President Obama is calling for federal agencies to identify “high-impact, job-creating infrastructure projects” that can be undertaken without congressional approval. The Administration will streamline permits, waivers, and other paperwork to get projects underway as soon as possible.
I have no idea how many actual jobs could be created this way. Federal agencies can’t write themselves blank checks. The point here may be to point to create a contrast with the obstructionist Congress in the minds of voters.
See also E.J. Dionne, “Obama’s Paradox Problem.”
And, as far as helping out regarding the economy and jobs, the Republicans will, as usual, be against it.
They have perfected Nietzsche’s great, 19th Century quote, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,†into, “Whatever makes my enemy weaker, makes me stronger!”
PARTY UBER ALLES!
And so it is…
‘Nuff said.
We had a shot at a high speed rail project here in Florida that would have created tens of thousands of jobs, but Gov. Voldemort nixed the deal.
I think we can count on Eric Cantor being a major butt plug on any job creation ideas Obama floats, all the current Repug wanna bees will be howling at the moon crazy over any new spending without cuts, gotta squeeze the balloon.
What we really need is paid training to put people displaced by loss of entire industries back to work.
Politics is theatre. You want to move the audience. A poor screenplay will lean heavily on dialogue a great screenplay (properly presented) uses the actions and reactions to show, rather than tell the story.
Obama could ‘tell’ with a long, long list of examples that the GOP is doing everything they can to obstruct his presidency, preventing him from doing the job we hired him for 3 years ago. And you can bet that instead of fact-checking that list, the media would examine whether Obama is guilty of whining about obstructionism. Because both sides do it. (Expletive self-deleted)
No, the GOP is going to have to define themselves by their actions TO THE VOTERS. President Obama may well have decided that he’s not running against any of the GOP presidential candidates. He’s running against the House of Representatives. If he can’t break the stranglehold of the Tea Party there, it won’t matter much. The only thing he will be allowed is USSC appointments if the Teabaggers maintain a majority by obstruction.
“The point here may be to point to create a contrast with the obstructionist Congress in the minds of voters.”
Or, the point may be to create a contrast with the passive, do-nothing Obama of 2009 and 2010. Put another way, what took him so long to decide to take charge of the Executive Branch?
erinyes: quit trying to give butt plugs a bad name. (snark, for the ‘baggers and R’s)
“We had a shot at a high speed rail project here in Florida that would have created tens of thousands of jobs, but Gov. Voldemort nixed the deal.”
My understanding is the US Gov’t already owned most of the right-of-way. I’m surprised they didn’t just ignore Voldy and do it anyway. It would have been an excellent “up yours”.
Bill Bush; I’ll try to temper myself. (I laughed so hard at your comment I almost blew coffee out my nose)
Tom B, I think the problem with the HSR project is about states rights.
The way I understand it, Gov. skinhead had the final say. It could bite him in the ass, and I doubt he’ll get a second term.
We are getting a light rail system that will run from Poinciana to Volusia County (Daytona Beach area). The light rail and HS rail sustem were supposed to work together, and the plan was to have a system throughout the state.
The arguement from the right was “who’s gonna ride it?” Surely not the Mercedes / Lexus/ Bently crowd, but with gas headed to the moon, ridership along with related business start ups will increase.