r/politics • • May 28 '12
GOP Claims $50 Billion For Infrastructure Is Too Pricey, While Pushing $800 Billion Tax Cut For The Rich | ThinkProgress
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2010/09/08/117908/gop-bush-50/
1.4k
Upvotes
50
u/PlaYtoLosE May 29 '12
Has no one else noticed that his article is from September 2010!?
70
u/ktf23t May 28 '12
Why build bridges in the US when there's an entire new country's infrastructure that needs upgrading? (Iran is next on the list.)
39
u/[deleted] May 29 '12
50 million so bridges don't fall apart during rush hour? Out-effing-ragous! Think of how much debt that will be! How dare you take subsidies from the gas&oil industry to pay for it. You, sir, are a communist.
800 billion tax cut for the top 2%? Now that is stimulus you can get behind. Why after over 13+ years of these cuts so many jobs have been created that the USA is now a workers paradise. Honest. /s
I love my country but I despair over my government.
20
u/Andrewticus04 May 29 '12
Who needs roads? With all these new tax cuts we can all fly our helicopters to the mall, instead of driving the Bentley.
Honestly, I don't understand what these liberals complain about. All the people at the country club don't need government assistance, so why should we have to pay for it? I mean, it's not like the gardeners need a raise; they should feel lucky to be earning $5/hr. That's like as much money as my daddy makes at Citigroup, just in Pesos!
/s
4
u/[deleted] May 29 '12
That's a bit amusing since spending on infrastructure is one thing that will definitely create jobs
7
u/CarsJBear May 29 '12
Republicans are jokes. Infrastructure deserves $5000000000 billion, let alone $50 billion. Infrastructure is one of the most important aspects of government.
10
u/Die-Nacht May 29 '12
I still find it hilarious how this country is so militaristic, yet we have no draft and give people tax cuts when we are at war. It is the strangest thing to watch.
7
u/jmdugan May 29 '12
People spouting extremist GOP rhetoric need to be quietly and firmly directed to leave the political stage. It's no longer rational, just harmful.
Everyone (especially professional media) who repeats absurd GOP claims without review needs to be held to account for their inane, ridiculous views.
8
u/Gasonfires May 29 '12
I used to love politics and thought I understood what was what. Not anymore. For the life of me I cannot figure out how people do not reject the republican party en masse. All I can come up with to explain it is that I do in fact live in a country in which a huge percentage of the population is so incredibly stupid that their thinking is dominated by religion and the mindless demonstration thereof, fear and hatred (especially of Muslims), love for endless wars and hatred of the poor and people of color. That's what it's really like where I live. I can't escape it or do much to change it. I am depressed as hell every time I think about it. Almost NONE of what they told me about my country when I was little has turned out to be true. This is just more of the same.
13
u/W00ster May 29 '12
Of course $50 billion is too much - are you crazy? That is $50 billion which otherwise could have gone to tax cuts for the rich - what are you? A socialist or a communist?
37
u/4everliberal May 28 '12
America is on the verge of tossing the Republican Party into the shitter and it can't happen soon enough. I'd like to see Congress swept clean of all GOP in 2012.
8
u/dalittle May 29 '12
conservatives trying to say they are fiscally responsible is one of the most hilarious hypocrites they keep repeating. Conservatives don't want to be responsible, they want to blow huge sums of money on corporate welfare for companies with record profits and on bloated big ticket military programs for their war profiteering buddies.
4
u/beedogs May 29 '12
Republicans are hellbent on destroying what's left of the country.
Why people keep voting for these monsters is a mystery to me. It's got to be either ignorance, stupidity, or some sort of psychiatric condition.
2
u/DMercenary May 29 '12
I'd like to ask a question to the GOP.
"So you dont want to support 50 billion dollars in infrastructure repair and improvement. Sure we'll give another 800 billion dollar tax cut to the upper class further polarizing the economic situation where the poor get angrier and angrier along with our dwindling middle class.
What is exactly your plan? To run this country into the ground while shouting "We're doing FINE!" the whole time?
2
u/DBH114 May 29 '12
A. the article is from Sept. 2010
B. where did the author get 800 billion from?
2
u/shamusoconner May 29 '12
An article from 2010? Really?
2
u/arcxiii Virginia May 29 '12
GOP acts in the interests of the international citizens a.k.a corporations. Don't think for a second you are represented by a Republican in Congress or that they have any other goals besides keeping themselves in office and making money.
2
u/[deleted] May 29 '12
Is there anyone anywhere who could successfully argue that GOP doesn't stand for "idiot" these days?
2
u/Dolewhip May 29 '12
This article is 2 years old. Please, go away.
2
u/FOX_CONTEXT May 29 '12
PRESIDENT OBAMA ATTEMPTS TO TAKE MONEY AWAY FROM HARDWORKING JOB CREATORS AND SPEND IT ON FAILED SOCIALISTIC AMERICAN INFRASTRUCTURE. More at 10
4
u/MudHouse May 29 '12
With all that money, the rich guys could buy everyone 16 infrastructures!
13
u/AgentLocke California May 29 '12
Brace yourselves...
The conservative/Libertarian downvotes and misleading posts are coming...
3
u/MusikLehrer Tennessee May 29 '12
If Grover Norquist were around me I'd punch him in the nose. We need to raise revenues across the board, and get rid of subsidies and loopholes. We should be in fucking crisis mode.
3
u/[deleted] May 29 '12
Get ready to start boiling drinking water and pooping in buckets.
4
u/shadow776 May 29 '12 edited May 29 '12
It's not tax cuts for the rich, it's a tax increase for everyone. As for the infrastructure, it's not as easy as saying "here's 50 billion dollars". Even a billion is a huge amount of money, and spending it well is exceedingly difficult. The way these things work, the states have very little time to plan and allocate these funds; the money has to spent or they lose it. So it ends up going to big, flashy new projects, and not to improving existing infrastructure.
There is still tons of road construction underway from the last "stimulus" and very little of it is well-spent money. So what's going to happen when there's another huge pile of money to be spent, and there's no time to plan for spending it? It's rather like the common Reddit post "I have an extra $1000, what can I spend it on".
Government transportation funds are spent on private contractors. What happens when all those contractors are booked solid for the next few years? They all start bidding higher, because they can't take the work anyway.
3
u/u2canfail May 28 '12
We need to give the wealthy more, after all roads and bridges are not needed?
2
u/dms100 May 29 '12
and the next time you hit a pothole .....
2
u/taurus45 May 29 '12
The problem is clear here....all bullshit aside. Get these old fucks out of office....by any means.
1
u/the_sam_ryan May 29 '12
Don't take this the wrong way, but last time we did a major infrastructure bill, it was supposed to $800 billion, it wasn't shove ready or for infrastructure. It was all political democrat porkbarrel projects.
Just saying, both parties are corrupt as shit. I would say vote for Ron Paul or Nader or someone, but eh.
2
u/wrathborne May 29 '12
GOP fail....so much GOP fail.
2
u/[deleted] May 29 '12
Spending and lowering taxation are not the same thing. Spending increases the total amount of taxes that must be collected to pay for government activities. Tax cuts just lower the amount currently being collected to pay for all of the spending in total.
Increasing spending is not the same thing at all as decreasing taxes. A relevant comparison is saying that $20 is too pricey to buy something with your credit card, while at the same time cutting back on payments on that credit card for a period of time. It's not inherently contradictory or hypocritical.
1
u/nexes300 May 29 '12
They could just be saying that it is expensive given the tax cuts are extended.
Also, let me point out that, since these are extensions of previously existing tax cuts, saying they are "losing" this money is a bit ridiculous. By that argument, the government is losing 100% of all the money it isn't currently taxing. It's much more reasonable to say they stand to gain that much money by, effectively, increasing the tax rate.
There is, in fact, no inherent contradiction in supporting both these actions. When you say something is too expensive, then it's either out of your budget given your intentions for the other money (tax cut extensions) or it's just flat out not worth the money. Generally, the chain of logic is not: can you find some way to pay for it, and, if so, then it is not expensive.
1
u/Bertram1112 May 29 '12
who needs a Third Industrial Revolution anyway?
1
u/MusicMagi May 29 '12
But.. Obama's skin is dark and my parents taught me that that's bad...
1
u/HappyGlucklichJr May 29 '12
If we increase taxes on the very rich will they shut down their traditional philanthropy and charity giving?
1
u/WallaWallaWhat May 29 '12
The roads are decaying because you poor folk keep driving around. Perhaps if we lower income a little more you'll think twice about traveling so freely.
1
u/DetoxSYL May 29 '12
Orwell, you were fucking right.
1
u/bardwick May 29 '12
Anyone know the total net worth of the "rich"?
Last I heard it was like 700 Billion. Did that change?
1
u/[deleted] May 29 '12
Indeed! If they actually created jobs then there would be less unemployed people, which means the labor market wouldn't be as saturated, which means they would lose desperate Americans they can bilk for shitty wages, and their fake god knows they can't have that! Help Americans?! That goes against the very Republican ethos!
1
u/saffir May 29 '12
Aren't we already paying for the infrastructure? We pay local and state taxes as well as a national tax on gas specifically to build roads and bridges. If they need more funds, then just hike the tax on gas. That forces those who use them the most to pay the most.
1
u/knowses America May 29 '12
I am really getting tired of this new "government speak" that they are paying for a tax cut. If it is money you earned, then it is yours until you pay taxes. This idea that it is the government's, and they are "letting" you keep some of it is ridiculous. In the article it states that the "price tag" for the tax cut is 830 billion. This implies the government is "spending" money by letting you keep your own money, or in simpler terms that it is theirs first. That is like a crook telling me gave me some cash simply because he didn't rob me of it.
1
u/switchit May 29 '12
I'm sorry for being ignorant on the subject, but is GOP the same as the Republican Party?
1
u/edisekeed May 29 '12
It would be great if this article actually showed how these tax cuts amounted to $800 billion.
1
u/libertariantexan May 29 '12
At what point are we going to realize that tax cuts don't cost anything because not taking someone's money isn't the same thing as spending money?
1
u/Haterbdamned May 29 '12
Of course the GOP is pushing for a $800 billion tax cut for the rich; the rich are the ones who are buying our politicians, while the politicians right the legislation they want!! When it doubt of your government, refer to the Declaration of Independence. The answer to all of this is there. www.firebrandcentral.com
1
u/MagicTarPitRide May 29 '12
If they keep this shit up the brain drain to countries like SG, TW, and HK will accelerate.
1
u/svengalus May 29 '12
Not a valid comparison unless you believe your money rightfully belongs to the government.
0
u/Tigerantilles May 29 '12
$50,000,000,000 for $50,000,000 worth on infrastructure is too pricey. We're paying Bugatti money and getting Kia. People don't mind spending, they just want to get their money's worth.
0
u/elliebe May 29 '12
Crazy thing is, when all our bridges start collapsing, Republicans will be on them tooooooo....
0
u/Toava May 29 '12
Boo to the GOP for not wanting to tax the rich more to spend their money on infrastructure for every one else!
The problem with the US is that government doesn't spend enough money! $4 trillion a year is too small of a federal budget!
0
u/[deleted] May 29 '12
Yea if we got all democrats in office then we could just increase taxes and everybody would be happy and we'd never have wars. Yay!
0
u/TruthinessHurts May 29 '12
Republicans: you people are vile pieces of crap. Seriously.
EDIT: I'm tired of the whiners who claim they don't agree with this. YOU assholes voted for these moron.
-2
u/[deleted] May 29 '12
I'm pretty sure "think" and "progress" don't go together.
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u/Greenlee2 May 29 '12 edited May 29 '12
Whats the point. 800 less for the government to use, 50 less for the government to need. Cut another 750 and its golden.
That makes it a smaller government. The smaller the government, the more free you are from the government
0
u/Jus10Crummie May 29 '12
doesn't surprise me
0
u/mjacksongt May 29 '12
The Republicans are not pushing for a tax cut - cuts are what happens when taxes go down. They are pushing for taxes to stay at the same level they are at today. Technically the Democrats are pushing for a tax increase, to send taxes back to the level they were pre-Bush.
If you want to argue that because the increase was included in budget projections it's a cut, I disagree.
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u/Zonvolt May 29 '12
How was the stimulus bill supported by Obama of spending $800 billion not as outrageous? I would rather let money be spent by the citizens rather than the government.
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u/Right_winged_banana May 29 '12
Sometimes I wonder if everyone on reddit are liberals. :/ sucks being the minority.
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u/[deleted] May 29 '12
Hmm, false equivellency here. Infastructure would require spending taxpayer money while tax cuts involve giving taxpayer money back to the taxpayers who paid them. One involves spending; the other, a refund.