Trump Infrastructure Plan "Greater reliance on user fees, federal loans rather than grants, and corporatization are three keys to the Trump administration’s infrastructure initiative released as a part of its 2018 budget. The plan will “seek long-term reforms on how infrastructure projects are regulated, funded, delivered, and maintained,” says the six-page document. More federal funding “is not the solution,” says the document; instead, it is to “fix underlying incentives, procedures, and policies.'" More below. sThis is some of the best news I've heard since the early Reagan years. The Democratic Party is aghast, but that is de rigueur, they are aghast with Trump, so everything he does sets their hair afire.
"The document contains a number of specific proposals: Allow states to toll interstate and other federally funded highways; Encourage states to fix congestion using “congestion pricing, enhanced transit services, increased telecommuting and flex scheduling, and deployment of advanced technology”; Corporatize air traffic control, as many other developed countries have done; Streamline the environmental review process by having a one-stop federal permit process and “curtailing needless litigation”; Expand the TIFIA loan program and lift the existing cap on private activity bonds, both of which will make more money available for infrastructure without increasing federal deficits. The paper also includes proposals for reforming inland waterways, the Power Marketing Administration, and water infrastructure finance. Like the transportation proposals, these call for increased reliance on user fees, corporatization, privatization, or loans rather than grants. “Corporatization” means creating a non-profit or for-profit corporation that may be government owned but doesn’t necessarily rely on taxpayer subsidies. Comsat is a classic example, but Canada and other countries’ air traffic control systems work in this way." I may have been a bit stand offish about the Trump Presidency prior to the election, but increasingly I am liking the cut of his jib. He's taken a serious international foray, which left a mark, and has shown the EU that he means business when it comes to NATO, and the EU countries meeting their defense goals, as well as signing a new arms sale agreement with Saudi Arabia. He has proposed serious change to the way the federal government deals with infrastructure. His tax policy goals, and reforms are very good. Most of his other accomplishments have been through Executive Orders which are transient, and easily overturned, but were necessary. Unless Trump is thwarted by the Stupid Party® it would appear the Democratic Party is right to wander around with its hair afire. Trump is setting himself up to be a much better President than even Reagan. And possibly the equal to Nixon regarding international relations, and the peaceful negotiation to the end of conflict. Now would be a good time to inform your Representative in Congress, and your Senators that you expect them to strongly support these Trump proposals.
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