Jul 31 2009
C.A.R.S. going broke, bridges staying broken
The Associated Press announced today that they did their own analysis/survey of how the stimulus package that was proposed and passed as a way of fixing the thousands of obsolete, structurally deficient, and in many cases extremely unsafe bridges is, for the most part, being used by the states for simple re-paving of streets. At the same time, the billion dollar Car Allowance Rebate System, or “cash for clunkers” program, has a 25,000 car backlog and is already out of money, with the Obama Administration saying it is funded through Friday, but needs more money after that.
Both of these cases are examples of what happens when the Administration doesn’t think what they’re asking people to do all the way through. In the case of the bridges, while replacing/repairing all of the dangerous bridges was a selling point of the plan, when it came time to give the states the money, they asked for “shovel-ready” projects, to increase employment. So those bridges the states already had plans for got funded, and where they didn’t have big projects like the bridges already planned out, the states threw together simple re-paving projects, which require little planning and can be “shovel-ready” in a heartbeat. With the CARS program, the Administration encouraged dealers to match the $3,500.00-4,500.00 rebate, resulting in many new cars getting a $9,000.00 discount. Of course, people are jumping at the chance to get new feul-efficient cars at half price, e.g. a Ford Focus sedan from Willey Ford in West Valley City, UT is $17,090.00, making it $8,090.00 after the CARS rebate and matching rebate from Ford- less than half price, incredibly low car payments.
Now, anyone who knows me knows I am a BIG Obama supporter, but for pete’s sake Barack, THINK THESE THINGS THROUGH! Don’t make me regret voting for you.
Oh yeah, while you’re at it, repeal the PATRIOT Act, would you? It violates about half of the Bill of Rights, it shouldn’t have passed in the first place, you have the numbers in Congress to undo it, so undo it already.
