stimulate this

i doubt that it is new to you that the house passed Obama's stimulus package right down party lines. im fairly certain that i dont break news, i just put my perspective to it.

my first comment is that everyone on the right seems to think that this is the 'typical liberal tax and spend policy. what we ought to do is cut taxes.' because all the tax cuts in the Bush era have done so well. deregulation got us here, tax cuts and a foolish war turned a surplus into an enormous deficit.

yes, we are spending money we dont have. but whats new? this is America. after all, the whole 'mortgage crisis' was spawned by people asking for more than they can afford and banks who let them do it and a government that refused to regulate the process.

but anyway, cutting taxes wont stimulate the economy like spending will. spending puts money into the economy. tax cuts and rebates are frequently saved rather than spent, stimulating savings, which doesnt give people jobs.

the problem we have ended up with is a confidence deficit. people just arent confident in the market, their jobs if they still have them, their investments, American companies, or the stability of the economy in general. you can stimulate some confidence with spending. if the government vows to spend billions, there is some confidence that people will get jobs.

the problem i have with the plan is not the tax cuts, not the spending, but where the spending goes. $16B to transit and $30B to roads. the way i see it we need to maintain roads and bridges, but we dot really need any more. more roads, more lanes, more highways just stimulates more cars and more driving. a robust transit system is better environmentally, better for sustainable, walkable neighborhoods, and provides a way for people to get around if they cant afford a car.

dont worry, im from Detroit. i love cars. theyre great. theyve played a large role in making America great. but the world turns, time passes, and things change. horses once constituted the way to get around. when cars came around, we largely left the horse to recreation and specialized activities. the time is coming to move to a more sustainable mode of transportation. one where we ride together. one with lower emissions. one without freeways cutting through the back yard. i cant envision a world in which cars and trucks wont have a role, but our urban centers and transit corridors would be better served with a robust rail system rather than sprawling 10 lane freeways.

which brings me to another point. the US infrastructure was recently given a grade of D. our roads and bridges are crumbling, and we have neglected rail and other forms of mass transit and freight that they can pick up the slack. so in my opinion we ought to maintain what we have before we build anything new. fix or rebuild existing roads and bridges so that no more motorists fall into rivers. at the same time we need to expand other options, rail being the most familiar and proven.

more rail, maintain roads, no new lanes, green power infrastructure and green incentives for business is my prescription. but im not a doctor or an elected leader. im just some jerk with a blog. maybe if we blog jerks say it enough someone will listen. i hope.

aw! come on, guys!

so the new stimulus package outlines $10 billion in transit funding. that sounds pretty awesome until you see that theyve given $30 billion to roads. no, im not saying let roads crumble, but induced demand is well documented and only creates more commutes, more pollution, and more upkeep. when will they see the light?

but lets pick our battles here. much of that highway money is pointed toward new roads while existing roads crumble. remember that bridge in Minneapolis? lets fix what weve got before we build more stuff that we cant seem to maintain.

from Transportation for America:

It turned out that thousands of bridges across the country were deemed "structurally deficient," and in almost two years, little has changed.

With billions about to be committed for a new economic recovery package, you'd think Congress would prioritize fixing what's broken. But the powerful highway lobby is pressing hard for nearly all the money to spent on building new roads and bridges.

I just signed a petition to the new Congress, asking them to make sure that our tax dollars are going to repair and maintenance, instead of wasting our money on expanding a crumbling road and highway system. Will you sign on, too?

http://action.smartgrowthamerica.org/t/3224/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=206

We can't afford for Congress to write a blank check to the states. The economic recovery package they're working on right now needs to include transparency and accountability, so we can see where the money's going and ensure that we fix what's broken before starting to build even more.

Why should we spend billions to build new roads to crumbling bridges?

Please, sign the petition today. All you have to do is click here:

http://action.smartgrowthamerica.org/t/3224/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=206

Thanks.