Comment on Spending plan an uneven road

By Dan Freedman, Times Union
Sun, 05/28/2017 - 10:00pm

Spending plan an uneven road

While previous administrations, Republican and Democrat, relied on traditional federal-state-local funding mechanisms — with private investment when feasible — Trump's budget puts a heavy emphasis on private-sector incentives. Trump's budget director, Mick Mulvaney, said the idea is to "leverage" private-sector investment on a 5-1 ratio — five dollars in private funds for every dollar of public money. New York's transportation network has regional and national significance and the scope and scale of the projects requires the attention of every level of government. What is not immediately apparent is that while the budget funds $200 billion in new federal infrastructure spending, it cuts $206 billion in existing infrastructure programs over the same 2018-2027 time period. In New York, private money from airlines and other sources went into renovations at New York City's JFK and LaGuardia airports. Since they easily generate income through passenger traffic, such projects can be undertaken today with or without the Trump formula. In 2009 at the height of the Great Recession when unemployment reached 10 percent, President Barack Obama and a Democratic-controlled Congress pushed through a stimulus package that involved significant money for highways and other infrastructure projects. Kajal Lahiri, an economist at the University at Albany who studies infrastructure financing, questions whether Trump's vision of additional private-sector investment is practical or appropriate.

 

Comment On This Story

Welcome to Wopular!

Welcome to Wopular

Wopular is an online newspaper rack, giving you a summary view of the top headlines from the top news sites.

Senh Duong (Founder)
Wopular, MWB, RottenTomatoes

Subscribe to Wopular's RSS Fan Wopular on Facebook Follow Wopular on Twitter Follow Wopular on Google Plus

MoviesWithButter : Our Sister Site

Movies With Butter More Movie News

More U.s. News

  • Recognize the Spanish contribution to American independence | Opinion
    South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Sunday - 05/12/2024 - 07:00 AM

    May 8 was Gálvez Day in Pensacola. A celebration of Bernardo de Gálvez, commander of the Spanish force that defeated Britain at the 1781 Siege of Pensacola, it recalls the Spanish role in the American Revolution. The day, however, should be more than a local holiday. It should be recognized throughout the nation as a reminder that the American Revolution was an international war in which Americans were only a portion of the combatants. Though Spain was not officially a U.

    More | Talk | Read It Later | Share
  • Ask Amy: Mother of gay son not ready for the Pride parade
    South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Sunday - 05/12/2024 - 06:30 AM

    Dear Amy: My son “Jack” is 26 years old. Five years ago, he came out to me as gay. While this didn’t fully surprise me, it saddened me. I wanted Jack to have a traditional life. I wanted to have grandchildren. Despite these feelings, I told him I accepted him. Jack has lived on his own for the past several years.

    More | Talk | Read It Later | Share
  • ASK IRA: Would heart and hustle be enough to appease playoff-promised Heat fans?
    South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Sunday - 05/12/2024 - 06:05 AM

    Q: Loved the Jimmy Butler years, but now I am ready to move on. Erik Spoelstra and his staff are great at developing players. Would love to see Spo and his guys get to work with a young, long, athletic team. Move Jimmy, get some picks. Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Nikola Jovic, more young studs, a few solid veterans.

    More | Talk | Read It Later | Share
  • Kids need to put away those phones | Letters to the editor
    South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Sunday - 05/12/2024 - 06:00 AM

    After teaching in Broward for more than 25 years, and now as a part-time substitute, I find that one of the biggest problems that schools have is controlling the use of cell phones in classrooms. It’s out of control. Students feel it’s their right to have their phones out at all times.

    More | Talk | Read It Later | Share
  • As Israel pushes deeper into Rafah, Hamas regroups elsewhere in ungoverned Gaza
    South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Sunday - 05/12/2024 - 03:50 AM

    By WAFAA SHURAFA, JOSEPH KRAUSS and SAMY MAGDY (Associated Press) RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli forces were battling Palestinian militants across the Gaza Strip on Sunday, including in parts of the devastated north that the military said it had cleared months ago, where Hamas has exploited a security vacuum to regroup. Israel has portrayed the southern Gaza city of Rafah as Hamas’ last stronghold, saying it must invade in order to succeed in its goals of dismantling the group and returning scores of hostages.

    More | Talk | Read It Later | Share
  • Schools turn to artificial intelligence to spot guns as companies press lawmakers for state funds
    South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Sunday - 05/12/2024 - 12:15 AM

    By DAVID A. LIEB and JOHN HANNA (Associated Press) TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas could soon offer up to $5 million in grants for schools to outfit surveillance cameras with artificial intelligence systems that can spot people carrying guns. But the governor needs to approve the expenditures and the schools must meet some very specific criteria. The AI software must be patented, “designated as qualified anti-terrorism technology,” in compliance with certain security industry standards, already in use in at least 30 states and capable of detecting “three broad firearm classifications with a minimum of 300 subclassifications” and “at least 2,000 permutations,” among other things. Only one company currently meets all those criteria: the same organization that touted them to Kansas lawmakers crafting the state budget.

    More | Talk | Read It Later | Share