[Superman]

A conservative Republican legislator in my state is proposing a one cent per year gas tax hike for the next twenty years. Again, as I say, there is no debate in my legislature about whether we have a transportation crisis or not, and we have some VERY conservative legislators. The problem is throttling commerce (and peoples' lives also, which of course is just a minor, secondary consideration). Anyway, one of the local crack-pipe conservative think tanks is of course opposing this by whining about the compexity of these projects, and the time they take in planning, permitting etc.

So, above I notice some whining about that kind of stuff, but not really the same as the think tank whiners. I agree that it would be ideal if barriers could be overcome quickly. But I also know (and Vash knows) that these project do require substantial planning. Trust me, you would not want these projects going forward without adequate planning. When they do, even more eggregious mistakes are made. The think tank said, as if this is inappropriate, that the planning and permitting takes longer than the actual construction work. Being an insider, I was thinking "Yeah......and your point is.....?" Seriously. Vash. It simply does take time. On my project, an airport modernization, our poor contractors and engineers have at least three security agencies breathing down their neck, they've got planes loaded with humans and kerosene taxiing around heavy construction equipment, several local municipalites are impacted plus the State Patrol, Department of Ecology, yadda yadda. Again, if someone thinks we should cut some of these entities out of our discussions, then I'd like to hear who we should be ignoring.

Okay, at any rate, there is the steel sourcing matter above, related to the Brooklyn Queens Expressway. It is important to some people to keep American manufacturing jobs here. Or at least to NOT use public funds to help move contracts, and jobs, and whole employers outside the US. So, this requirement kinda makes sense. But steel prices have gone THROUGH THE ROOF. And y'know why? China. China is launching into an infrastructure investment craze that is taxing the world's supply of resources.

And some of my brilliant conservative instructors here seem to have the opinion that infrastructure is not that important. Someone should tell China this, before they waste more money.