NYT: Trump’s ‘Great National Infrastructure Program’? Stalled [W:258]

[Helix]

It really concerns me that I agree with trump on something economic.

I'm just a silly little pragmatic Democrat who believes in paying his fair share across the board in this Nation's economy .

There's an argument to be made for toll roads, and an opposing argument that we should just prioritize highway maintenance funding instead.

 

[jghiretire]

No one said he is a king. However, the constant conspiracy theories and investigations by the resistatards are paving the way for a permanent political class that can do as it choses.

Um....seems Trump getting elected put us well on the way - the resistatards seem to be the GOP.

 

[JasperL]

Which came first...the phrases you suck, or CNN spending 87% of its programming for 18 months acting as a propaganda wing for the DNC? The fact is the media outlets have been embarrassing themselves for decades.

LOL, love your made up 87% number. Where did you get that? A Breitbart 'study' or something? Besides, Trump got $billions in free publicity from that same media you're (and he's) now whining about. Poor babies. Bottom line is handling the media and controlling the message is in fact part of the job of a competent administration. Trump apparently can't handle that part of the job, either.

As to the point, it doesn't really matter what came first. Bottom line is if you spend months attacking the media, and you're a fool/moron/brain dead if you expect the media to give you the benefit of the doubt. Again, this is stuff my local city council members understand. You'd think the POTUS or at least people on his team would get it.

 

[VanceMack]

LOL, love your made up 87% number. Where did you get that? A Breitbart 'study' or something? Besides, Trump got $billions in free publicity from that same media you're (and he's) now whining about. Poor babies. Bottom line is handling the media and controlling the message is in fact part of the job of a competent administration. Trump apparently can't handle that part of the job, either.

As to the point, it doesn't really matter what came first. Bottom line is if you spend months attacking the media, and you're a fool/moron/brain dead if you expect the media to give you the benefit of the doubt. Again, this is stuff my local city council members understand. You'd think the POTUS or at least people on his team would get it.

Actually...what Trump found was that spending months attacking the media appealed to the majority of thinking Americans who arent complete mindless ****ing partisan trolls that dance along to the same mindless beat as the media. Thats one of the reasons he is sitting in the White House now.

 

[JasperL]

It really concerns me that I agree with trump on something economic.

I'm just a silly little pragmatic Democrat who believes in paying his fair share across the board in this Nation's economy .

I don't generally agree with tolls. IMO, it's just political cowardice - an unwillingness to raise the revenue through taxes necessary to fund basic infrastructure. And even if I concede the point of charging users a direct user fee for a particular stretch of road, I'm REALLY hesitant to concede that the best way to do it is to privatize (corporatize) those public assets, like interstates. I expect government to be corrupt and to hand those assets over to Wall Street and the Fortune 500 at fire sale prices. It's just how it seems to work.

More than anything, on a practical level, I just can't stand them. My inlaws live near a tolled stretch of highway near the beach in Alabama. I think the idea was to get a bunch of beach tourists to pay the cost of the road, which is fine. But what happens in real life mostly is the locals and tourists use the untolled section all the time, then get off right before the toll, and congest the "free" road to the same place.

And every time I drive in Florida now I want to pull out my hair dealing with all the damn toll booths, and needing rolls of quarters to get around there now. My last trip I rented a car in Orlando, didn't think to bring a roll of quarters with me on the plane, and had to run two toll booths because I didn't have change and it was late and they were unattended. After the second, I drive around for 15 minutes to find a convenience store open at midnight to get the quarters I need to get to the hotel. So when I got home, I get a bill for the tolls plus a fee from the rental car company.... Completely sours me on driving down there. Hate it.

 

[jghiretire]

1. He probably just said it because it sounded good at the moment.

2. If it's stalled, that's probably a good thing. We'd most likely end up turning a lot of our highways into toll roads. My commute is bad enough without paying some political donor five bucks a day for the privilege.

I know, just what we need. Traffic around here is bad enough as it is. We already have enough officials trying to much it up/

 

[JasperL]

Actually...what Trump found was that spending months attacking the media appealed to the majority of thinking Americans who arent complete mindless ****ing partisan trolls that dance along to the same mindless beat as the media. Thats one of the reasons he is sitting in the White House now.

Well, IMO, most of those buying his attacks on the media are complete mindless ****ing partisan trolls. We see it on DP - people dismissing stories as "fake news" just because they're reported by the "media" outlets that aren't Trump boot lickers and ass kissers. Can you cite any evidence the media is less reliable now than in, say, 1980? I've never seen it. But Trump attacks the "media" and the lemmings believe him.

On a related point, where did you get your made up 87% number about CNN?

I've got a lot of problems with "the media" - especially 24 hour cable news, which I don't watch - but most of it is that the business model doesn't work well anymore and so the "media" survives based on clicks and therefore click bait. But serious news orgs are from all I can see in the evidence as reliable as they've ever been. Trump and his supporters just don't like that they're accurately reporting the cluster F that is this WH, so far at least.

 

[jghiretire]

This is absolutely an example of why he should put away the Twitter, stop responding the legions of ****heads motivated solely by their hatred, and press on with his actual agenda. He does himself and the country a disservice. If he is going to have a snowballs chance in Hell...he has to change. Others dont have to change...so **** them.

Scaramucci says we should adjust to Trump:shock: Shouldn't Trump adjust to us??? I know silly me.

 

[jghiretire]

Heads roll. Trump seems to have no problem firing those he hired when they displease.

If Trump could fire Senators, I think he would have. Trump may have thought the Senators who previously voted to repeal Obamacare would also do it when it counts. To those of us who feel there is no integrity in DC, this is no surprise.

Maybe he thought they did have integrity...

I find it interesting that just about all the Republican Senators ran saying they would repeal Obamacare and now they won't do it.

They don't seem to fear voter retaliation at the polls. I wonder why they don't fear a voter uprising on this.

Some of them will say that "we the people" don't pay their salary. Sadly - they're probably right.

 

[Nickyjo]

If he wasn't fighting off the resistatards, he would have more time to work on his plan.

Things will get better once he has a republican House and Senate...

 

[Nickyjo]

I know, just what we need. Traffic around here is bad enough as it is. We already have enough officials trying to much it up/

Actually, that's what I heard about the likely GOP infrastructure plan... That it will be public private partnership with business able to collect fees for use.

 

[jghiretire]

Actually, that's what I heard about the likely GOP infrastructure plan... That it will be public private partnership with business able to collect fees for use.

One major toll highway up here is controlled by a company in Texas. As I understand it, 70 -75% of the revenue goes to them. Makes no sense whatsoever. At least keep it in the damn state.

 

[Nickyjo]

One major toll highway up here is controlled by a company in Texas. As I understand it, 70 -75% of the revenue goes to them. Makes no sense whatsoever. At least keep it in the damn state.

The left often supports welfare for the poor, at times ignoring absurdities in some programs. The right often supports welfare for the rich, at times ignoring its absurdities. Those in the middle don't recognize that they, too, gets subsidies.

 

[VanceMack]

Scaramucci says we should adjust to Trump:shock: Shouldn't Trump adjust to us??? I know silly me.

Why should he adjust to you any more than you should adjust to him?

At the end of the day, if he wants to get things on his agenda accomplished he is goign to have to change the way he does business. He can do whatever he can via EO, but at the end of the day, he needs congress.

I watched the video of Scaramucci talking with Jake Tapper. If people want to see the difference in the media, watch Tapper interviewing ANYONE from the Trump administration and then watch videos of Tapper blowing members of the DNC.

 

[VanceMack]

Well, IMO, most of those buying his attacks on the media are complete mindless ****ing partisan trolls. We see it on DP - people dismissing stories as "fake news" just because they're reported by the "media" outlets that aren't Trump boot lickers and ass kissers. Can you cite any evidence the media is less reliable now than in, say, 1980? I've never seen it. But Trump attacks the "media" and the lemmings believe him.

On a related point, where did you get your made up 87% number about CNN?

I've got a lot of problems with "the media" - especially 24 hour cable news, which I don't watch - but most of it is that the business model doesn't work well anymore and so the "media" survives based on clicks and therefore click bait. But serious news orgs are from all I can see in the evidence as reliable as they've ever been. Trump and his supporters just don't like that they're accurately reporting the cluster F that is this WH, so far at least.

WHen you have the producers and execs from CNN admitting they are full of **** and just pumping lies for the sake of ratings, you dont need to go much further to see examples of fake news. Trump isnt doing himself any favors, but the media in this country is a joke and they have been for decades. They arent journalists anymore...they are partisan propaganda outlets.

 

[JasperL]

WHen you have the producers and execs from CNN admitting they are full of **** and just pumping lies for the sake of ratings, you dont need to go much further to see examples of fake news. Trump isnt doing himself any favors, but the media in this country is a joke and they have been for decades. They arent journalists anymore...they are partisan propaganda outlets.

Specifically, who is "the media" who are a "joke"? All of them? There are no reporters in print or on TV who you trust and who do laudable work? Not a single person? Similarly, who is "they" who are not journalists anymore?

And how do you get informed on the issues, on happenings in D.C. or locally? Are you in D.C. and are getting your information first hand, with your own interviews? Same for your state and local news? It's all first hand? I kind of doubt it, so all you know about politics etc. you get from the media, which is a joke and you can't trust them, but you're still somehow informed by these incompetent jokes who tell you everything you know about the country and what's happening in it...

That's the problem with the Trump attacks and your comment. You're treating "the media" as if it's this homogeneous blob of people who are share the same traits. It's complete nonsense. The WAPO, for example, has over 600 journalists on staff. There are good reporters and less good, and if you're objective at all, and you're not on this topic, you can no more make generalizations about them as a group than I can say, "All Republicans are a joke!" Some are, many aren't.

And I know what your definition of "partisan propaganda outlet" is and it's any media left of Breitbart, or which speaks ill of right wingers, so give us a break with that stuff.

 

[VanceMack]

Specifically, who is "the media" who are a "joke"? All of them? There are no reporters in print or on TV who you trust and who do laudable work? Not a single person? Similarly, who is "they" who are not journalists anymore?

And how do you get informed on the issues, on happenings in D.C. or locally? Are you in D.C. and are getting your information first hand, with your own interviews? Same for your state and local news? It's all first hand? I kind of doubt it, so all you know about politics etc. you get from the media, which is a joke and you can't trust them, but you're still somehow informed by these incompetent jokes who tell you everything you know about the country and what's happening in it...

That's the problem with the Trump attacks and your comment. You're treating "the media" as if it's this homogeneous blob of people who are share the same traits. It's complete nonsense. The WAPO, for example, has over 600 journalists on staff. There are good reporters and less good, and if you're objective at all, and you're not on this topic, you can no more make generalizations about them as a group than I can say, "All Republicans are a joke!" Some are, many aren't.

And I know what your definition of "partisan propaganda outlet" is and it's any media left of Breitbart, or which speaks ill of right wingers, so give us a break with that stuff.

There isnt a mainstream media outlet that is worth a damn. Fox is slanted to the right. Pretty much ALL the rest are slanted to the left. Have been for decades. And something tells me you have had no problem seeing Fox news as GOP biased but the rest...well...thats different. Or...reasons and stuff.

 

[iguanaman]

We all know that the journalists at the NYT can no longer be trusted on the veracity of the news they report. They are no better than Breitbart or Fox. I think it is more noteworthy that Bloomberg has come out personally to point out that all this heckling and badmouthing it harming us all. As Huffington Post reports "He illustrated his point by comparing America with other countries where, according to Bloomberg, people will try to “tear down the government” and “have a revolution” if they lose an election." And he is right. The liberals have lost it.

Never in history has a minority been so bent on sticking it to the majority. That is what you are seeing a backlash against. A President who instead of changing gears when his polling shows he is failing, doubles down on the clumsy abrasiveness which excites his angry "troops"and horrifies the rest of us. Trump is bringing himself down in a blaze anger and hate and has only himself to blame. He weill never grasp that Americans want a President who will serve them not the other way around.

 

[Puigb]

He needs to learn to ignore trolls, not respond to them in kind.

Trump is the biggest troll of them all...

 

[Puigb]

You know what's even more stupid than that?

Assuming that anyone who understands that Trump is a fraud is a Hillary supporter. Now, that's just totally absurd.

You have to understand that in Trump's GOP, you can't disagree with ANYTHING Trump does or says, or that automatically makes you a liberal, Clinton supporter, RINO, "Socialist", etc. Trump is apparently the new face of American conservatism, and if you don't kiss his ass, you are a traitor in the minds of the far right. Just ask Ted Cruz, who was absolutely trashed by GOP voters when he didn't endorse Trump last July at the GOP convention. He of course "changed his mind" later...to save his political career.

 

[apdst]

Alternative history! Seriously, how can you have lived through the record number of filibusters during the Obama years and believe that nonsense?



The fact is Obama got his detailed infrastructure and stimulus plan proposed nearly on day 1 and passed within a month or so. Six months in, Trump still hasn't staffed the committee to make proposals and recommendations.

Did Obamacare and the Stealfromus bills pass, or not?

 

[joG]

I would dig up the NYTimes article from July 2009 about how Obama hadn't moved on his infrastructure agenda at all, except Obama got his passed in February.

As long as one has to "dig up an article" there is no real problem.

 

[joG]

We've never had a president like this, so it stands to reason that the reporting is different. That doesn't mean the reporting is unfair.

It is not really a problem of being "unfair". It is the general way smoke is produces and talked about in stead of explaining policies and why they are poor.

 

[Bergslagstroll]

Actually, that's what I heard about the likely GOP infrastructure plan... That it will be public private partnership with business able to collect fees for use.

Public private partnership, PPP has led to a lot of problems and that projects become much costlier. Because it often much costlier for private companies than governments to borrow money and the private companies should also have their profit. Other problems are underuse and risk of corruption.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public–private_partnership

In Sweden, it has led to that a building of a big hospital has become much more expensive.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karolinska_University_Hospital

While Arlanda Express, the train between Stockholm and Sweden’s biggest airport have very costly tickets and the railway is underused.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arlanda_Express

That Trump seem to be more about continue the last couple of decades of failed neo liberal policies instead of real change. Not only then it comes to PPP but also for example huge tax cuts for the wealthy and welfare cuts.

 

[MTAtech]

We've never had a president like this, so it stands to reason that the reporting is different. That doesn't mean the reporting is unfair.

It is not really a problem of being "unfair". It is the general way smoke is produced and talked about instead of explaining policies and why they are poor.

This is what we have: there is growing evidence that members of the Trump inner circle did indeed collude with Russia during the election; while, Trump's statements and tweets strongly suggest that he's willing both to abuse his pardon power and to fire Robert Mueller, provoking a constitutional crisis, rather than allow investigation into this scandal to proceed; while the House and Senate prepare bills that take away health insurance from millions of Americans -- a bill that is half as popular than Obamacare, according to recent polls; while the Trump Admin floats an infrastructure idea that, if enacted, would transfer wealth from the public to private hands.

So, the Russian story is out there and acting as a distraction from the awful health care bills -- and other awful policies. The problem for the media is that the spotlight can't be on every one of Trump and GOP outrages, as they seem to crop up like weeds. Nobody should ignore Trump-Putin collusion. Our democracy is on the line. But the Russian scandal sucks the air out of the room for other scandals, such as depriving millions of health care.

None of this is the fault of the media; it's the fault of an administration that produces so many objects of disdain. But I think the media is doing a reasonable job in telling the story and why the policies are poor. The lead story in this thread is an example.