Wednesday, December 21, 2016

NOT GOOD: Trump Team Plans for Infrastructure ‘Task Force’

President-elect Donald Trump is preparing to create an infrastructure “task force” that will help carry out the ambitious federal spending program he intends to undertake upon taking office, according to several individuals briefed on his plans, reports The Washington Post.

Key members of Trump’s team — including his son-in-law Jared Kushner, senior counselor Stephen K. Bannon, senior adviser Stephen Miller and Gary Cohn, whom Trump has tapped to head the National Economic Council — are all involved in the discussions, according to one person familiar with the initiative.

No doubt Trump fanboys are thinking hard as to how they can spin this FDR-style Depression era government distortion project as a move in the direction of free markets.

-RW

5 comments:

  1. No Bob, I am not thinking that.

    Trump isn't Ron Paul. I'm okay with that. So far, I like what I see, and understand that there is no ideal man to be president. Not even Ron Paul.

    In any case, this is Jeff Bezos' blog, and the article itself is less condemnatory than your breathless hysterics implies (let me get a fainting couch for you).

    "But that plan might not rely on direct federal spending."

    The demands on existing infrastructure will also be reduced as illegals are deported, whether forcefully or voluntarily (as many undoubtedly will do, given documented history -- see Operation Wetback).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Would you like to put your money where your mouth is and bet that these "internal improvements" will not be funded via the State and crony capitalists? Keep on dreaming Trumpster.

      Delete
  2. Trump fans are emotionally committed -- no amount of statist actions will dissuade. Why? Because Trump has divided paleo and voluntarist sentiments in libertarianism (and left-libertarians loathe him).

    He skillfully plays our emotions, good cop / bad cop style, like abusing and petting a dog randomly, to generate compliance from a slim hope of future goodness. What a sick game for us to play -- what a waste of time!

    ReplyDelete
  3. The blog doesn't explain "investment tax credit." I read it as wealthy people buying bonds in exchange for tax breaks to complete these projects.

    I don't mind that so much as the status quo because 1) it reduces taxes directly for the wealthy investors and indirectly for the American public (assuming the government uses the money collected to directly fund the projects or pay off the debt created to fund the infrastructure project) and 2) it wouldn't add to the national debt/deficit (assuming the funding actually pays for the project)

    It's a better idea than issuing Treasury Bonds (a hidden tax) to pay for these projects.

    I hope this isn't FDR/Obama style infrastructure digging holes just to fill them in. It sounds more like a state government bailout plan because at least several states have raided their transportation funds to pay for union pensions and other crony deals. But I don't know what projects he's targeting and if they require state funding.

    Trump could be buttering up state governments with some stimmy money to get them to go along with the Feds on other reform that currently require the states and fed government to work together (Education, Medicare/Medicaid, EPA, Energy).

    Who knows? Too early to tell. This is definitely not selling the roads off to private owners, but maybe Trump can get rid of PLAs and other cost-adding cronyism. If Trump can do it ahead of time, under budget it will be a first in government. Not free market, but at least better for taxpayers than the status quo.

    I just read on Wikipedia that the initial cost estimate for the Interstate Highway System was $25 billion over 12 years; it ended up costing $114 billion (adjusted for inflation, $425 billion in 2006 dollars) and took 35 years.

    ReplyDelete
  4. He's a Keynesian. I'm sure soon he'll start bragging about all the "shovel-ready" Murican jebs this will create and all the ways it will "stimulate" the economy.

    ReplyDelete