A possible good outcome of Sandy

[edhopper]

The infrastructure in New York and much of the Northeast has been hammered. It will be repaired.
But it needs more than that and has for some time.
It would be a great thing if we used this event to not just repair. But rebuild and update our aging infrastructure.
i don't know if we have the political will. And I doubt any Republican (even chrisite who has a history of killing necessary projects) would go for it.
But it is an opportunity we might not see again.

Added on edit:

It would also add thousands of good jobs for working people and give the Economy a great shot in the arm.

[madokie]

1. It would be a win/win for all

we get people back to work and the government gets taxes paid. After all that is how this big ball called government works anyway. What goes around comes around.
Plus these cities get their infrastructure upgraded so it cost less to operate them.

[edhopper]

4. Yes

another great benefit.

[Flashmann]

2. If it stays in the news long enough

This disaster could very well prompt,at least,discussion of infrastructure repair....The problem is,that any minute,Snooki or one of the Kardashians will break a fingernail or fart and the MSM will move on to that disaster....

[pointsoflight]

3. Excellent point. Obama wants more stimulus in the form of rebuilding our infrastructure.

What better place to begin.

[virgogal]

5. Nothing good can come out of this storm. Nothing.

[edhopper]

7. Sometimes

good things come out of disasters.
San Francisco out of the earthquake. Chicago out of the fire.
Hoping for a silver lining. I don't want to minimize the impact and destruction.

[AsahinaKimi]

11. You are

Absolutely correct in regards to San Francisco. The 1906 earthquake made it possible for good engineers to come up with plans for the city to make sure the next big earthquake would not be like that one. In 1989, there was considerable damage to the city, but not like it could have been, had people neglected to use new technologies to make the city safer during a large earthquake.

[drmeow]

6. I was thinking the same thing

Don't just repair it - REALLY fix it.

The feds will undoubtedly offer FEMA loans or some other aid for that. It would be great if they threw in some recovery money for that very purpose. We'll LOAN you to repair it but if you upgrade it we'll throw in this grant funding which doesn't have to be paid back. Even the Republicans aren't likely to turn down that offer - it is not like they didn't try to get as much of the ARRA funds as possible despite being "against" it.

[GeorgeGist]

8. Opportunity?

Sounds Republican. As did your afterthought of adding jobs.

[edhopper]

13. I disagree

just as the banking collapse gave us the opportunity to institute real financial reforms. (Unfortunately we squandered most of that)

[AsahinaKimi]

9. Not only that but it is

Definitely showing where Republicans stand on matters, were they in charge. There maybe a dozen or so Republicans in places like New York and New Jersey who might be grateful enough to the President to give him a second term. Wouldn't that be wonderful?

[malaise]

10. That's the good part of this mammoth storm

Time to rebuild!

[Renew Deal]

12. Unless you're talking about burying power lines, I don't get what you mean.

Last edited Thu Nov 1, 2012, 07:07 AM - Edit history (1)

And they're not going to be burying power lines.

[edhopper]

14. Here in NY

we have aging tunnel, bridges, subways, roadways and power grid. There is a lot that can be rebuilt.

[JI7]

15. will they have to REbuild based on being able to hold up against something like Sandy ?

[edhopper]

17. If the predictions

of Global Climate Change are correct they will.

[moondust]

16. If not for Bush/Cheney and Republicans

blowing Clinton's surplus to hell on tax cuts, wars, and unfunded mandates, the national debt might very well be wiped out by now and nobody would bat an eye at the idea of rebuilding and modernizing infrastructure as needed. As it is, though, you know some Republican assholes are going to whine and squeal about more borrowing and more debt and probably insist on band-aid solutions just to get by until the next time it rains.

Tax cuts! Tax cuts! Tax cuts!

[edhopper]

18. The whole reason behind

amassing massive debt while cutting taxes for the Rich that "Shall never be raised" is to destroy a functioning government.