{"id":24912,"date":"2016-11-23T10:37:25","date_gmt":"2016-11-23T18:37:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/?p=24912"},"modified":"2016-11-23T10:37:25","modified_gmt":"2016-11-23T18:37:25","slug":"trump-infrastructure-plan-a-scam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/2016\/11\/23\/trump-infrastructure-plan-a-scam\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump Infrastructure Plan a Scam"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"1123infrastructure\"<\/font><\/p>\n

Yesterday, I published an article in which I stated that cooperating with Trump is not an ]option, we should not resist projects that benefit the American people, such as infrastructure spending.  Bernie Sanders went even further tan I did, suggesting he would cooperate on such item.  I’m sad to inform you the the Fuhrer’s plan is a scam, a tax break and stimulus for only billionaires masquerading as an infrastructure project.<\/font><\/p>\n

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\"1123Bernie\"Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) called out President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s plan on infrastructure, labeling it a \u201cscam\u201d and \u201ccorporate welfare.\u201d <\/p>\n

In an article posted to Medium on Monday<\/a>, the senator said Trump rightfully promised to improve America\u2019s infrastructure while on the campaign trail, but the president-elect\u2019s plan has fallen short on that promise. <\/p>\n

\u201cTrump would allow corporations that have stashed their profits overseas to pay just a fraction of what the companies owe in federal taxes. And then he would allow the companies to \u2018invest\u2019 in infrastructure projects in exchange for even more tax breaks,\u201d Sanders wrote. \u201cTrump\u2019s plan is corporate welfare coming and going.\u201d…<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

From <Huffington Post<\/a>><\/font><\/p>\n

Paul Krugman explained more about it.<\/font><\/p>\n

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\"1123krugman\"There are three questions you should immediately ask.<\/p>\n

First, why do it this way? Why not just have the government do the spending, the way it did when, for example, we built the Interstate Highway System? It\u2019s not as if the feds are having trouble borrowing. And while involving private investors may create less upfront government debt than a more straightforward scheme, the eventual burden<\/a> on taxpayers will be every bit as high if not higher.<\/p>\n

Second, how is this scheme supposed to deal with infrastructure needs that can\u2019t be turned into profit centers? Our top priorities should include things like repairing levees and cleaning up hazardous waste; where\u2019s the revenue stream? Maybe the government can promise to pay fees in perpetuity, in effect \u201crenting\u201d the repaired levee or waterworks \u2014 but that makes it even clearer that we\u2019re basically engaged in a gratuitous handout to select investors.<\/p>\n

Third, what reason do we have to believe that this scheme will generate new investment, as opposed to repackaging things that would have happened anyway? For example, many cities will have to replace their water systems in the years ahead, one way or another; if that replacement takes place under the Trump scheme rather than through ordinary government investment, we haven\u2019t built additional infrastructure, we\u2019ve just privatized what would have been public assets \u2014 and the people acquiring those assets will have paid just 18 cents on the dollar, with taxpayers picking up the rest of the tab.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

From <NY Times<\/a>><\/font><\/p>\n

On the Rachel Maddow Show<\/a>,<\/font> Ron Klain, a former Obama administration adviser, talks with Joy-Ann Reid about why Donald Trump’s infrastructure plan is really just a tax break for investors in for-profit projects and doesn’t address America’s real infrastructure needs.<\/font><\/p>\n