RE: I am curious about the “ infrastructure” jobs. Fact or fantasy?
There really is no reason why there shouldn’t be infrastructure jobs. Our bridges and roads everywhere are crumbling (Here in NY State, we have a huge bridge with millions of cars passing by everyday called the Tappan Zee Bridge that needs total repair ).
If the Constitution’s Commerce Clause has any bearing on the Federal Government, INFRASTRUCTURE APPLIES.
The problem is most of the money has been wasted propping up municipal debt and the pensions and benefits of a lot of union workers.
We also have money diverted into such esoteric project as green jobs, green cars, cash for clunkers and the like.
The other problem is that what infrastructure spending we’ve had is going for park beautification, walking trails, bike paths, planting plants along roads citing views and noise abatement - NOT new roads and bridges. If new transportation infrastructure is built, it is trains hardly used or replacing existing buses with more expensive but more eco-friendly buses (so no new actual bus count increases).
It is as if they are seeking to spend on all infrastructure except what the majority actually uses and needs (car based).
My original inquiry was not do we need onfrastructure, it really is how much state, federal & local funds are used to create one infrastructure job? Just one job. I absolutely thought it was genius for... (Was it LA?) to place monetary fines on untimely construction. Never thought I would day that about LA!