Is it possible dumpman's trillion dollar infrastructure plan is...

[Equinox Moon]

through privatization and not through the federal government? I'm afraid this might be what is brewing in his head of idiotic ideas.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

1. Very possible

Sad to say.

[Equinox Moon]

2. Then the Dems should block it.

[Grey Lemercier]

12. How? We don't have Congress

[NCTraveler]

3. Far too many roads in Florida have been privatized.

It's a clear trend.

[Equinox Moon]

4. OMG!

We do NOT need more billionaires to rule this country.

[bhikkhu]

5. My understanding is that all infrastructure spending is "privatized"

that is, a project is authorized and bids from private companies are accepted. The government doesn't directly employ workers and manage projects. That has been the case, as far as I know, since the end of the WPA.

I recall reading that there was some legislation passed (republican-sponsored) that prevented any new WPA-style plan, and that prevents direct employment of people by the government in such projects. I read of that in an article about why the government, in the great recession, was limited to bailouts and so forth and couldn't directly hire people for infrastructure projects, but my memory may be faulty and I don't have the source at hand...

[Equinox Moon]

6. I guess I don't fully understand privatized infrastructure

but I don't trust it.

[Wounded Bear]

7. While that part may be true, that's not what people are worried about...

Basically, what the OP and comments are about is the practice of privately owned roads, built and operated by private corporations as toll roads. Essentially any new construction, and potentially much of the upgrades will be churning out toll roads, so you won't be able to drive anywhere without paying.

[bhikkhu]

8. I lived on the east coast for a year, never got used to toll roads

Definitely that would be a big step backward, especially if it were a matter of, say, repairing a section of interstate and turning it into a privately-managed toll road to recoup the cost (or to make a profit).

[MiniMe]

9. Read somewhere today that his infrastructure plan is...

to give tax breaks to construction companies with no checks on if they are using the tax breaks to build infrastructure or not. In other words, it is a scam to give himself tax breaks.

[lonestarnot]

10. His real estate interests in the United States should be made to be surrendered to the United States

Treasury until such time he no longer occupies the White House.

[pnwmom]

11. It's just a bunch of tax cuts for developers -- no real benefit to the taxpayers.

We'd be much better off financing infrastructure repair the old-fashioned way.