Originally published at: Dear Joe Manchin: $3.5 Trillion Is Not Much Money
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The American economy has a face down wild card, unknown.
It is the virus D version and the next couple released terrorizing worsers.
Notice Joe does not choose to quickly pay off Middle East war debt of 7 trillion dollars.
He will leave that for our great grandchildren to pay off.
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What’s usually left out by scare mongers is that infrastructure packages when properly managed pay for themselves over a relatively short term before they begin to actually generate a surplus. This s a guaranteed investment in the future, not cash down some black hole. The whole affordability argument is bogus when a gov. can readily come up with the amount. This is one of those things gov. is for.
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Mentioning the word " bogus " is very appropriate in the context of The UniParty’s priorities in the next 10 years. How they can justify spending approximately 10 Trillion+ $$$ (inflation adjusted) on the U.S. Police & Security State and less than 1/2 that on the real needs of the citizens? This is also very bogus and also extremely inhumane.
The $3.5 Trillion isn’t enough and never was an adequate sum to do what is necessary. The combination and addition of $1.1 Trillion in the bipartisan Infrastructure portion will surely help. That still leaves us short, but hardly without the means to raise the adequate revenues, to finish the required projects. Ending the ownership of The UniParty Consensus by the PTB, and the rule of all of us by 1%ers, may take more time. However, it too needs to be done.
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The fact that the respected Dr. Sachs has to allude to this Nepotistic, Corrupt, Turd and Retch bucket in his article puts the last nail in the coffin of a broken system.
Democracy has long been dead. Now that we have put the last nail in the casket, lets put the damn thing six feet under already.
Lets have direct people’s rule for a while.
I can write the code that helps that happen.
Anyone?
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With modern secure phone APP’s and internet, people can have voices heard and counted from precinct agendas through national issues.
Village and town councils who pour local tax incomes into their Main Street business, zoning for low cost, low quality apartment and retaining their family members as govt employees might become an ancient fact. As an example of people becoming aware and being able to scuttle regular order.
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Indeed.
Thank You.
The article inquires:
“This leads to the real question: Can the $3.5 trillion be fully funded with new tax revenues paid by corporations and America’s rich?”
In all likelihood it can do that while it could be immensely aided by cutting the bloated military budget in half. There is simply no credible reason why the military budget of the United States should be higher than the next ten countries combined. To recall an observation from the 1960s, the country needs to decide whether its emphasis is upon guns or butter.
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What you’re describing is referred to, and has been for 4+ decades (since Reagan) at least, is " Military Keynesian ". This shorthand phrase is currently the only U.S. approach to nat’l economic policy. It is our continuous 5yr and 10yr industrial plan. If our gov’t exposed the entirety of this rather inefficient policy (research and development, advanced materials, AI, manufacturing, etc. etc.) and the effect of cutting that $$$ (appropriations) by 50%, our country’s GDP would shrink enough to collapse the economy. As most of the world’s governments surely assume, and our allies and associated affinity folks, surely know. As my mentor says, " We are so screwed, right now. What the hell do we do? "
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There is an excellent video [“Should We Reallocate the US Military Budget?”] which came out a few months ago on YouTube by a web site called Second Thought which does a terrific job in discussing this topic.
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not really----400 billion for the “care industry”----is like the billions we spend on homeless issues—but never actually build a real home???
$900 welfare checks --for five years for people who make $150,000 ??? while kids and seniors live in the street----many seniors who paid into a corrupt system and only get $800 checks----but hey the system is going broke—so if you don’t work like a good slave ----just die for sake of the corporate overlords!
These bills fund nuclear power???
They don’t fix lead pipes—a lie!
we have so much damn money----raise the base pay of social security to $1500 a month—stop the theft!
single payer would save billions-
$15-----put it on a war funding bill?
but this is all 100% bs mind games-----this 3.5 is just another head game of distraction-----by the time it is voted down—the dems will say —bummer to late to do anything now—bummer----ha ha
americas best slaves ever—burned again
stop all corporate bribes!
support individual freedom --support the commons
just ask the question—why don’t dems use social security to win elections??? because they hate winning!
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Joe Manchin has rolled out one excuse after another not to support the big infrastructure bill. Everything he can think of that is anything except the real reasons he is opposed - because his benefactors, the buddies he represents are opposed to it.
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Manchin does NOT work for us–he is an owner --with employees-and makes much of his money on the sale of coal-he represents the worst of the worst of the Democratic party hypocrites
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Stop funding his home state. How about that. West Virginia is one of the biggest federal funding pigs in the country. Cut that fat. Let this Republican changeling go home and tell his own constituents to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps.
Large enterprises and rich individuals use debt strategically. Everything grows by investment. The only time these selfish, malcious right wingers can’t understand that is when ordinary Americans especially those who are not exactly like them can prosper.
Why is West Virginia struggling so much? Maybe because tick bites like Manchin convince them you can run a state on a plucky attitude instead of taxes.
And as Sachs points out, they are not interested in demanding that the richest pay a share commensurate to the bounty they have enjoyed. Just cutting more pounds of flesh from working people. Especially those elsewhere.
See Intercept article: “Joe Manchin’s Dirty Empire”
Manchin is a scum bag that needs to go and the sooner the better.
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The (not so) funny part is that, nearly everyone in West Virginia knows exactly who Joe Manchin is. But they vote for him any way.
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I used to work with a bunch of W Virginians (a long time ago), and it became very apparent that WV literally has its own culture, it’s a different country of people, a different set of values. America’s ignorance will eat us alive!
Let’s call Manchin’s approach what it is. All you have to do is Google “Is Joe Manchin taking money from the fossil fuel industry?” to come up with several credible sources (NY Times, Newsweek, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette…) attesting to the millions Joe Manchin takes from the fossil fuel industry (why else is EXXON on the phone with him weekly?); how many millions he owns in coal stocks; and how much access fossil fuel lobbyists have to him. This is about a greedy, corrupt, DINO (at best), on-the-take politician preserving his power, lining his pockets, and betraying his constituents (who need jobs in a viable, sustainable W. Virginia economy) and our country. He is perfectly willing to destroy our planet and our democracy. He appears perfectly happy to cook our children and grandchildren and his own with them while doing it.