Posted on 05/28/2019 7:46:31 AM PDT by Kaslin
With many projects standing stagnant for over 30 years, it is time to change the way we approach infrastructure project funding. The solution lies with the greatest wealth generation machine ever invented -- capitalism. Corporations and private investment funds have amassed trillions of dollars over the course of the Trump economy, and they’re looking to invest in infrastructure that offers low-risk and decent long-term returns on investment. Hence, there is no imperative for the government -- federal, state or local -- to finance and maintain revenue-producing infrastructure projects when private capital is available.
The concept is known as BOO (build, own, and operate), and it does not rely on government funding. There’s no need to persuade a truculently hostile Congress to pass the infrastructure bill and no need for Congress’s consent to facilitate private ownership of new projects -- conceptually, there is no difference between private ownership of a hotel, a power plant, or a bridge. Privatization of infrastructure could include any revenue-generating assets; roads, bridges, tunnels, treatment plants, and airports, etc. Tolls and user fees will be collected to defray operating costs and retire debts.
The proposed system is centered on pragmatism and flexibility. Pragmatism, primarily because the federal government is broke while state and local governments grapple with deficits. Given the magnitude of the problem, and public sentiment about raising taxes, other options are either impractical or incommensurable with the President’s stated objective.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
2. That state and local governments are owners of infrastructure has nothing to do with socialism ("quasi" or otherwise.)
3. "Stroke of the pen, law of the land." NOT cool.
Huber has been on vacation in Cancun for a year. Huber isn’t doing squat.
He might go help Sessions grow watermelons back in Alabama.
Soooo, someone builds an airport and the feds and states pay it out through rent? That would free up money for roads and bridges
It remains for some kind of public trust to set fees, or a regulatory system that guarantees no price gouging.
Congress = Speed Bump
Real bad idea. That allows private companies to screw you with high tolls etc.
Oh, but the free market will take care of that. After all, if the tolls are too high, you can always drive on some other road, or cross the river on another bridge.
/s, if it’s needed
For one thing, I have worked in infrastructure planning and design for for than 20 years, and I have never once come across the acronym BOO in all those years. What he is describing are various iterations of a DBFOM concept — Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Maintain.
Secondly, he goes on at length about the strengths of capitalism and the private sector, but then admits that the success of these public-private ventures will hinge on having the government give the private sector two things that would never exist in a truly capitalist system: eminent domain authority and the legal protection of sovereign immunity. No way in hell should any private company be given this much latitude in a commercial enterprise.
STFU and stop hijacking threads
A YEAR?
A private company charging say $34 to use ten miles of a highway one morning on a right of way acquired through the governmental power of eminent domain isn’t the right way.
Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer and Donald Trump all agree that federal funding of infrastructure is proper.
The long established practice of awarding highway construction contracts to private companies and paying for those projects by motor fuel taxation (and motor vehicle taxation)is the right way.
What needs to stop is the Democratic witch hunts, so Trump and the Democrats can make great deals.
The only foreigners that influenced US elections were Latinos who came or overstayed illegally and are clamoring for permanent status.
Capitalism - a great idea.
Crony Capitalism - a very bad idea.
try this thread http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/3752665/posts
On principle, a toll or user fee is a far better way to finance highway infrastructure than a fuel tax. The problem is that in practice it’s very difficult to do it right.
Truth hurts EEE.
Yep. Accidentally posted comments to wrong thread. It happens sometimes.
This isn’t a Sessions thread. This is about our infrastructure. Learn to fricking read.
Well, that is the problem. There would have to be at least 2 bridges etc. Then you run into having all this infrastructure everywhere and land purchases all that stuff. Infrastructure is one of the very few things that the government should be doing. It needs to simply get out of 90% of what it is into now. The private companies shouldn’t be granted the power to restrict travel of the public.
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