Comments on: Obama Calls For ‘More Creative’ Ways to Pay For Infrastructure

By: John

John — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:38:43 +0000

He says he wants to be creative, but opposes a VMT tax? Explain that.
http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/02/23/the-mileage-tax-genie-is-out-of-the-bottle/

By: Lucy

Lucy — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:02:26 +0000

Creative Financing in this case means putting together various pots of public money (from HUD, DOT, HHS, EPA, etc) and then combining those with private money from the value created with the public investment. On the local level, this is not all that creative, there are lots of examples, but doing it from the Federal level is a whole new game.

If more money is needed with more taxes, there’s always the war budget to look at, with the idea that nation-building should begin at home.

By: oscarfrye

oscarfrye — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:40:48 +0000

“creative” sounds like code word for “ripoff”

i’m also sick & tired how the discussion, on any issue (transportation, healthcare, defense, etc) is always about how to pay for something, instead of really questioning why things cost what they do, where does the money go, who profits, who rapes the system, etc. We know full well that there is waste, fraud, and corruption up & down this system, and yet the question is always “how to do we pay this massively inflated bill”?

By: Randy

Randy — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:36:47 +0000

I think if Snoopy was running for president next Id vote for the DOG

By: Randy

Randy — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:33:55 +0000

Well Im 49 and a vet I guess no more unemployment I just hope vet home will take me in

By: Paul

Paul — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:25:53 +0000

Tolls and gas taxes. And when cars no longer use gas, raise the tolls and add a 100% sales tax to them. Quite simple really.

By: Larry Littlefield

Larry Littlefield — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:06:31 +0000

“When I hear the word ‘creative’, it sounds like we are looking for ways to pay for projects using debt, without actually increasing the headline debt figure.”

We have a winner!!!!!!!! Or, if you are under age 50 or cares about someone who is, a another knowledgeable loser.

By: Ian Turner

Ian Turner — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:40:19 +0000

When I hear the word “creative”, it sounds like we are looking for ways to pay for projects using debt, without actually increasing the headline debt figure.

By: Mark Walker

Mark Walker — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:18:18 +0000

Since road users get most federal transportation spending, one might — at first glance — expect them to provide most of the revenue. But when Obama talks about “creative” financing, he wants to be nice to everyone and avoid politically unpopular gas taxes and tolls, which would give the Republicans a knife to slit the throats of the Democrats. He is, after all, Mr. Cash for Clunkers. So creative will mean (1) gimmicky, and (2) not specifically tied to road users. This should make the rest of us uneasy.