[quote]Powerpuff wrote:
[quote]MaximusB wrote:
[quote]Sweet Revenge wrote:
[quote]LIFTICVSMAXIMVS wrote:
[quote]Sweet Revenge wrote:
And throwing money at construction programs does create jobs. [/quote]
It also creates worthless empty houses and strip malls.[/quote]
We are talking about two different things here.
TAXPAYER supported construction programs build things like infrastructure, schools, some hospitals, bases and housing for armed forces, some laboratories, etc.
PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT (SPECULATIVE) construction programs build housing developments and strip malls. That market crashed with the financial crisis as investors couldn’t get financed. A blessing in disguise if you ask me, because there is too much of that kind of overdeveloped sprawl. There should be a law against…oh nevermind. Don’t get me started.
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This has been “a bottomless black hole” for money to get lost in in California. Projects (like the subway to the see, the roast goat express, and countless others), are calculated much lower (not by accident) than they really cost, so the city council can propose such a grand idea to tax payers in the form of a bond measure. This story goes something like this…
"We (the worthless legislature hell bent on making you pull your pants down and not even using lube when we fuck you in the ass), would like to propose bond measure X, this would allocate funds for the construction of X (a library, school, hospital, jail, government building, etc.)
Then they use colorful euphemisms, like, “this will help ease the burden of _____”. Or this will help make _______ easier, more efficient, and more streamlined. Then the people buy the bullshit, hearing about how it won’t cost very much. What happens is, many of these budget proposals are DRASTICALLY underestimated, and done intentionally. So, the bullet train idea here in Cali was projected by some “government estimator” (which means he was hand picked to low ball the estimate), cost $10 Billion. Then you bring in a couple of other private contractors who estimate it, and the cost comes to around $40-50 Billion. But the public is told the $10 Billion number for obvious reasons. So they approve it and start building. After about a year, the $10 Billion is up, and they need more money. Then you hear “WTF is going on? You told us it would cost $10 Billion!” Then the govt says, well that didn’t include X,Y, and Z. We need another __ dollars to finish this. The city council will then offer another bond measure to pay for the rest, because, “we can’t just let $10 Billion go to waste. We can’t just walk away from this.”
This whole scheme works by getting their foot in the door. Once it’s in, they use the "what? You won’t let us in when I already have one of my feet in the door? "
NEVER, N-E-V-E-R, let the government get a project even started, for reasons like this.
It’s like what is happening here in Cali. We had tax increases to obscene levels, with the promise that it would be for only 2 years. Well, the 2 years is up this June, and guess what, they want to maintain those increases for another 5 years. We have Republicans selling out, and allowing for the proposal to go to a vote. Of course, we will vote it down, (because yes I am VERY FUCKING VOCAL and spread the truth like wildfire here.) Then, when the tax extension fails, the prick state legislature will have to cut $29 Billion. Personally, I can’t wait, I am drooling thinking about it. If you think what’s happening in Wisconsin is something, just wait til this shit hits Cali. [/quote]
You are spot on Max. The thing that gets me is why people keep voting YES on every proposition/ballot initiative in this state. It doesn’t matter what it’s for. The proposition system might have sounded like a good idea at the time. In theory, it puts more power with the people, and usually I’m all for that. Unfortunately, it’s just way too easy to collect signatures to get the things on the ballot. Californian’s have NEVER seen a bond they didn’t like.
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Because it is all free money created by magic faries.