IKE

[Cheeseburger_in_paradise]

We know the economy is in the tank. Here's an idea! We can learn a lot from history. President Dwight Eisenhower created the Interstate Highway System here in America. How he did it was unique. You see, long before World War II, he took part in a military exercise to drive military vehicles across the United States. He learned first hand the appalling state of American highways. In many places, they were barely improved trails. The situation stuck in his mind, and during World War II, he got to see first hand the fine highways of Europe, and Germany's autobahn. This stuck in his mind also. So when he became President, me made it a priority to improve American highways and create a well functioning system like that of Germany.

 

The question was, how to fund such a massive undertaking? With the armistice of the Korean War he had an idea: what would happen if the military was massively cut back and the money saved used to build an interstate highway system? But how to get it past Congress and the Senate without it looking like a massive public works project reminiscent of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal projects? Well, why not declare the Interstate Highway System a necessary part of national defense?

 

Selling it this way worked too. Funding for the massive project of building an interstate highway system across all of America floated through Congress. Eisenhower signed the bill authorizing construction in 1956. It wasn't completed until 1990. The final actual cost came out just over $130 billion. But look what America got for that money: a fine interstate highway system stretching from coast to coast and to every corner of the the lower 48. I'm betting Ike would be disturbed at the state of American highways and infrastructure today. We've neglected his legacy. We've seen the result of this in numerous bridge and overpass failures. The situation, according to highway engineers, is only going to get worse. I'm usually more of a free market thinking kind of guy, and this is definitely more of a Keynesian approach. But I believe our highways and railroads are critical to the health of our country. And I think Obama is already on this. But it's my idea. We will be winding down in Iraq, not leaving mind you. We are still in Korea, after all. But I see this happening.

[RLflutie7]

We know the economy is in the tank. Here's an idea! We can learn a lot from history. President Dwight Eisenhower created the Interstate Highway System here in America. How he did it was unique. You see, long before World War II, he took part in a military exercise to drive military vehicles across the United States. He learned first hand the appalling state of American highways. In many places, they were barely improved trails. The situation stuck in his mind, and during World War II, he got to see first hand the fine highways of Europe, and Germany's autobahn. This stuck in his mind also. So when he became President, me made it a priority to improve American highways and create a well functioning system like that of Germany.

 

The question was, how to fund such a massive undertaking? With the armistice of the Korean War he had an idea: what would happen if the military was massively cut back and the money saved used to build an interstate highway system? But how to get it past Congress and the Senate without it looking like a massive public works project reminiscent of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal projects? Well, why not declare the Interstate Highway System a necessary part of national defense?

 

Selling it this way worked too. Funding for the massive project of building an interstate highway system across all of America floated through Congress. Eisenhower signed the bill authorizing construction in 1956. It wasn't completed until 1990. The final actual cost came out just over $130 billion. But look what America got for that money: a fine interstate highway system stretching from coast to coast and to every corner of the the lower 48. I'm betting Ike would be disturbed at the state of American highways and infrastructure today. We've neglected his legacy. We've seen the result of this in numerous bridge and overpass failures. The situation, according to highway engineers, is only going to get worse. I'm usually more of a free market thinking kind of guy, and this is definitely more of a Keynesian approach. But I believe our highways and railroads are critical to the health of our country. And I think Obama is already on this. But it's my idea. We will be winding down in Iraq, not leaving mind you. We are still in Korea, after all. But I see this happening.

 

 

 

You have a great idea. I thought Obama was going to do this.

 

Most of our roads need to be rebuilt. The two lane system is from the 50's. I think we can make it four lanes on both sides of the interstate system.

 

We can also make roads have two lanes on each side rather than one. People drive these big SUVs we need more space. I was thinking we could have truck and SUV lanes and car lanes.

 

I drove to the Michigan 400 Nascar race and that was a mess. US 12 was a field of pot holes. Plus it was just two lanes. I couldn't pass anyone. I have never seen roads in such bad shape.

 

I also have seen this work. I drove the road between Vegas and Phoenix many times and the state made certain parts of 93 two lanes and that was a huge improvement.

[ExiledInIllinois]

I think I was reading somewhere that with America infrastructure and especially the roads... We tend to do things on the cheap... IE: not go with the best concrete that will give many more years service life.

 

It is catching up with us.

 

"You can pay me now, or you can always pay me later!"

[Cheeseburger_in_paradise]

You have a great idea. I thought Obama was going to do this.

 

Most of our roads need to be rebuilt. The two lane system is from the 50's. I think we can make it four lanes on both sides of the interstate system.

 

We can also make roads have two lanes on each side rather than one. People drive these big SUVs we need more space. I was thinking we could have truck and SUV lanes and car lanes.

 

I drove to the Michigan 400 Nascar race and that was a mess. US 12 was a field of pot holes. Plus it was just two lanes. I couldn't pass anyone. I have never seen roads in such bad shape.

 

I also have seen this work. I drove the road between Vegas and Phoenix many times and the state made certain parts of 93 two lanes and that was a huge improvement.

 

Let's let government do what it does best. National defense, and building roads. And trains, high speed trains like they have in Europe and Japan, in places where it makes sense. I know I'm not the only one seeing this. The infrastructure is in dire need of repair and upgrade. We are a country dependent on transportation for the movement of goods. I am not a governnment spending kind of thinker; but this would be good for the country for many years to come.

[ExiledInIllinois]

Let's let government do what it does best. National defense, and building roads. And trains, high speed trains like they have in Europe and Japan, in places where it makes sense. I know I'm not the only one seeing this. The infrastructure is in dire need of repair and upgrade. We are a country dependent on transportation for the movement of goods. I am not a governnment spending kind of thinker; but this would be good for the country for many years to come.

 

 

 

In the US... We can't get past our Puritanical roots when it comes to dropping a dime for others, especially our own! Don't want to spoil the kidlets...

 

[Tux of Borg]

Spending money we don't have isn't going to turn things around. Washington is long overdue to make painful cuts to the budget.

[Cheeseburger_in_paradise]

Spending money we don't have isn't going to turn things around. Washington is long overdue to make painful cuts to the budget.

 

If they downsize the military anyway, like they always do after a war, there will will money left on the table. You think government is going to give it back? They never have before. The very reason we have an income tax was to pay for of WWI. That thing has been over since 1918. I'm just saying, there are worse ways they could spend it, than on the transportation infrastructure.

[UConn James]

I think I was reading somewhere that with America infrastructure and especially the roads... We tend to do things on the cheap... IE: not go with the best concrete that will give many more years service life.

 

It is catching up with us.

 

"You can pay me now, or you can always pay me later!"

 

Well, let's be real clear here. Cheaper materials are selected for a reason --- to keep DOT employees in a job and to max out budgets so they can get more $ next year and piss that away on more stupid and/or half-ass projects.

 

I think it was someone here a while back that compared govt spending to "Brewster's Millions." Where Richard Pryor had to blow through $30M in 30 days so he could get an even bigger $300M inheritance, only there were loopholes in how he could spend it and all that.

 

People come up with some real whopper metaphors and comparisons here, but I'd have to say that's about the best simple explanation of how the govt budgeting/spending process goes that I've heard.

[Adam]

Spending money we don't have isn't going to turn things around. Washington is long overdue to make painful cuts to the budget.

OK, the other option is to just let the economy die. Things aren't that black and white

[Tux of Borg]

OK, the other option is to just let the economy die. Things aren't that black and white

 

Isn't spending money we didn't have the cause of this issue. How much money can the federal government print before the dollar plummets and the cost of foreign goods skyrocket?

[Adam]

Isn't spending money we didn't have the cause of this issue. How much money can the federal government print before the dollar plummets and the cost of foreign goods skyrocket?

The problem is, they keep funding businesses who are losing money without setting conditions beforehand- not that it would help. Trickle down actually works, despite what some die hard liberals claim- the problem is that it works mainly when an economy is strong and there is plenty of demand. During conditions like we have now, you can give the businesses all the money you want- they won't use it appropriately because there is no demand for their products- which is why gas continues to go down.

 

To get the economy back on track, you give money back to the middle class- the stimulus packages should be a start- and shifting the lower taxes to the middle class from where they are now will be a more long term solution. That will stimulate demand. Once demand is stimulated, you can focus more on the supply end.

 

Once we declare victory in the middle east (which we achieved quite some time ago) and pull out of that money pit, we can stop funneling billions of dollars into someone else's economy and put it back where it belongs.

 

Maybe then we can focus on catching up our educational system to almost every country in the world.