.
It’s the best Con, believe me !!
2
Trump is actually showing how wily he is. What he knows, and nobody else knows, is that there is a $1.3 Trillion pool of offshore Russian oligarch money that will come in to 80% match the $200 Billion he's proposing to commit. This worked for him when he was a private businessman, and he's also proposing to 'privatize' where he can. After all, that's how so many of those Russian oligarchs Trump "doesn't know and has never done business with" got their starts, when the former USSR sold off all the state companies for pennies on the ruble. Trump is only proposing what his owners persuade him to do... he's selling us all down the river for himself and his cronies. Look at his budget to see what the real Trump priorities are - hint - its not "populism".
5
This President is way over his head. He has no idea what he's doing half the time. He's good at being loud, obnoxious, mean, bullying, vain, hateful, but not much else. We get what we pay for (or what the right-wing billionaires and Russians pay for).
I'm glad he's not slick enough to see that this is a wedge issue; something that could bring him votes for his 'America First' people. But, this is not that; this is corporate donors first, privatization first. And, with the obscene cutting of domestic programs and expensive rise in the military, I think this madman has gone too far. He's done himself in.
Let's be sure to keep talking about all the decades of corruptions surrounding him, while at the same time reminding people that global warming is happening faster than predicted and it will effect us all (and his lack of leadership here is certainly a crime. Remind us of his lack of commitment to community or common good for decades, and of his love of money and harassment of women. Remind us of why we are Democrats: in our two-party system, the one that actually values compassion, equality, ending poverty, saving the environment, helping people afford housing, education and health care, etc. etc. is the Democrats.
2
True, but nobody cares. Extremely more important to us is to keep our Christian nation free of pollution from the mix-breeds clamoring to dirty our gold-paved streets. More important to us is our God-given right to follow the precepts of our various sects, especially those that punish those who don't behave the way we would like, such as atheists and LGBT people. And then, of course, we are free to buy firearms of all sizes and shapes, without restraint, and to use those firearms to kill family members, including ourselves. Economy, debt, fixing our corroding infrastructure, healing the sick: unimportant.
3
It's hard to see an end game or ultimate purpose to the modern GOP.....they seem to want the country to become a group of feudal kingdoms with a really big military, but history shows us that peasants eventually rise up in revolt. Whatever it is they want it certainly isn't what the founders had in mind. A modern functioning society with just laws & a happy, healthy, productive populace is not in the cards with republicans in control. Expecting them to do anything to improve the condition of our infrastrucure is a waste of time.
4
This is the same strategy he pursues in his own business: use someone else's money, use someone else's expertise and put his name on it.
3
Infrastructure? Sure, everyone likes that idea: Everyone including the corrupt contractors who build those roads and bridges. One of the easiest and fastest ways to get rich in America is to land a "government contract" that usually means either a defense or infrastructure ripoff of the public. The real questions are: How can America AFFORDABLY rebuild our infrastructure and what does a 21st century infrastructure (that best serves the nation) look like?
5
Like the projected 3% growth in GDP projected by the Trump administration, this "leveraging" by state and local governments is not happening. This is the 2nd consecutive year that the Iowa legislature has had to cut its spending because of state revenues being less than projected. Iowa is heavily dependent on farm commodity prices and subsequent farm income for tax revenue. With commodity prices low and the trade policies of the current administration potentially harming agricultural exports, I am unable to see where the revenue is coming from to spend on more infrastructure in our state.
2
Even if you were gullible enough to believe that the owner of Trump University ever had an actual infrastructure plan, what on earth could make you believe that Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell and the rest of the GOP would actually pass legislation to spend even one dollar on it?
It was never meant to be more than a worthless and hollow campaign promise, with Trump transparently attempting to leverage his history as a "developer" to give it an aura of plausibility.
This was never meant to be more than another one of his endless array of shiny objects, created and deployed as a misdirection when needed.
4
It's been a long time since he's built anything. He has just been putting his name on merchandise. He is delivering as expected, hot air.
6
The mystery isn't why Trump isn't proposing a real infrastructure plan as it is why Obama didn't embark on an ambitious public works program when he was first elected and had the chance. The country was then reeling from a financial meltdown, and with Democrats controlling both chambers of congress, he had a rare opportunity to pursue a bold vision of transformation. Instead, he sought a "grand bargain" with a party of shameless shysters who were more interested in ruining his presidency than in getting anything done. The marvel is that he managed to achieve so much in the face of such unyielding opposition. But with Trump and the Republicans in power, the GOP wrecking crew is back at their project of dismantling American society. Will the pendulum of history swing back to the left? Let's hope so. But watch out: they're trying to sever the rope.
335
The Obama administration tried, but also made it a bipartisan effort, so most of the money went to tax cuts. There was also quite a bit of spending on "shovel ready" infrastructure projects. Unfortunately, that means ones that were the pet projects of local politicians; showy, but not always very useful.
Near my location, we got a lovely sidewalk along a stretch of road that had a sidewalk on one side, but not both. It is nice that people can walk along both sides since there is a bus that travels in both directions, but it wasn't particularly important. It mostly provides a route to walk along the fence enclosing a country club.
5
@Bob - It's a tad too blithely revisionist to say: "with Democrats controlling both chambers of Congress", when such did not occur until after July 7, 2009 with the swearing-in of Al Franken, the 60th Dem Senator. Until that point (far past the critical first 100 days of his 1st term) Obama was forced to kowtow to 'moderate' GOPer Senators to get the 60 votes needed to overcome filibustering:
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/31778598/ns/politics-capitol_hill/t/after-long...
Denying this 60th Dem Senator was a key reason GOP'ers fought tooth and nail in the courts to postpone Franken's swearing-in as long as possible.
And even after Franken was sworn in (finally), it was only 49 days until Sen. Kennedy passed on Aug. 25, and the Dem Senators were back down to 59, with Kennedy's replacement only being in office 125 days:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_G._Kirk
until he was replaced by GOP'er Scott Brown, bringing the Dem Senators back down to 59.
In short, out of the 365 days in Obama's first year in office, there were only 171 days in the last 6 months of that year when Dems had the requisite 60 Senators to overcome GOP'er filibustering/obstruction - with those 171 days including the long August recess as well as the Thanksgiving, and year end/New Year's recesses.
GOP'ers obstructed Obama in every conceivable manner.
22
How short are our memories. Obama did try, but the GOP blocked him, as usual. So he did the next best thing he could with ARRA as part of the economic recovery. And then there was that pesky little thing called The Great Recession. The GOP made it nearly impossible for Obama to do anything for the common good. Had they cooperated with him instead of oppose him, we might have universal health care today, as well as ongoing, long-term infrastructure projects. But no, the Greedy Old Patriarchs would have none of it. Their one big idea for eight years was to say NO to everything he tried to do. Go back and do some homework and refresh your knowledge about what really happened.
11
At this point, I don't think Trump expects anyone to believe any of this. We know he's lying, and he knows we know. The poke in the eye has become routine.
2
"Nobody could have known infrastructure could be so hard."
Thank you for this column, Dr. Krugman, and for pointing out the reality that this infrastructure proposal is nothing but a scam. In reality, it's a continuation of the GOP mantra that has poisoned our nation since 1980 - break the government from within and sell off the public trust piecemeal to private interests. The proposed federal amount is so absurdly low as to necessitate privatization should this abomination pass. That must not be allowed to happen.
How many times do we have to go through this? Our infrastructure is a public good that belongs to all Americans and must not be privatized. Private industry can do some things well, but in other areas it is an atrocious failure such as infrastructure, the military, and healthcare. The only result of privatization in these arenas is lower quality and poorer outcomes at greater cost.
The Republican fixation with privatization should have died with Ronald Reagan. Our government works - and it works well- when it is allowed to properly function without sabotage and kickbacks.
4
Wow! Push the infrastructure investments to the State level so that they are forced to raise taxes to pay for them and simultaneously eliminate the SALT deduction on the Federal Income Tax. Why didn't I think of that? It's a perfect way to ensure that there is no infrastructure program and that you can blame the Democrats in their elite coastal fortresses for the problem. Perfect!
5
Experts not only "have a nasty habit of telling you things you don't want to hear". If you're Donald Trump, there's also a good chance they'll tell you things you can't understand and will find it very awkward to discuss in the absence of a teleprompter.
Trump may, long ago, have had the mental resources and discipline to assimilate information. If so, those powers apparently atrophied as he fell deeper and deeper into the habit of ad-libbing his own reality.
Donald Trump likes the things he's used to. He's not used to external reality or work that has to be done whether he feels like it or not.
2
"The budget proposal announced the same day doesn’t just impose savage cuts on the poor" including medicare.
Maybe Trump and Trumpies hope for an epidemic to decimate or eliminate the poor.
That ideology is called "Social Darwinism"--survival of the fittest.
In the US the fittest will be the richest. The poor will become extinct.
The problem is Who will do the work?--since the rich don't: their money works to them.
But without workers and work, the rich become extinct too. Clever Clever!
2
Ah, privatization. Of course, since it worked so well in Russia under Yeltsin, Clinton and the IMF. There it caused the looting of the country by the oligarchs who took the money abroad. One wonders why it took trump over a year to announce this klepto scheme.
Let me assure anyone paying close attention to this nonsensical infrastructure proposal, that if you let the private sector enter into this there will be tariffs not only for every highway and bridge crossing, but you'll have tp pay a toll for sidewalks. The private sector has ruined the Indian Turnpike when the state foolishly sold it. Driving through Ohio on I 80 then entering the Indiana turnpike, the difference in conditions is dramatic. Even the rest stops in Indiana were a disaster. One bathroom was so filthy we left and waited till we got to Illinois.
2
The very fact that Trump wanted to build high end buildings, and was only hanging on by the skin of his teeth, financially, as a number of banks were about to foreclose on him, and take pretty much everything to the cleaners, should say what there is to say about a person who doesn't care about fiscal responsibility, debt, or anything else. He had moved on from building to, "The Apprentice," after that. His boredom translates into an unreliable person veering the ship of state, instead of steering it, into an iceberg! Look out!
1
The infrastructure proposal is a scam. I just hope it isn't yet another real scam like the failed "repeal and replace" of Obamacare and the passed $1.5 trillion tax bill that's just another massive transfer of public wealth into private hands. Everything Trump proposed is not just traditional Republican stuff, but giveaways to his fellow oligarchs and corporate cronies. Under Trump the old con, "If ypu believe [say, the infrastructure proposal is a scam], it may be true that "I have a bridge (perhaps in Brooklyn) to sell you" and I'm willing to throw in an airport to sweeten the deal. What is always true with Donald Trump is that he's the master of "The Art of the Steal."
2
I don't understand why the wealthy and the Paul Ryan's of the world couldn't see, with their wealth came the tax bill, too. And now they are bailing on the US? You will have a hard time convincing me they are patriotic.
2
When Barack Obama was president, he wanted to go the whole nine yards on infrastructure. The Republican-dominated Congress said "uh-uh." They didn't want any political victories for him (Democrat and black).
Republicans simply do not want American citizens to actually to believe gun the efficacy of government; that it can perform services and provide goods for day-to-day living. All they want to do is privatize everything, to divert public money for-profit (corporate) enterprises. In other words, "we the People" will fund their bottom line.
The GOP believes the magic of free enterprise is altruistic and benevolent; just "trust" them. Since 1980, they have worked to de-fang and de-claw collective bargaining so that contractors and companies can hire relatives and friends at high wages, in order to depress wages so that those competing for the available jobs will have to accept what the bosses are offering. Game. Set. Match.
And who would trust Donald Trump with money: his (ha and ha--the Russians own it all) or the government's? He will only seek some kind of way to divert the people's exchequer to his own (and his class's) benefit.
Infrastructure is a daunting undertaking, one that requires planning (check); thought (check); consultation with those with expertise in the myriad complex of transportation, energy, water, sewage, highways, internet, etc. Tied in to infrastructure is the environment. Do you think No. 45 cares about that?
Do you believe in Trump? I don't.
1
It has been pointed out that in the United States we have, not a two- but a three-party system, the largest of which by far is the PNV (Party of Non-Voters), which boasts 48% of the electorate. The president's perceived indifference is merely the obscene mirror image of our own collective intellectual sloth.
1
The same Vicious circle:
A Republican president and his party left a mess.
Then a Democrat President clean up the mess... but sooner or later another Republican President start all over again.
It is impossible to justify a poor person voting for Republicans.
2
Over several decades in the construction industry, I heard many a criticism of civil engineers by those engineers and architects who worked on structures that people inhabit - for work or living. Likewise, civil engineers criticized those who did not know how to build roads, bridges, and all the other stuff that goes into 'infrastructure'.
With Trump's many years' experience building a brand, a few less building structures that people inhabit, and none building infrastructure, I laughed at his comments about infrastructure being 'sexy'. He doesn't know how to build that stuff, but must have some concupiscence for any unfamiliar area that he has an opportunity to, ahem, get into.
Then I laughed more as I imagined the faces of the civil and other engineers after they heard Trump's 'sexy' comment: they would be aghast.
3
Donnie's infrastructure plan is a big nothing, meant only to be passed so that he can brag about another "bigly win" with no substance behind it. As per usual he extremely overinflates the size of the spending program $1.5 trillion as compared to the $200 billion actual size. And just like promising that Mexico would pay for the wall instead of the american tax payer, this time he is promising that the states will voluntarily pay for the infrastructure and the federal government will magically only pay an eighth of the cost. Conman Trump at his most unimaginative.
146
Now, now. Trump never did say "bigly", it was "big league". That was just the mean old media being mean to him, taunting him as if he didn't know how to talk right.
Trump likes simple ideas, like build a wall on our southwest border.
That project is already hopelessly bogged down.
"Infrastructure" is complicated and unpredictable. DJT would rather watch TV than bust his gourd trying to rassle infrastructure.
1
For two years the medical has focused primarily on Trump's personality and his tweets. He has diverted attention away from his policies. The budget is another example of his mean spiritedness. Also the Republicans in Congress can use him as a tool to pass their draconian laws. They can label the tax law as a middle class tax break but it benefits the rich and the corporations. We live in a new Gilded Age and Babbitt is our leader. Schumer who shows for every new red light installed and takes credit for it agreed to this budget. The Democrats have terrible leadership.
2
If the USA joined the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank that has been founded and promoted by China, it would be eligible for loans to augment its domestic contributions to projects and help mobilize private sector participation. Any possibility that the AIIB's project selection, implementation and monitoring capabilities were below international standards, as has been alleged by the US, would hardly be relevant in the the case of the USA, given its domestic track record.
Where I live, in southern Maine, our town is fairly well-run. Nevertheless, our roads are becoming like bomb-scarred battlefields, where driving is hazardous to your health. So, where is this money going to come from to fix them?
3
• Donald Trump doesn’t give a dam. Or a bridge. Or a road. Or a sewer system.
For openers, one of your best lines ever!
3
The Russians privatized (ie. gave away to their friends) tons of lucrative necessities that made a small number of Russians (now Trump's besties) obscenely rich.
So of course Trump and the Republicans would like to privatize critical infrastructure. It will be another way for them to rip off the rest of us.
6
Soon this country will look like Bangladesh and other "developing" countries. Or maybe even North Korea where there are the elite and then the rest of the population who are starving. At an early age, Trump (and Republicans) learned it was all about them and only about them. The richer the better. I guess they never went to kindergarten and learned the art of sharing.
2
The heart of the problem is that America has yet to face the fact that it lost a cyber war to Russia in 2016, the result of which was the election of Trump. Defeat is hard to face; but every delay in addressing the hard facts makes matters worse. This is no time for parades.
The destruction and division he is reaping was their strategic goal and they have achieved it beyond their wildest dreams. It has not been lost on the Russians that their defeat in the Cold War was largely due to military spending, which led to bankruptcy, of which Trump is the master; such irony!
America may never face this fact: that the Kochs, Mercers, Murdochs and worse accepted an alliance with Russia to further their aims, their Ayn Rand Utopia where the rich devour the poor.
Consider for a moment their 'base'. Trump reflects their character perfectly: a failure of the spirit, of the imagination, and, most acutely, of public education; a lack of courage and an active moral compass. Such people are literally besieged by a rapidly changing world in which they can do nothing but obstruct progress and kow-tow to those whose wealth they venerate as Godly; roughly 36 per cent of the population, armed and dangerous, with a Waco incident mindset and their own political party whose brand is ignorance and fraud, plus bespoke propaganda services.
It is time to put that vicious, corrupt mob called the Republican Party down, once and for all.
5
Paul it is real simple. The Trump Administration, I rather think of it as a gang, is just not fit for the job. That is it. I mean ask yourself this questions- Would you hire Trump to run your company-or even work in your company.
3
I always enjoy the Professor's column. Close to the end he says "this administration doesn't do expertise, in any field." This is one of the overriding characteristics of this administration. Many administrations appoint supporters who know little about the work they are suppose to oversee; this administration seems to prefer appointees who will cripple or undermine the very agency they are chosen to lead. It is hard to know when the trump administration is operating on the basis of malice or is it just ignorance and laziness.
The end result of all this is that the states and cities are going to be required to take on more responsibility not only for infrastructure but for many other government functions. As far as doing anything constructive, the republican congress is dysfunctional and trump is doing everything he can to make the rest of the federal government dysfunctional. And it seems likely that the congress/federal government will be dysfunctional for the foreseeable future. We would need a democratic House, a democratic, filibuster-proof senate, and a democratic president to change this situation and I don't see that happening anytime soon. So whatever progress is made will be made at the state and local level or it won't be made.
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"And this administration doesn’t do expertise, in any field. Not only do experts have a nasty habit of telling you things you don’t want to hear, their loyalty is suspect: You never know when their professional ethics might kick in." Best description of trump's freak show. Ever.
3
"So whatever progress is made will be made at the state and local level or it won't be made."
Most of the red states are poor and can't afford it and don't want to do it. But they're just itching to take money away from the successful blue states.
4
Here in NC it won't be made unless the Supreme Court takes a stand against the gerrymandered Republican redistricting.
2
A real infrastructure plan would require a leader with creativity, ingenuity, intelligence, and a nurturing spirit. And that's why the Trump Administration hasn't been able to put one together.
4
Paul, actually- I think his plan is exactly what the federal government should be doing. Working with the private sector. I am sorry to say, you are wrong again.
I don't know if I have sufficient energy to be dismayed: The Play-Pen-President is crawling ahead with his imagined ability to walk upright. Two of the worst American innovations has been Privatization and Deregulation-yet here we go again. The whole infrastructure of a nation as a profit center:
Utilities (Tennessee Valley Authority- Ichan Electric ), Airports (Taco Bell National ), Interstate Highway System (Koch Interstate Roadways).
All brought to us by the Bitcoin-President who wants to be America's virtual King.
2
This article provides a lot of insight in to the lack of ability that Trump has to do anything straight forward. He would rather tell 10 lies than one truth, even when citing the truth would be easier and more effective to do. What one sees here is a way for Trump to escape responsibility on a very important issue and to set up fall guys to blame later on when nothing gets accomplished. The "privatization" of anything is a way for a few people to make money, do a horrible job, and pay workers peanuts, as opposed to setting high standards, hiring qualified people and doing good work. There is nothing new in anything that Mr. Trump proposes on infrastructure and a lot that is so old old and worn out, it mimics the inadequacies of our infrastructure. There are many dangers with a Trump Administration in control, but the given is that we will have gone backwards, even if we don't blow ourselves up. This is a dismantling of government, not an attempt at making it more efficient and effective. The bottom line here is that we are witnessing the development of a fall out position for when revenue declines dramatically. By cutting the budget, it will appear less obvious.
2
As empty as Trump seems and is, the point of this "bill" is to signal to Republicans that Trump's priorities are those of their party writ large, shrinking government nearly to the point of meaningless and privatizing governmental institutions and assets as cheaply as possible, Russian style. Having given them this signal, how could they support impeachment of such a bold leader?
4
Infrastructure spending is really a stimulus that leaves long term results in the form of real things. The 1.5 trillion tax cut is a stimulus for trumps pals and the 1% which leaves long term nothing. We cant have both so trump chose his pals over the American people, Very Sad but predictable.
1
Probably best explanation of all things Trump, he can't really accomplish anything meaningful because that would require listening to experts in a given field or at a minimum reading up on the options and routes to a successful outcome and we all know he only listens to his own advice and does not read. It the long run it's probably better that his infrastructure plan is such a stinker because it is a con artist/crony capitalists dream plan.
1
It is surprising to me that Trump didn't propose a plan that would enrich the Trump family.
Honestly, isn't that why he is president? To enrich himself and his family?
1
People, including Paul Krugman and all NYT columnists, need to start discussing the elephant in the room. Big money in politics has turned our democracy into a plutocracy. It will take changes in the law and maybe changes in the constitution but until our politicians, at least the Democrats, start to work for the middle class and the poor and not the upper 1% our tribalism and political polarization will not abate. Until we figure out a way to bring civil dialogue back to life our nation's outlook looks bleak. This president and the repubs certainly won't fix it. The American voter will have to fix it by taking the corrosive nature of money away from Congress.
K Street lobby money and PAC money owns and controls congress. The American voter has no power or influence in Washington. Until we reverse Citizens United our country will continue to implode. Wake up people!
3
Yesterday Trump said "because sometimes states can't do it like we can do it or like other people can do it" Trump said "we. Is he going to use his businesses to make more money off of the American people?
1
$1.5 trillion...mainly paid for either by state and local governments..."
Paul,
This must be a huge shock to our governor, Henry McMaster. He was an early supporter and vocal advocate of for a president Trump. He is also a fiscal hawk to the nth degree. When modest bill to address our crumbling roads was put before him, he vetoed it. Where was the money to fix our roads going to come from? He hinted that it would come from the federal government in the form of Trump's infrastructure project.
So, how's that working out for you, governor?
Like Trump's first two wives, Gov. McMaster has learned, that if you get in bed with Trump, you get cheated on.
Just lost the ability to deduct my local New York State & New York City taxes from my federal return. I dare the state or city to try and raise taxes to fix infrastructure unless they want a lynch mob in Albany. Then again, maybe we can sell the MTA to Goldman Sachs or JP Morgan/Chase. The fares might rise but we will have a working system.
Donald Trump has long employed the use, and abuse, of other people’s money to do his building and his bidding. His “infrastructure plan” is of the same vein, shifting responsibility others so that when his plan fails, he has others to blame
This is not leadership, particularly from an individual who has routinely and apparently without conscience, repeatedly shirked his financial responsibilities to others by defaulting on financial obligations to lenders, contractors, and that’s just for a start.
Unless Trump can plaster his name on something, he is not particularly interested in it. He may yearn for the domestic equivalent of a Marshall Plan, replacing Marshall’s name with his own. However, with a track record increasingly of failure, fiscal irresponsibility and lining the pockets of only the wealthy, it seems that Trump’s superficial and largely unfunded plan is just another of a long list of cons designed to distract Americans by virtue only of its signage, rather than needed substance.
1
I guess since PK is confronted daily with how glaringly wrong he was about the economy under Trump, might as well talk about something else.
I think that the ONLY people who believe in and are going along with Trump's infrastructure scam ARE graduates from Trump University (or an equivalent education).
2
Trump won't be satisfied until everything -- the court system, fire, police, military -- are all in private hands. Imagine how much better off we all would be.
High tax, big spending liberal states already invest in infrastructure. That is why they have all the jobs and income. Low tax, low spending states refuse to invest in infrastructure. That is why they will always be poor.
Infrastructure renewal is what really would make America great again.
But for this, the President and the GOP will make America wait again.
1
This is no infrastructure plan. This is just scam that will enrich his rich cronies and donors who will borrow the money to pay for road, bridge, and dam improvements (and maybe even build a new airport or two or hospital or school) and we, the taxpayers, will get stuck footing the bill. Be prepared to pay to use most highways and to cross most bridges. And the money from these tolls won't be used for maintenance, etc., it will simply enrich the people who built it. Any losses, the taxpayer will be responsible for; any profits will go to the corporations.
All those Trump voters will have to contend with huge potholes, bridges that fall down, dams that break and trains that crash. And in the rural areas who steadfastly supported our President, and still do, their water and air will be polluted with the waste of unregulated mining.
1
The Conman & of course the entire GOP legislature is following the Koch's playbook. The libertarian Koch's & their dark money billionaire buddies want 2 things from the federal government - no taxes on billionaires & military protections for billionaires property. That's it. All other governmental functions should be either eliminated or privatized to generate more profits for billionaires. Luckily for the low-information Trumpeters the Koch's are getting their wish.
1
Privatizing major airports, roads, electric facilities (e.g., TVA), dams, and the rest is a step that cannot be undone. I hope Congress thinks hard about handing over the ownership and management of these vital pieces of infrastructure to corporations that not only cannot be trusted to do what's best for the citizenry, but also may not be around in 20 or 30 years. This is nothing short of Trump and his cronies abdicating their responsibility to govern, protect the people and the assets of our country.
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We will be following Russia's lead by concentrating wealth by the few, putting national assets on sale for pennies on the dollar, then allowing our own kleptocrats to consolidate their own fortunes. They can then charge us "rent" for the assets we have paid to build.
Our excess SS contributions built much of this infrastructure and selling it off at a loss threatens the ability of our nation to honor this obligation
3
Not to mention an attempt to take over these essential government functions so they can pocket more money. They learned well from their Russian friends.
4
Carla, You could also add stuffing the coffers of corporations; once again turning the population of our once great Nation into fodder for the users, the schemers, the corrupt and the morally bankrupt. I shudder to think of the outcome of this egregious proposal.
4
If the made up $1.5 trillion investment in infrastructure was true, Trump not only would have to rely on experts but in developing that endeavor, it would be obvious the need of immigrant workers and the need of massive imports of industrial supplies. EG do we produce all the necessary iron? Trump would be backtracking his most valued pillars: stopping immigration and trade in order to "make America great".
Additionally, it would also show Americans how the Trumps could perfect our very own Odebrecht.
3
This country better think seriously about its infrastructure. I live in a city that continued to kick the can down the road regarding our sewer system. In July 2017 the city agreed to a partial settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to resolve alleged Clean Water Act violations involving sewer overflows. What was the cost? Every household now pays approximately $45/month to resolve the problem! That's in addition to our water and quarterly sewer bills. IT's far better to resolve smaller problems now than to wait until we are in crisis mode.
6
If anyone thinks that Trump has really developed a serious plan to rebuild America's infrastructure, please take a look at the fine job his administration is doing in Puerto Rico. And the fine work he did with his casino in Atlantic City. And the fine work he did in building Trump University.
This guy is a flim-flam man, and his legacy appears to be nothing more than putting his name on properties that others actually build. And declaring bankruptcy, of course, when his poorly planned investments don't deliver the returns he promised.
6
My wife says I worry too much of things I am unable to change. For instance I drive a main highway twice a year. It used to be a two lane, full of potholes type of highway . All that has changed. It is now a four lane highway with no pot holes but it has a toll gate at each end. The toll is quite high but for once a year quite affordable. I worry about how I would pay for it if I used every day. I am told I would be a beneficiary and I get a discount so I should be glad. The discount is rather mean as the road was improved with private investment. and the investor of course needs to make a profit which the government has ordained to be tax free. On each side of the highway are huge mansions with endless gardens and there are horses that the children use. All this has to be maintained by workers who cannot afford the tolls.. I am told this is possible because the owners of these mansions use the feudal system to provide a room or two so that the staff don’t use the highway. Am I right to say the mansion owners are the cronies of the government, so they get the contract and benefit from the status quo.
3
It begs the question why Obama didn't push for more infrastructure spending. The Dems could have passed a massive infrastructure bill in 09 or 10 without any Republican support. But even after that, Obama could have used the bully pulpit to push for one. He could have harped on it every day. He didn't.
1
Your memory is short, Kyle.
Here's just one article from the internet: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/03/obama-calls-infrast...
It wasn't that long ago, Kyle. FOX is lying to you again, and you believe it. Again. Obama bad, Trump good. But it's not true.
Congress has to pass legislation for these things, not the president. Remember when the Republicans required 60 votes to get anything done under Obama?
Read, research, do what you must to get informed. He did harp on it. You forget, but that's not history's fault.
in '09 and '10, Obama was busy fighting two wars he didn't start. He was also plugging the sinking American economy. All problems which arose on the GOP's watch.
I guess persons of faith will say that it took God only 7 days to create the earth. But He didn't have the Republicans to deal with.
Paul says: “So the Trump administration probably couldn’t put together a real infrastructure plan even if it wanted to. And that’s why it didn’t.”
Of course, Trump himself didn’t put the plan together, and probably never read it. And why would the billionaire puppet masters want an infrastructure plan: they don’t need highways or other government services. They’re pretty comfortable and can run things from their yachts and golf clubs and an occasional island get together.
The GOP Congress may put out a plan intended primarily to put the Dems off balance and score a few points for 2018. But nothing much is going to happen.
2
An even better time for infrastructure investment would have been immediately after the Great Recession. Why didn't the Democrats take this on when they had control? Perhaps, they were overly focused on the health care albatross.
Two reasons: Mitch McConnell and Mitch McConnell. Well, a third: Paul Ryan.
OK, this is getting weird. Comments that 'innocently' wonder why Obama didn't push for infrastructure spending???? Look it up if you have forgotten in a few short years.
Look up "Obama infrastructure". Look up from right wing and leftie sites. Republicans: Obama wants to blow up the inflation gods with spending!! He wants to kill us all!!
You can't be this gullible, tRump voters. Just because FOX tells you something doesn't mean you lose all your ability to remember when you heard something different??
This is where I start worrying about America itself; when Republican voters chant 'death to democrats' in unison for no reason other than a con man delighted them by authorizing it.
1
This will work. His cronies and those connected will build the infrastructure with loans backed by government guarantees and make outside profits and then outside returns for the rest of their lives and the lives of their children. 99 year leases. Dynasties will be born. They will own larger and larger pieces of what should be owned by all of us, by each of us as citizens. We will pay taxes that will be called tolls or user fees or names and phrases yet to be created. The rich will get richer as capitalism and corruption feast on a tired and confused democracy. I mourn for my country.
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Well may you mourn. I grew up in Scotland admiring Americans most sincerely. I was born in 1948, in a free country thanks to America who defeated the Nazis. OK there were millions of Russians who also paid the price in lives, but if it hadn't been for the 'Essential Americans' as described by Churchill, Hitler wouldn't have been defeated.
Now America is neglecting its own average Joe who creates the wealth of a nation, but instead worships the Kochs. America allows its wealth to be spirited away to the Cayman Islands and other undeserving tax havens.
4
Thank you James for reminding me of a part of my American history that chokes me up a bit but strengthens my resolve.
2
You missed the whole premise is wrong, the gleaming bridges, etc. the ASCE grade of D+ is simply for existing infrastructure maintenance. Money is due for past millenium maintenance on railroads, bridges, subways, roads. Added on to that is simply bringing existing infrastructure up to 21st century standards based upon confident science estimates of changing climate change (no pun intended) conditions, for which zero, that be zip, null, money has been proposed.
Edifice complex - so that is what it's called. Why can't rich people be the quiet behind the scenes, doing good for "all" men, kind of people they used to be? A lot of private money went into our library systems, too, but thank God, at least around here, we still call it the "Public Library", and everyone is welcome comfortable using it. Putting your name on a building is just more evidence of what has gone wrong with society.
3
With the massive increase in defense spending and a tax bill that will result in less money coming in, Repub$ and "45" have decided that infrastructure spending is not as important as lining the pockets of the wealthy and increasing the profits of large corporations (increased defense spending).
1
I can't wait to see just how much in the way of tolls we'll be forced to pay private companies for the "privilege" of driving on the roads or bridges they built... and there's certainly going to be a double penalty since taxes will somehow be a foundation for their efforts....
1
I wonder, if the fraud, duplication and waste was eliminated from the Military Budget (let alone what could be saved from undoing the privatization of many support services), how much would that yield for infrastructure spending?
3
I am encouraged by President Trump's infrastructure plan; I like it because it places a measure of responsibility for the states to put up some money, to contribute their fair share. That means they might have to raise state and local taxes, which by the way are no longer subsidized fully by the federal government, one of the reasons why I am a huge fan of the Trump tax reform. Here in Tennessee, gas taxes were raised to pay for highway improvements, although some fiscal conservatives opposed the increase, Governor Haslem explained that out of state motorists who criss-cross the Volunteer state will pay the taxes too, and therefore pay for Tennessee highways. Yeah, that's the way should be. Liberals oppose this because they want the federal government to pay for everything. Liberals like high taxes. Well, a lot of those high taxes go into pockets of the overpaid bloated bureaucracy, especially in Washington, DC. Life, as I come to know, is different outside the Beltway, and the scion of New York, who is no our President, like it or not, knows that and is instituting policies that reflect that reality. I support the President. I support Trump. May he triumph triumphantly! Thank you.
1
I have often claimed that "Federal Property" is actually the property of the American people who bought or financed land, bridges, tunnels etc with their tax dollars. I've always been a bit disturbed at how the "People's Property" is doled out to resource Pirates and business interests. Now I strenuously object to the idea of the federal government "Privatizing" OUR property for their economic profiteering. The corruption just keeps piling on. I think we need to concentrate on Trump's areas of investments more than just his Tax returns.
2
Yet another example of trickle down economics at work - the federal government cuts and slashes with the standard talking point(s) that state and local governments, or even private enterprises, can do it better when they are the decision makers. State and local governments with either empty accounts, or lock boxes filed with IOU's , are then left with the decision to do nothing or raise local taxes to somehow hope to accomplish something. And a significant percentage of the voting public buys this tripe. Later, if even then, they wonder why things are crumbling under their very feet. The definition of insanity proved yet again.
1
"By the way, some Democrats feared that Trump really would go big on infrastructure, which might drive a wedge into their party and be highly popular besides."
Trump doing something meaningful or something to benefit ordinary Americans?
That is risible. Why do Democrats keep overestimating this guy (or underestimating him)?
Here's is how to think like Trump.
Think of a scenario where there is an optimum solution that benefits everybody. Then think of the exact opposite. He will choose the solution that benefits the fewest. He will reward the very rich. That is what Trump is going to do. And, if that is too hard to imagine, just think of an asteroid headed towards the earth. The Republicans have given that asteroid various names. It is called trickle-down economics, tax cuts or a multiplier. Whatever euphemism is used, the purpose is to detract from its real intent.
2
Mr. Trump's only experience with building is construction of Towers, golf courses and gambling casinos and the skating rink in Central Park.He does not move about the country experiencing crowded roads, unsafe trains and overburdened airports.To him infrastructure is an abstraction.He only builds to house and entertain the rich.No wonder he can't come up with a robust plan to replace and rebuild our infrastructure.
1
If the government builds a road, the workers have jobs and profits from construction of the road belong to the US. If a private contractor builds a road, the workers have jobs and profits from construction of the road belong to the contractor-who is probably a one-percenter.
I am afraid that many workers would prefer to work for the private contractor--hoping that they too can someday become a one-percenter---and ignoring the possibility that the contractor might stiff them on payment for their work. (I have heard that Trump has expertise in this area.)
6
Most blue collar workers are not clueless and would far prefer a government job that gives them and their families health care benefits, reasonable working hours and the prospect of a decent retirement. Subcontracting type jobs can be fleeting, with few benefits, decent hours, or salary guarantees.
On the other hand, this budget could be the beginning of the end of the finger pointing between the States and the Feds. For too long the Feds have been where all the blame went for problems with roads and bridges. In case anybody has forgotten, this is a Federal Republic, which means that States do the domestic stuff and leave the rest to the Feds. Yep, the taxes needed to fix the problems that have accumulated will be painful, and the States won't like imposing them, but if they want to fix bridges that don't carry Interstates or railroads, they will have to find their own way to raise the money.
1
Whatever the final budget, however it is achieved, and whatever both its more immediate and long-term valenced outcomes, controllable as well as uncontrollable ones, it is reasonable to consider that no policy makers, elected as well as selected ones, will take any personal responsibility. And we, ordinary folk, will continue to enable a range of unnecessary hurts, harms, and even deaths, to continue. Until the next election. Until the next selection. Party majorities may change. The lack of taking personal responsibility for words and deeds does not. And we have become immune to its toxicity.
13
"To do public investment successfully, you need leadership and advice from experts. And this administration doesn’t do expertise, in any field. Not only do experts have a nasty habit of telling you things you don’t want to hear, their loyalty is suspect: You never know when their professional ethics might kick in."
Dr. Krugman, you've hit it--the above point applies to just about everything this administration is involved with, and why, except for deregulation, it's accomplished so little.
Yes an infrastructure bill would require true expertise, not just those who would push numbers around on a pad trying to make it seem if they care about the financial math of however they've decided to spend taxpayers' money.
Like officials who get tainted by association with this demanding president, so do programs: which is why we have so much cutting and gutting but virtually no building of programs to benefit the American people.
56
Reading this infrastructure proposal is like reading “Frankenstein”. A monster is being born and that monster is Donald Trump
25
Except the monster has lots of money and power, and people fawn over him instead of driving him out..... Ick.
On the point about advice from experts, I suspect experts would advise this or any other president that big investments in infrastructure at this time would have to include major projects to protect areas most susceptible to suffer from climate change. Then, it would be a real paradox, even for this administration, to go on selling the idea of investing in projects to mitigate the effects of something the same administration says it's not happening.
55
I wish I could take credit for the following which appeared as an anonymous comment in a local paper yesterday in response to an article about Trump's "plan".
"Here is what Trump's magical arithmetic looks like. The feds put in $200 billion. That gets "leveraged" somehow up to $1500 billion with state and local funds and private money. $1300 billion will have to come from state, local, and private funding. Maine has about 1/250 of the population of the country as a whole. $1300 billion divided by 250 comes out to be $5.2 billion in state, local, and private funding for Maine over 10 years. So Maine will have to come up with $520,000,000 a year. State budget hawks are going to have a cow."
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It’s not surprising Trump wants to sell off federally held assets to private entities. This is similar to what happened in Russia, where the country’s resources became owned by small groups of people who amassed great wealth, which they then take out of the country and hide in places like the Cayman Islands or purchasing $50M apartments in NYC.
111
Private entities with foreign investors like in Blackstone. $20billion from the Saudis into Blackstone infrastructure fund already. Yes, the same Saudis that produced most of the 9/11 terrorists. America is not only open for business, it is for sale.
If Russian oligarchs are taking their wealth out of Russia and putting it in "$50 million apartments in NYC", where is the Trump family going to put their wealth? Russia? Actually, this is less of a joke than most people think. Trump did have (has?) plans to build a Trump tower in Moscow.
I wonder how many of those pregnant Russian women lying around Miami Beach hotels waiting to deliver babies in the U.S. are the wives of those same Russian plunderers? Guess who then become able to be elected POTUS? This is too scary to dismiss outright. The Manchurian candidate was elected, even if he didn't know it.
So, public services get privatized. Who then pays for them? Who profits from the private enterprises?
There is a school of political thought that says that it makes sense for people who use services to pay for them. The fly in that ointment is that many public services contribute to the general good. If people aren't willing to pay taxes to support them, we won't have those services.
30
Look at what a commute costs Washingtonians coming into DC these days on the "toll road" Sixty dollars one way I believe.
Republians don't believe there is any such thing as the general good.
Trump is all about the grand announcement, the showmanship, and the chance to put his ridiculous signature on some order or piece of legislation he hasn't read. Any details come from the cabal with which he has surrounded himself. They would love every bridge, highway, road, and dam to be owned by one of their wealthy class so that average Americans could be tolled (taxed) to death for every move they make, for the water they drink, and for the opportunity to flush their waste through the best ever Trump sewer system (no gold plate needed).
84
Republicans hate taxes because those are paid by the rich. The Republicans love tolls because those are paid by everyone else.
You are correct. Just look at Argentina which sold off its public highways. It costs more to drive 50 miles outside of Buenos Aires than it currently does to drive from Maine to Florida. Taking money out of the education system makes more dumb voters who will follow Trump bites. We are doomed if the electorate does not wake up by November.
1
I thought the one thing Trump would do is infrastructure..While he was a builder, he built tall buildings at first, golf courses and the skating rink. That's is not airports, railroads, bridges, tunnels. He doesn't know how to even begin such projects which require interstate cooperation, cost sharing, etc. That is totally beyond his scope and abilities. How will his base which rationalizes everything he does, rationalize a nonstarter infrastructure program?
53
Because it was Hillary’s fault (somehow)
Of the three entities, federal government, state government and private industry, it seems to me the states are likely the best owners/overseers of the massive projects needing doing. There are problems with all three, but the federal government is distant and inefficient. The last thing you'd want are private companies in full charge, with short term profit motives and little regulation - remember Big Pharma and Big Tobacco when thinking about global warming and lack of adequate regulation.
State/local government would raise money through taxation, probably heavily so on corporations, thus taking back some of what the GOP just handed them. But it means rural areas with no corporate tax base would rarely have the budgets to fix anything. This proposal needs a lot of thinking about but in the U.S. there really aren't any non-problematic solutions, only less bad ones. We are the same country who can't fix healthcare or infrastructure or mass shootings or anti-scientific silliness let alone cultural problems so it's best to leave endless Washington political wrangling out of the country's serious infrastructure needs.
80
There are plenty of examples of countries who HAVE fixed their infrastructure: (hint: they do not spend 3.5% of their GDP on military)
3
Doubtful that states will raise taxes on corporations. Corporations can just move to another state, like Delaware-ooh-most of them are there already. Also, look at all the cities that promised the sun, moon and the stars to Amazon to have the new HQ? Most states can't even pay for their schools! No, states will not raise taxes on companies enough to finance infrastructure improvements.
4
Robbi
Do you really think states will tax corporations that fill the coffers of political fundraising? States will tax their own people and then the federal government can say they gave the middle class a tax break, but the states took it away.
3
It's even worse. Per NYT, while reporting on the recent departure of Rachel Brand from the DOJ:
"Under the revised policy, Ms. Brand said, the Justice Department will not “use its enforcement authority to effectively convert agency guidance documents into binding rules.” Moreover, she said, Justice Department lawyers, who represent federal agencies in court, “may not use noncompliance with guidance documents as a basis for proving violations of applicable law.”
In a footnote, the Trump administration makes clear that the new policy has broad ramifications: It applies to any civil lawsuits filed on behalf of the federal government to “impose penalties for violations of federal health, safety, civil rights or environmental laws.” It also applies to cases in which the government asserts that health care providers or federal contractors defrauded the government by filing false or inflated claims."
Got that? Translation - the DOJ will not enforce federal agency guidelines to go after government contractors who rip off the government, period. Or, as Charles Pierce says, this is ringing the dinner bell for would-be "infrastructure contractors". Baby, the fix is in - every last piece of it. A regular feeding frenzy, and we're the meat.
162
...and what are y'all willing to do about it?
...
Write pitiful letters to the editor and vow to show'em in the next election. Ha!
There isn't going to be any "private sector money" put into infrastructure. The private sector is going to borrow the money from the same people that the Federal Government would borrow the money from, at perhaps at a higher interest rate. In either scenario we the people have to pay back the loans through tolls or user fees. The difference is that with private sector owners we also have to pay them profits that would otherwise accrue to the tax payer. Meanwhile, they would be certain to negotiate contracts that insulate them from any real project risk.
Our infrastructure deficits consist of many types of projects that are of no interest to private sector owners, such as small bridges and urban water pipe replacement. So let's stop talking about "private sector money" that doesn't exist.
97
Since Trump is apparently not going to raise the money to do an adequate infrastructure plan, it will simply be up to the states and cities to provide for themselves. NY can lead the way by sharing information on how it built and maintained its outstanding public subway system.
9
Being from Maine, perhaps you're not the best spokesman for the latest condition and performance of New York's public subway system.
However, I think NY's Governor Cuomo has done an excellent job rebuilding New York's crumbling bridges including the Kosciusko, the Tappen Zee, and the Goethels to New Jersey. All 3 are beauties and went up in what I thought was record time.
Governments have a history of overpaying favored vendors. Trump has few real buddies or friends and a long history of stiffing his vendors. He would be the ideal president to do infrastructure. All he has to do is think of all the stuff he would build as his stuff, and stiff whoever builds it, and we get infrastructure at a reasonable price. We will just have the minor inconvenience that everything would be named after him.
37
He certainly comes from the right place; recent Times coverage revealing that a mile of subway in the city costs as much as 7 times more than similar projects in Paris or London may provide a clue. Corruption underground, corruption on the surface....even corruption in the air (LGA)...that's NYC for you.
Privatization is another way of giving more power and resources to the already wealthy. In the first third of the 19th century, Spanish governments expropriated lands that the Church had accumulated over the centuries, with the purpose of creating a strong middle class and giving lands to common people. It goes without saying that the near totality of the lands went to the aristocracy and financially powerful groups. If this plan goes ahead, we can be sure that the same thing would happen here.
90
Here is a possibly worthy infrastructure project: retrofitting an old coal fired electrical generating station with carbon-sequestration technology. It would replace aging infrastructure, it would develop the technology that could save the steam coal industry, it would be good for the environment. And there is a private half of a public-private partnership ready to go, a consortium of coal and utility companies.
Oops. That was the FutureGen 2 project, funded by the Obama "stimulus" infrastructure bill in 2009. Unfortunately the project didn't succeed, it folded six years later.
But the ARRA was an overall success, funding a lot of projects on a lot of wish lists. And economists give it credit for a big chunk of the the long expansion.
And somehow the Obama administration managed to find a long list of ready-to-go projects around the country, and figure out the funding, and get a bill together, and passed, in just a month. While 13 months after taking office and yapping often about infrastructure, the Trumpies emit a document that was put together by speechwriters and political operatives. Instead of planners and civil engineers.
67
C’mon – Trump’s finally delivering on a campaign promise. This so-called ‘infrastructure plan’ is a tiny Federal match after a state had somehow come up with the lion's share. Trump campaigned that he could do infrastructure because he ‘knows how to build things.’ And he’s now delivering what he promised he knew how to do: building with other people’s money and sticking his own name on it.
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If only Debtor Donald and the Republicans hadn't handed $1.5 trillion to the already super-rich perhaps there might be some money for a true infrastructure plan. In fact, with even a modest tax increase on the 1%, there would be plenty of money for sweeping public works. Instead, even at $200 billion for this laughable sham plan, it's more irresponsible Republican debt.
This type of sophistry reminds me of those late night TV commercials offering magical "university" courses on financial secrets.
89
thank you...don't know why this hasn't been mentioned before...
Would private purchasers of government assets receive benefits from the 200 billion?
7
A very disheartening column.
Well, elections have consequences. The last election also had terrible consequences, which we are enduring.
Hillary Clinton's hubris perhaps got us Trump. But there's some chance that we may get a Democratic Congress next year. With that things may improve. Hope Democrats would play it safe.
25
Stop blaming Hilary. The people who didn't vote and the people who voted for Trump got us Trump.
3
Yes, any woman with the gall to suppose SHE could be president has hubris.
2
And did YOU chant "Lock Her Up"?
...
America has proven to favor "Liars, Cheats and Thieves" by a majority when they rejected Hillary and Al Gore...two of the "best and brightest" public managers this nation could have elected but instead - both times - chose GOP two-bit, double-shuffle floor riggers! Elections do have consequences.
2
Trumpo’s climate denial cabal won’t allow any climate science into infrastructure planning:
Roads won’t have the proper ratio of asphalt to deal with increasing temperatures over the decades of their expected useful life.
Bridges and highways in coastal areas won’t be built with the required elevation to deal with rising tides and flooding inevitable in the oceans as the ice caps and glaciers melt in the Article and Antarctica.
Public works will be built where flooding will predictably occur over the foreseeable future.
This politically driven fact averse Ostrich like approach will end up costing the tax payers billions more than if the science supported to by 99.9% of the data were followed.
I guess my grandchildren and great grandchildren yet unborn who will be footing the bill will have the consolation of telling the folks in Trumplandia now in charge of this folly “I told you so” as they look down on their graves.
58
Back in the day, did you ever try to rent a cheap old house that was in bad need of repair? I did.
The landlord says;
"I'll rent it to you cheap but if anything goes wrong you fix it. Don't bother me with your problems.
If you want to paint, you buy the paint and you paint it.
If the hot water heater goes out, you buy the hot water heater and you put it in. I'm going to eventually sell the house or bulldoze it because the land is more valuable than the house.
Don't bother me with your problems."
Our government today is that landlord and they have zero intentions of ever fixing any of the destruction they have wrought since Reagan. They don't have to.
I tend to agree with Charles Blows' latest column "G.O.P. Visions of Tectonic Realignment"
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/11/opinion/trump-republican-realignment....
"This is much bigger than Trump alone. This is the big game for all the marbles. Trump is simply a useful and temporary tool in this endeavor. This is why many of the most powerful conservatives in this country are betraying their supposed values, ignoring the moral conundrum and continuing to support Trump: He is a means to an end, a necessarily piece of the big picture. This is about a tectonic realignment."
The GOP message is "Don't bother me with your problems"
105
Thank you. Great comments.
1
As I see it, Trump and his comrades do not want to do anything that will improve America.
Hence this scam of a proposal, that will not produce any benefit for the country.
Their sole goal is to undermine as much of the American infrastructure: political, legal, diplomatic and physical, as quickly as they possibly can.
Boss Putin is watching.
44
Considering this president's worship of all things Putin one has to wonder what it is about the infrastructure plan that appeals to him. Skip past the details of trying to get someone else to pay for the proposed projects, something obviously based on Trump's long history of branding without paying. Look instead at how many could become inviolably indebted to him through his beneficent cronyism. Oh, wait, does that sound like Putin?
19
Hey Paul,
You are an expert Keynesian economist and yet a lot of your predictions haven’t come true for example the break up of the Euro. And what about the necessary second dose of stimulus required in the latter half of the Obama admin? So what good would it have done Trump if he listened to this expert Nobel economist?
3
Please show me your analysis of this situation and the reasons why you would come up with a different opinion: Krugman has been more right than he has been wrong, but I guess it is easy (although intellectually lazy) to use anecdotal arguments.
1
I posted this on another budget related article, but I think the numbers speak for themselves:
From a Forbes report last year:
Nearly one in five Americans — 74 million people — rely on Medicaid to stay healthy and independent. Federal law guarantees Medicaid coverage to pregnant women, children, elderly and disabled people under certain income levels.
And from the same report:
Medicare and Social Security are not “entitlement” programs. They are earned benefit programs created for specific purposes.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/nextavenue/2017/12/12/why-big-medicare-and-...
And you know, of course, that the plan is for the Feds to cut funding to the states and let them manage Medicare individually. What could possibly go wrong?
So, let me ask you, what sort of country as (presumably) wealthy and "religious" as the U.S. would choose military spending over funding worthwhile programs to help Americans?
52
How do we get this message to the people who watch FOX 24/7? How do you get people who have no interest in hearing anything else to hear something else? The FOX crowd is selling Trump's message hook, line and big sinker to the sleepy watchers as what Trump said it was. The thing is, since Trump doesn't read, the people who come up with these ideas behind the scenes (and there are probably many) tell The Donald verbally what is in the material and give him the idea that this is great for "the base" and for him. He accepts it all, same same. Hook, line and stinker. They have done themselves so much harm by supporting this man and they have no (zero) clue how it will come back to hurt them in a few years. Distressing.
30
Precisely. Trump wasn't created he emerged to fill a vacuum created by ignorance. Trump isn't the true enemy of democracy, ignorance is. He attacks the media, science and academia because the more people read, learn and know, the more dangerous they are. Every right-wing authoritarian in the history of mankind has attacked intellectuals and centres of learning. These people thrive in an environment of ignorance.
1
You get the message to the Fox acolytes by voting in every election, in overwhelming numbers.
1
There is actually nothing puzzling why the nonplan.
First Trump can't plan other than scheming to profit himself or his family. As to why he would not spend real money there is a simple answer too. No he is not worry about the deficit though he probably knows he will not have support from the GOP establishment to spend real public money even though he is "king of debt".
On the subject of deficit. No the reason the GOP worried about deficit before is not because there was a Democrat in the WH but because there is a black man in the WH. They can't let a black man succeed, can they? So they obstruct, and obstruct, and obstruct. Remember McConnell said about the most important priority of the GOP: make sure Obama is a one term president.
18
I seem to recall similar strategy against Clinton with the “Contract for America” scam.
Well said, Krugman, but my two dogs eat much better breakfasts than this proposal. Sad, sad, so so sad.
10
Hey Paul,
Weren’t you the guy who advocated a higher debt burden over the next handful of years? Isn’t Trump heeding this advice.
1
Did you actually read the article? Trump is not heeding this advice, and the objection is not about the spending.
2
Hey Greg, Mr. Krugman did not advocate a higher debt to give big tax cuts to the rich! So no, Trump is not heeding this advice - any advice, if it comes to it...
1
I don’t think he was advocating debt via giving trillions to the Uber wealthy. So your rational is meaningless.
So when do we stop the daily whining and start a concerted nationwide effort of the silent majority to bring this to an end?
22
An example of this so-called plan can be seen in Puerto Rico, yes? Puerto Rico, left largely abandoned by the Trump Administration and where, even now, people are left without electricity and having to boil water. "The island’s power and water utilities require wholesale rebuilding to achieve resilience against the next big storm" (link below). As will also be true for Florida, Louisiana, and Texas. Who will pay for these massive infrastructure projects before the next disaster strikes? On the Trump credit card, you're on your own.
Puerto Rico Needs More Than a Bandage
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/12/opinion/puerto-rico-water-electricity...?
11
Given the repeated refrain that Citizens United is a core issue at the heart of of dis-balance in the system, why are the Democrats not aggressively pursuing a change in the law as a top priority? Corporations' designation as a legal person is a legal fiction, a good one, for raising and disbursing capital, but not for making public policy. Corporations are designed to serve shareholders and have a very limited long term view. In fact, they have no legal duty to serve their communities, other than to comply with laws that regulate their behavior. They are not designed to implement long term public policy. But everyone feeds at the same trough.
12
Citizens United is not a law, it is a Supreme Court decision. The Democratic party cannot do anything directly about it. Long term they can win elections so a D President can appoint new justices that are confirmed by a D Senate. The justices may then rule differently in future campaign finance cases.
1
Patrick you nailed it. Why doesn't anyone else see this? Why are we focusing on issues that won't be fixed until Citizens United is reversed. We are so blind.
@Patrick: The best path to overturning Citizens United — a Supreme Court decision — would have been to appoint reasonable justices. President Obama was prevented from doing so by Mitch McConnell. The real question is, why did voters reward this outrage by voting in more Republicans?
1
Wait a minute: couldn't a big beautiful wall be classified as infrastructure? How about if they build a road on top of it? Or maybe a monorail (they could get Homer Simpson to run it!).
34
What is stopping Trump from making it one long giant hotel? It could be a tremendous attraction! It could include golf courses and amusement parks and be like Las Vegas, only huge. Think about it. It could like a demilitarized zone, where people who want jobs or vacations from either country could go. It would be interesting to see who goes for what. There could even be a university. And steaks. And clothing stores with Ivanka's stuff in it. And it could be paid for by Trump and his investors. I just don't understand why Trump thinks so small? Maybe it's because he is more the analytical and observant type, not so much with the creativity and forethought. Well, no worries, that's what people like me are for, for men like Trump to get great ideas. You are welcome.
15
An extra fee will get you access to the back door and this entry into another country
Predators will be predators. Simple as that.
32
Trump will be long remembered as the president who proved beyond doubt that the notion of running the government like a business -- as George Bush Jr. promised before reality caught up with him -- is nonsense. Government can and should be run with common sense and a dedication to economies, but as a business? Nope. Business is business; it relies on gaining advantage; government is America's primary institution for realizing the things we cherish and creating the society celebrated in our national lore.
194
I have long said there is a reason why we do not elect businessmen as President. It never ends well. Hoover, the quasi-businessman, Shrub, and now the ultimate degradation...Trump.
No more business dweebs as President. The job is far too big for them. They are in way, way, over their heads.
Did Paul suppose that by electing undivided Republican federal government, and two-thirds of state governors and partisan state legislative chambers that are Republican, somehow we were going to be governed by Democratic assumptions?
Of course we’re going to privatize where we can; and of course we’re going seed an infrastructure bill with federal monies, seeking to place responsibility for infrastructure maintenance where traditionally it has always focused – on states, counties and municipalities. And of course we’re going invite private enterprise to provide major funding, in return for benefits such as toll roads, bridges and tunnels. Of course we’re going to seek to unburden those states and constituent elements from largely unfunded federal mandates that over the years have DESTROYED their ability to invest in infrastructure as they once did. Paul needs to accept that Republicans are NOT the party that believes that the federal government must be the all-embracing solver of every imaginable problem.
States have their own depts. of transportation to plan infrastructure projects that can be executed in part with federal funding, in part with their own funding and in part by private funding. For those states that want to place multi-year, hugely expensive environmental studies athwart any attempt to build something, they’re perfectly free to let their regulatory agencies run riot – and perhaps not see so much new development, as private money seeks fewer barriers.
2
Welcome to reality. You LOST. Republicans argue that Americans will benefit, where their states allow them to, by new and better-maintained infrastructure, under more appropriate local control that will have the resources to better drive the process. And it’s Republicans who call the tune.
If Paul wants more centralized control and funding of an infrastructure rescue-plan, and one that largely bans from participation all those icky private interests, then he can just help get more Dems elected. If he CAN. Until then, look for SOME version of Trump’s plan to gather legs in Congress.
Now, the entirety of Trump’s budget obviously is a stalking horse to give congressional Republicans up for re-election political cover from a president NOT up for re-election. It’s not salable as currently presented, so Paul can breathe a moderate sigh of relief. However, while entitlements are not likely to be slashed egregiously and the federal portion of the proposed infrastructure plan likely will be greater, don’t expect the virgin-birth of a liberal Messiah here.
Consider: we lived for years by continuing resolution, based on the priorities of a long-dead Democratic Congress, because a divided Congress couldn’t agree on new priorities. Republicans remember that. If Dems take one house this November, we’ll live again under CRs for the remainder of Trump’s term (at least). Expect them to pass this year a REPUBLICAN budget that will set the table for possible future CRs.
1
Very well explained. As I understand your point, apart from the snark, what Dr. Krugman said is true, and the presentation of the bill by the Trump administration is misleading. There is no large investment, just seed funding to help private companies assume the government role in infrastructure.
I don’t think Dr. Krugman or any other thoughtful readers are surprised by this. The article is useful because it clarifies the spin given by the Trump administration which claimed this was a 1.5T infrastructure bill. In fact, there is no significant federal investment, just an increase to the debt and a mechanism to transfer wealth to the corporate class that supports the Republican Party.
You appear to support this approach, while I don’t. At least we should be able to discuss the merits without the nonsense. Dr. Krugman helps both us enormously in that regard.
40
Brian:
The intent clearly is that there be an immense investment in our infrastructure and that responsibility for managing it devolve more centrally on the states, where it resided before they became so overburdened by unfunded federal mandates and couldn't AVOID letting their bridges fall into their rivers. It's just that the investment would largely come from private enterprise, which would save public funds for other priorities.
You may possess no sense of humor regarding Paul's transparent desire to see Republicans simply become liberal Democrats, but I decidedly do.
2
There was a time when our country was capable of great infrastructure projects. The transcontinental railway system, Hoover dam, the highway system, and the expansion of high speed internet kept us at the forefront. We were able to move products, people, and ideas across our vast country and around the world. Our greatest strength has always been our innovation.
For those who say the government can't do great things, let's look at what the WPA accomplished during the aftermath of the depression:
39,370 schools were built, improved, or renovated
We built 2,550 hospitals; 1,074 libraries; 2,700 firehouses; 15,100 auditoriums, gymnasiums, & recreational buildings; 1,050 airports; 500 water treatment plants; 12,800 playgrounds; 900 swimming pools; & 1,200 skating rinks
1,000 tunnels were dug
639,000 roads were surfaced
1 million miles of sidewalks, curbs, street lighting, & drainage ditches were installed
Since Reagan coined the attitude that the government is the problem we've forgotten what our country is capable of doing when the federal government partners with state & local governments. Private Enterprise is all well and good but they can't compete with the government for improving the function of our communities so that they work better for everyone and not just the wealthy.
Trump & the GOP have put forward a weak plan because they profit from private enterprises rather than government works. Wouldn't it be nice if we started investing in our country again.
294
And yet the guy Richard commenting right next to you sees none of that. That would be too “Democrat” as he would say.
We build great things , they blow things up. I really hope our days of great leadership in the world are not over. We can’t even keep up with maintaining the infrastructure we have now.
12
In this day and age Eisenhower would be considered a left-leaning moderate Democrat. Republicans have drifted so far right their crosses are starting to twist.
4
All of the public investments you list are what helped make this country great for all except one, the railroads. The railroads were one of the best kleptocratic scams ever put on this nation in the post civil war era. Carnegie, for one, could not have made the money he did on steel without picking the pocket of the public first in railroads. The Guided Age was one kleptocratic scam after another. Banking, oil, beef and labor were all advanced by kleptocracy.
Trump came into the presidency by surprise to himself as well as the rest of us (maybe "shock" would be a better word) and he's still at square one, not having learned anything over the past year. He depends on the Republican congress to deliver ideas, tinkers with them, and throws in so many contradictions that the government keeps screeching to a halt. His real interests are his own fantasies (the Wall, the military parade), to show off his importance. Meanwhile he makes speeches about the importance of national security, when national insecurity is all he's delivering--at great peril to the country. Putin must be very pleased.
64
The problems with infrastructure are directly related to a long term process of less funding when tax dollars among state and local budgets have been diverted to other areas such as increases for police and fire services. Meanwhile federal grants to states have decreased while some states rely on gas tax revenue receive less funding because of all things more efficient and economical automobiles. One would think that of all public services that infrastructure would be the most readily perceived fair tax, but with tax obligations increasing across the board to states for everything else, federal savings initiatives offer little help, while taxes and user fees from states and local government have continually increased since 1980's. The "real tax" for most people is something that is a mystery in today's world, which is a clever way of avoiding the "public" good.
7
There may not be much appearance of planning in the harum-scarum Trump administration when it comes to its WH appointments, its security screening of WH staffers or its thoughtless remarks about women and race, but when it comes to money, Republicans sure do know what they're doing.
Want a conspiracy theory? This one is being put into practice.
The Citizens United decision handed over more political clout than they already had to the vastly wealthy, who now supply more than three quarters of the money spent in political campaigns.
Next step. Give the monied class that already owns more than eighty percent of the nation's wealth even more money--and with that money more power--with a giant tax gift to that same overly privileged minority, a gift that also handily provides an excuse to take even more away from those who can least afford the loss. Gotta do something about that deficit, you know, regardless of who created it.
And now the infrastructure plan which claims to rely for funding on local taxes ion already over-burdened cities, counties and states but really looks to enlist those who already have all the money with promises of a hefty return, including in some cases outright infrastructure ownership, on their investment.
We have no choice. Gotta pay for an expanded military and gotta lower taxes on corporations and the ultra-rich, you know.
The result? Ever increasing inequity and political imbalance.
Is all that too wild a conspiracy to believe?
54
The idea of selling assets like National Airport (as a part of Trump’s infrastructure plan) is really hilarious, because all the representatives and senators fly out of National Airport to their home districts every Thursday and fly back to National every Sunday or Monday. (Yes, it’s true; Congresspersons are only part-time legislators.) There’s a world-wide record of what happens when public facilities are privatized; the new owners frequently loot the asset, run it into the ground, and then abandon what’s left. But even if National Airport isn’t abandoned, the Congresspersons will still face increased costs, decreased efficiency, and an environment that has all the charm and refinement of a rest stop on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
And if you think National will be a disaster under private management, just think for a moment what would happen to Dulles under similar circumstances. Dulles is already a giant labyrinth that’s hard for travelers to negotiate; with even a little more disfunction, it will be absolutely unmanageable.
Rough on the traveling public; but we can all get a good laugh, when Republican Congresspersons have to go all the way to Baltimore to get a flight out.
26
Baltimore airport would suffer from the same situation as National And Dulles.
I guess the senators will have to rely on privately chartered flights paid for by their Masters
Rolling expenses to states and municipalities is a hidden TAX HIKE!
(it forces states to eventually raise their taxes and they don't have the luxury to quite as irresponsible as the federal government)
22
Because of the restriction on deducting state and local taxes, states and cities will not have the funds to “partner” on infrastructure projects with the federal government because they can’t raise taxes. Instead private sector funding sources will be tapped like hedge funds which will bear little or no risk to see the projects to completion. The US will be sea to sea BIG DITCH.
21
Thanks for making this point. With the criminal wealth transfer of middle class and lower class monies to the wealthy and corporations--the Republicans just passed--the states will have a lot less to work with.
15
Trump may not deliver any substantive plan for the nation's infrastructure, but he has delivered another sound bite for his Believers. Those are the only people he's talking to, and that's all he cares about. Trump believes if he delivers on his promises to Trumpites he will continue to win. The best part for him is that he doesn't actually have to deliver anything at all. He just has to say that his announcement is, in fact, the delivery. For Trumpites, his word is gospel and they will believe it. Will it be enough to continue to get republicans and eventually Trump re elected? The 2018 election will begin to tell that tale.
23
We have Trumpy. We deserve what we voted for. It's no more complicated than that.
8
Most of us voted for Hillary Clinton; a great majority of voters were against Trump, when you also consider third-party contenders. Trump won with a minority sculpted by the Electoral College, henceforward to be known as the Electoral Curse.
49
Brooks' expectation -- and that of others -- that Trump would be interested in common infrastructure is the source of the current despair. Don't despair anyone. Once you realize that the Trump plan is to make as many corporate and oligarch friends as possible while in government by giving away as much public property as possible and by indebting the public in order to pay for his sychophantic largess to his handers, then the reasons for all the subsidiary activities his administration attempts become clear. It's always been about money, power and the influence to obtain, and it always will be. There is no Trump. There is only a water boy for the elite plutocrats. The media participates in this conspiracy to point to Trump as if he is the main thing. He's not. He's simply a foot soldier doing the bidding of Goldman Sachs, the military industrial complex and the cartel of corporate overlords, unleashed by Citizens United unlimited funding. But time is running out. The population, day by day, is realizing more and more that the swindle of the century is on.
Infrastructure funding? Forget about it.
28
Infrastructure is the last thing congressional Republicans want to do. The only reason they're doing it now is to provide a fig leaf for even more savage cuts in federal social welfare programs.
Conveniently, there's no other money to spare after massive tax cuts heavily tilted towards the wealthy. They're already fudging their numbers with unrealistic GDP growth and federal revenue projections. (The best estimates are the Obama recovery trend line continues with a few tenths percent increase. And the treasury may see 10-40 cents back per extra dollar foregone in additional deficit spending.)
So with crocodile tears in their eyes, Republicans will bemoan shredding Medicare, Social Security, and Medicaid because the country is 'broke.' They really have no other choice but to be the fiscal adults in the room.
Well, if you want to see where the wealth is, go to the gated communities, the yacht clubs, the exclusive resorts, and the private airports where the top 0.1% live and play. They'll definitely be breaking new ground there. And they'll only need to give up a small fraction of their latest tax cuts to buy yet more political and media influence.
My guess is they won't want to give back much money for infrastructure they don't directly benefit from. Not without two pounds of flesh for every ounce they forego.
That, as they say, is no way to run a railroad, let alone a country. But it is how you run a banana republic with an entrenched and entitled aristocracy.
34
The plan as Grover Norquist has put it is to starve the beast and drown it in the bathtub or something similar. Then you can say quite correctly we do not have the money so we have to cut Medicaid, Medical etc. Anything for the public good for these idealogues is to be shunned like it is the plague.
2
This is not tRumps agenda it is the ideology of the Libertarian followers of Ayn Rand, the privatization of all services possible.
We do have a history of what happens when such an economic course is followed. As the years have gone by since the 1850s, cities counties and even states have had to finance necessary projects such as sewer systems, water systems, clean up rivers and polluted lands. They did so by issuing public debt. By 2005 a quarter of all public debt was locked up in public projects, roads, dams sewer systems, Then we began to see the proliferation of fees and higher property taxes.
Fees for just about any state, county, or city services and permits, inspections, records. then in 2007 much of that income dried up, and those agencies what had invested in risky securities and derivatives were going broke, even rich counties like Orange County California went bankrupt.
Those people who might be paying less income tax, will be paying more in those fees, than they save in taxes. The interest on the bonds the government has to sell to get the money for its projects has to be paid, Those interest payments mean even less money for needed government services, so the money will come from the residents.
This is the free market society, no regulations to keep businesses and politicians from swindling you. If you are nice to them, the rich may give you a piece of cake.
16
Like you said Paul...they can't dare have government work...so god forbid them getting behind anything that there would end of with "something to show for it". Tax cuts, that's the tickets, poof, no traces there.
18
At no time has Trump presented a thoughtful reasoned initiative to the American people.The man operates by instinct.Off the cuff. His so-called infrastructure program is a farce as described by Krugman. Is anyone surprised? Trump lurches from crisis to crisis. Only three more years.Then fire him. At the ballot box.
39
And never have one man's instincts have been so bad as to imperil an entire modern nation. How people actually believed this cretin's shtick and voted accordingly is beyond comprehension.
2
Why wait for 2020? Trump could be neutered in the 2018 election.
1
Please don't say "only three more years"! Say prison time for this (insert expletive of your choice).
1
Dr Krugman ,
I am a Canadian and this is what I see happening.
I have been writing how the USA's future lies with Russia not with the Western democracies. I have been writing that Canadian values and the values of the GOP and Trump are not compatible.
Many of us have been waiting for Trump and the GOP to announce that Canada is the existential enemy and today even our newspaper of record the Toronto Star felt free to say what so many of us have been saying and thinking since Reagan. We are the enemy. We are everything the GOP loathes we are a successful liberal democracy.
Trumps remarks on trade with Canada are the lead in today's Toronto Star.
https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2018/02/12/canada-does-not-treat-us-r...
When Trump was elected president the unthinkable happened for me the USA became the enemy. With most of my family and friends American it is difficult to think of them as the enemy.
Democracy is a fragile thing and seeing it happen in my lifetime in Canada has been wonderful. Watching it disappear in the USA is tragic.
While we experiment with guaranteed annual income America seeks to further punish the 30% who will never master the modern world.
87% percent of the USA economy happens in urban enclaves infrastructure means urban transit, air cargo, and rail. GOP infrastructure is 1950s and fixing it will not turn back the clock. America will have repaired infrastructure but it will still be obsolete.
204
As someone who deeply respects Canada, let me say this: anything that Republicans recommend, do the opposite.
So, open your borders! (Well, at least make it easier for those of us who agree with you to defect even if we’re not rich or young.)
1
As long as you go back to vote in November
Loved the way Trump praised Wisconsin’s Governor Scott Walker during this meeting, saying Walker has done a “fantastic job.”
Interesting Walker was in the room. Walker’s been in office eight years.
Wisconsin’s roads are exemplary of Walker’s ineptness of keeping them safe and updated. Embarrassing for us to have out of state tourists come here. They frequently comment about that tourist realization.
Along with so many other “fantastic” things Walker has done.
For example trying to take healthcare away from the disabled and seniors - Family Care; the feds halted that. Defunding public schools, but handing taxpayer paid vouchers to private religious churches/schools, right up Betsy DeVos’s alley, our no college degree in education Secretary of Education. Appointing a no college educated woman, Cathy Stepp, to head our Department of Natural Resources, very scientific! Waters in areas here are toxic due to no oversite of regulation of groundwater’s and mega farms. (Stepp is now at the EPA - what does that tell you about that organization)
Walker’s cost the state many dollars with all the redistricting and voter ID issues that have gone to the courts, curbing fair and just elections, Now in Supreme Court.
This could go on and on, but Donald’s idea of “fantastic” and love of Foxconn invading Wisconsin he mentioned, is far many of our idea of “fantastic”.
We’re going to boot Walker out in November, no matter what Donald says.
That will be fantastic!
169
I hope we boot him, but we failed to recall him when we had the chance, so I take nothing for granted anymore. I am as shocked when this dropout moron got elected as with Trump, but I shouldn’t be because having lived here over 20 years now, I am still dismayed at the blatant racism on full display in this state. People will vote for a moron because they believe the moron will quit giving their hard-earned money to all those mythical welfare queens they all moved to the suburbs to escape. So now, I save $12 on my property tax and pay a $30 “wheel tax” when I register my car. The stupid, it burns!
3
How about getting rid of Ryan while you're at it
1
Almost every trip on a road results in commerce in one way or another. What business does not require infrastructure to bring it power, raw materials, delivery of finished goods, or customers?
The real question is why are Republicans opposed to infrastructure? And of course, why cannot Democrats frame the issue that should be like shooting ducks in a barrel?
23
They are not opposed to infrastructure: just paying for it. And the rich can build their private roads and gated communities.
1
Sanders will now convince trump base that he is paying for the infrastructure himself out of the goodness of his heart. And they'll believe it.
18
jay Stephen
SARAH SANDERS, THE PRESS SECRETARY, DEALS IN TRUTH. THE PRESIDENT'S BASE ARE NOT FOOLS. YOUR STATEMENT IS RIDICULOUS.
The republicans wouldn't let President Obama work on infrastructure. Now, they'll give trump anything he wants -- no taxes for improving infrastructure -- tax cuts for not improving infrastructure. It makes NO sense.
36
It's as if the whole country has been enrolled in Trump University. The tuition is high and the degree is hard knocks. Let's hope that we can get one foot out the door in 2018 and escape totally in 2020.
72
If Trump had really meant what he said and hired and worked with the best people to come up with real solutions to America's systemic problems, it might have very well been tolerable for most Americans to have a demagogue in the White House.
Its actually quite heartening to learn that skilled Americans, those who can actually do their jobs and come up with creative solutions have no interest or inclination to work for this administration. And that is what will ultimately doom it: you can only go so far in flaring up division among people. At the end of the day, you need real solutions, which as Mr. Krugman shows so eloquently, is just not possible for this administration.
34
The "greatest infrastructure plan" ever!
It's not even smoke and mirrors, it's a house of cards.
Middle America, with it's sewage and drinking water systems going out should be grateful though. Can you imagine the damage he would do if he actually spent the money that's needed!? Probably less than 50% would actually reach the projects they claim to be designing while the rest would end up in the pockets of the cronies.
Infrastructure should be designed for the new climate, not the desert of ideas that Trump lives in.
China is building roads made with solar energy built in. Trump is lining his pockets. Even conservative Britain is doing more than we are under Trump.
21
I'm no economist, but it doesn't take one to think logically about the economic situation of our country and what we should be doing.
Over the last 9 years I've thinking about what needed to be done, and, more importantly, what were the specific set of circumstances that existed that we could take advantage of.
The huge elephant in the room was the situation of low interest rates (near zero). That meant we could have taken advantage of massive borrowing and spending on infrastructure that would have meant huge employment and expansion of the economy, with little cost.
We've never had that opportunity in my lifetime, and it seemed an obvious win-win for the country.
But, no. Republicans threw cold water on Obama's plans to have a meaningful stimulus package, and instead, started railing about deficits for the first time since Reagan began creating them.
Opportunity lost, I thought. But, Dr. Krugman says we can still do it. It's not too late.
All it will take is Democrats being willing to put country over party, and not be like the never-Obama Republican movement. (Which I consider real treason, not sitting on their hands during a speech.) They would need to work with President Trump, perhaps even getting him to go against the mainstream Republicans he campaigned so hard against.
So, can it happen? Maybe not. But, I honestly have more hope for that than for Republicans doing anything that is right.
10
In Texas, reluctant Republican elected state leadership is slowing warming up to the idea of using some of the state budget surplus ("Rainy Day Fund") to expand the flood control infrastructure that would be needed to avert another Harvey disaster. This is because of public pressure that won't fade away from hundreds of thousands of Houston area residents who will never forget what they endured and what they lost during and after the storm. However, while American voters hate potholes, I suspect few are driving to work every day preoccupied with the condition of the bridges they are crossing or the water and sewer lines beneath them. Infrastructure can be like a hidden heart condition, only in disastrous failure does it become an urgent issue, which typically allows politicians to focus more on topics small but self-serving. So I'm hard pressed to imagine measurable political damage to Trump if he is all talk and no action on this one.
9
On my 2013 visit to China we took 5 internal flights as part of our Viking tour. Every airport was modern and efficient. The flights, although tourist class all provided meals. The American travel experience is ok but not as good as some other countries. I understand the finest is the Middle East airlines like Emirates. The Donald is using taxpayer money to provide all of his over the top travel these days. How about if we fix things so he has to get private funding for his fun and games instead of using taxpayer dollars. if the inaugural extravaganza can be privately funded why can't we make it so that taxpayers only pay for actual government functions without frills?
15
It is sad that when we can’t get infrastructure right. This has been ignored for years by many administrations. Your comment about the fear of Democrats that he might actually champion a popular program is telling regarding how things work in DC. Whoever is not in control hopes the other party fails.
1
When the party in power is trying as hard as possible to destroy anything not owned by the top 0.1% can you blame them?
This same edition of the NYT highlights the number of US localities with Safe Drinking Water Act violations in need of remedy. Similar needs have been identified with respect to climate-smart engineering design as our dams, roads and bridges are updated. With an EPA that actually was about the environment and its protection, the opportunities for federal leadership of an infrastructure program would be obvious. But not with Trump. And not with Pruitt.
13
Remember that Trump is a real estate investor, which means he simply loves debt. Remember, too, his history in real estate, which is a tendency to walk away from failing projects, leaving others to hold the bag. And don't forget how much he (and the Trump Organization - think of the project in Louisiana) tries to take advantage of tax loopholes not available to others. So it's largely smoke and mirrors, as is this bogus infrastructure plan. What amazes me is that he can bamboozle so many people.
21
Given our Fake President's obvious coziness with, and admiration for, Putin and his Russian cronies, was this "federal divestiture of assets" plan at all inspired by the enormous historical transfer of Soviet state wealth to Vladimir's oligarchs, his most loyal followers? In addition to the disproportionate recent tax benefits provided to this Administration's most favored groups, the millionaires, billionaires, and corporations, it would hardly be surprising if in addition to providing those benefits Trump would also be eager to provide these deep-pocketed supporters with some marvelous investment opportunities for their dollars. Assume nothing.
8
Perhaps you've forgotten that Trump introduced an infrastucture program in the lobby of Trump Tower a few days after the murder of Heather Heyer in Charlottesville. He had his aides roll out a flow chart about 12 feet long detailing the infrastructure program. Then he went on his tirade about "good people on both sides." We have not heard a peep from him about infrastructure until today. I did not see a similar flow chart today. Maybe in all those months one of his aides told him that such a flow chart played a huge role in dooming Hillary's health care proposal in the early 1990s. I am sure Trump did not remember it himself. He was "friends" with the Clintons at the time.
3
Trump came to fix the problem of how much he pays in taxes.
That has been accomplished. Job done.
13
ERIC SEKYERE
SILLY STATEMENT REFERRING TO THE PRESIDENT, A BILLIONAIRE.
Re: "SILLY STATEMENT REFERRING TO THE PRESIDENT, A BILLIONAIRE."
Without his tax returns we really don't know if he is a billionaire or not. His tax cut, regardless, was self serving.
3
Privatize the infrastructure, so instead of receiving basic services at reasonable cost, we can pay the maximum price the market will bear.
18
Atlanta GA offers a look back at Atlanta, GA's 20 year agreement with United Water (subsid of French company). The experience was so awful they had to cancel the contract in less than 5 years. Privatization has shown no cost savings and evidence of profit taking at the expense of the water - a sure thing with the Trump administration. Private ownership of not only water, but roads, jails, and other municipal services, amounts to a monopoly, a "get rich" scheme for the super rich.
Sounds like this govt doesn't want badly needed infrastructure improvements - just more profit for the already insanely rich. Anybody want to buy the Brooklyn Bridge?
16
America’s wealthy class are “post-infrastructure “, meaning that they don’t need the governments infrastructure projects for their extensive private property holdings. They can manage their own infrastructure needs just fine thank you. Just reduce their taxes periodically, that extra money will substitute just fine as profit, as though it was actually the product of hard work! Instead let’s just figure out how to transfer public infrastructure into private hands, that way the wealthy class will recover some of their lost wealth paid out in taxes years ago!
7
The question I am asking myself nowadays is: how can a system that elect incompetents to lead expect good decisions? Are there any instrumentes to correct the mishap? Every new proposal that may appear to have some content ends being a scam that, fortunately until now, does not advance to far. However, a budget will have to be approved and probably the only thing we will end up seeing will be the "Wall!"
9
Trump's comments today were a diversion from the intent of a "Fundamentalist-Conservative" controlled Congress. The infrastructure plan has no intent other than to allow Trump to say he fulfilled another campaign promise.
The comments that are central to the already planned, increase in deficit and debt spending, combined with new spending proposed for infrastructure, are those of Paul Ryan. The additional deficit and debt spending allows him as soon as possible to officially propose reducing shrinking our social safety nets.
Mr. Ryan recently stated that "How you tackle the debt and the deficit,... is by "entitlement reform." Not just "entitlement" but "giant entitlement," i.e., Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
Todays press conference was about reminding Trump supporters that we're going to spend to the heavens on our "already-strongest-on-earth-by-more-than-our-adversaries-combined" military.
The infrastructure proposals were typical Trump lies, which is fine with his supporters. And the proposed additional cost provides fuel to call Trumpists to the Shout Radio, FOX News barricades to demand cuts to everything else.
Tax restructuring, infrastructure spending, and entitlement reform are all about getting rid of The New Deal, instituting an Ayn Rand society, and shifting debt to the people.
81
I favor cutting defense spending, instituting universal health care, raising taxes on the wealthy, closing corporate loopholes, ending carried interest, hiring more IRS investigators to catch tax cheats, and reversing the recently enacted corporate tax cuts. All of these things would increase federal government revenues, enable us to re-build our nation's infrastructure and, perhaps, put us on a path to making America great again. But supporting these actions makes me a socialist, according to those with the superior value system.
698
@Larry St. Paul, MN: "I favor cutting defense spending, instituting universal health care, raising taxes on the wealthy, closing corporate loopholes, ending carried interest, hiring more IRS investigators to catch tax cheats, and reversing the recently enacted corporate tax cuts. All of these things would increase federal government revenues, enable us to re-build our nation's infrastructure and, perhaps, put us on a path to making America great again. But supporting these actions makes me a socialist, according to those with the superior value system."
You have MY vote!
6
Larry for President! You have my vote!
4
There is nothing wrong with being a Socialist...be proud as it is the mark of an extremely advanced society that values life and progress for all it's citizens. I am tired of people speaking of Socialism like it's something shameful like an addiction to porn ....it's a better way and btw has nothing to do w/ Communism.
2
I knew this was coming, after all a person had to know, but I am still shaken by the mix of arrogance and meanness in this set of budget proposals. The question will be how much can the Democrats change these proposals, but I do not know and so I worry.
125
"Part of the answer is that in practice Trump always defers to Republican orthodoxy"
There really are no Trump people. He is an outsider. He had to get whatever people he could find from other places.
Bernie had suggested that made him ripe for takeover. The Republicans did, and Democrats didn't, going all The Russians Are Coming instead. Opportunity missed. The blank slate was handed over to Ryan and McConnell.
18
Ummm...you really think Democrats had an opening at some point to coopt the dotard? When exactly would that have been?
...or...the Republican worked with the Republicans
John -- When Bernie suggested it, right after the election, while Trump was still in shocked surprise at being elected, and had no useful people and no programs around him. Lost.
"True, we’re no longer a depressed economy that needs public investment to put the unemployed back to work; massive infrastructure spending would have been an even better idea five years ago."
Workforce participation is low, long term unemployment and underemployment is high (Labor Dept U-6), and many are still in inferior jobs like college students flipping burgers or doing minimum wage sales. So while the U-3 short term unemployment rate is down, the deeper measures are not.
This means that there is considerable capacity to be mobilized in our economy. Apart from the very real impact on individuals, the national economy has potential to generate GDP and taxes on a much larger scale. That is still quite depressed too. This is much like the under utilization we had as the Great Depression moved from recovery to mobilization for war. We can do it without the war.
34
Yes, but do these underemployed people have the skills or the interest to work on these types of reconstruction projects, and to potentially relocate to where the labor is needed? I'm skeptical about that.
11
You are so right about under-utilized human resources in the US, and I would sure like to see Professor Krugman talking a lot more about under-employment and mobilizing those resources than the “things could be a lot worse” talk that we've been hearing from him recently. He obviously knows the truth in what you have written here, and I hope to hear him expanding on your way of thinking soon.
15
The distinction is the crowding out of private investment that would not have happened if we had done it 5 years ago when pressed into the interest rate zero lower bound.
1