
Every single time I hear a politician say, “We need to invest in infrastructure,” I make this face.
(I’m a huge Lucille Ball fan, FYI.)
I automatically think of this chart.
UGH.
President Trump is talking infrastructure now, and it’s making me nervous.
This will be a big week for Infrastructure. After so stupidly spending $7 trillion in the Middle East, it is now time to start investing in OUR Country!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 12, 2018
He’s floating a big infrastructure plan, but the Huffington Post’s reaction is making me feel a little bit better.
If HuffPo was straight up peeing from excitement, I’d be way more nervous.
Here’s the rundown. Trump is floating a $1.5 trillion investment in infrastructure. Uh, yeah. That’s trillion with a “t.”
JUST NOW: @WhiteHouse releases @POTUS‘s Legislative Outline for Rebuilding Infrastructure in America. Read here –> https://t.co/AOgjwIQdbT pic.twitter.com/1BbfvjPeFB
— Natalie Strom (@NStrom45) February 12, 2018
.@WhiteHouse infrastructure plan https://t.co/EfWoCxYtGn pic.twitter.com/JyojGwCXCX
— Fox News (@FoxNews) February 12, 2018
The plan, which the administration is set to announce officially on Monday, also would cut the permitting process for new projects from ten years to two years and boost investment for projects in rural America — including transportation, broadband, water, waste, power, flood management and ports — by $50 billion in a bid to address criticism from some Republican senators that the Trump administration’s initial emphasis on public-private partnerships would do little to help rural, traditionally GOP-leaning states.
Just $200 billion of the proposed spending would be in federal dollars, which the official said would come from “reductions in other areas of the budget.” Half of that amount would go to grants for transportation, water, flood control, cleanup at some of the country’s most polluted sites and other projects.
States, local governments and other project sponsors could use the grants — which administration officials view as incentives — for no more than 20 percent of the cost. Transit agencies generally count on the federal government for half the cost of major construction projects, and federal dollars can make up as much as 80 percent of some highway projects.
Trump’s basically saying that we spend trillions on other countries. It’s time we spend it on ourselves. That’s his thinking.
MOMENTS AGO: “We have spent $7 trillion in the Middle East,” Pres. Trump says. “$7 trillion. What a mistake.” https://t.co/VgJHQKlEho pic.twitter.com/lBtbSNQnc4
— CBS News (@CBSNews) February 12, 2018
He also brought up roads and bridges, which again. It made me cringe. (Democrats have conditioned me that way, OK?)
Trump: “We’re trying to build roads and bridges and fix bridges that are falling down, and we’re having a hard time getting the money.” pic.twitter.com/Y2Y5mzl0tF
— CBS News (@CBSNews) February 12, 2018
Pres. Trump on infrastructure plan: “The roads are in bad shape and we’re going to get the roads in great shape.” https://t.co/VgJHQKlEho pic.twitter.com/kzs5iRFsJ4
— CBS News (@CBSNews) February 12, 2018
He also said that $50 billion would be set aside for rural infrastructure.
Trump’s $1.5 trillion plan includes “$50 billion for rural infrastructure…the rural folks have been left out” https://t.co/VgJHQKlEho pic.twitter.com/oJtI4zWMDA
— CBS News (@CBSNews) February 12, 2018
I’m sorry. I just keep hearing $1.5 trillion ringing in my head. It’s almost annoying as MSM’s glaring hypocrisy.
— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) February 12, 2018
Compare and contrast.
BREAKING: President Trump sends Congress $4.4 trillion spending plan that features soaring deficits.
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 12, 2018
Mhm.