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A 21st Century New Deal...

msbae

Commodore
Source: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1208/16258.html

—ENERGY: “[W]e will launch a massive effort to make public buildings more energy-efficient. Our government now pays the highest energy bill in the world. We need to change that. We need to upgrade our federal buildings by replacing old heating systems and installing efficient light bulbs. That won’t just save you, the American taxpayer, billions of dollars each year. It will put people back to work.”

That is a fantastic idea. I wonder why I didn't think of that one myself. I'm usually pretty anal-retentive about saving energy wherever possible.

—ROADS AND BRIDGES: “[W]e will create millions of jobs by making the single largest new investment in our national infrastructure since the creation of the federal highway system in the 1950s. We’ll invest your precious tax dollars in new and smarter ways, and we’ll set a simple rule – use it or lose it. If a state doesn’t act quickly to invest in roads and bridges in their communities, they’ll lose the money.”

That will make quite a few Old-School Southern Democrats very unhappy down here in Louisiana. On the other hand, I'm quite happy. The roads here have needed a major overhaul since before I was even born and I'm sick of those crooks pocketing the people's money.

—SCHOOLS: “[M]y economic recovery plan will launch the most sweeping effort to modernize and upgrade school buildings that this country has ever seen. We will repair broken schools, make them energy-efficient, and put new computers in our classrooms. Because to help our children compete in a 21st century economy, we need to send them to 21st century schools.”

Well, just make sure they aren't running Vista... Or come from a crappy manufacturer like Compaq, Acer or Gateway...

—BROADBAND: “As we renew our schools and highways, we’ll also renew our information superhighway. It is unacceptable that the United States ranks 15th in the world in broadband adoption. Here, in the country that invented the Internet, every child should have the chance to get online, and they’ll get that chance when I’m president – because that’s how we’ll strengthen America’s competitiveness in the world.”
Not to mention expanding the market for Internet Porn sites...
Puke.gif


How is he going to pay for the school modernization anyway? I hope it's not the usual way through raising taxes.

—ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS: “In addition to connecting our libraries and schools to the Internet, we must also ensure that our hospitals are connected to each other through the Internet. That is why the economic recovery plan I’m proposing will help modernize our health care system – and that won’t just save jobs, it will save lives. We will make sure that every doctor’s office and hospital in this country is using cutting edge technology and electronic medical records so that we can cut red tape, prevent medical mistakes, and help save billions of dollars each year.”

Okay, this part bothers me a little. While the idea is a good one overall, there's a lot of potential for misuse and crackers stealing my private medical records. Better use a VERY secure network OS, Barack. FreeBSD or Debian should do the trick. Linux Mint and/or 64-Bit Ubuntu might also work in a pinch. DON'T use anything from Microsoft. The hackers and crackers of the world know that company's software far too well for it to ever be even remotely secure.
 
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We’ll invest your precious tax dollars in new and smarter ways, and we’ll set a simple rule – use it or lose it. If a state doesn’t act quickly to invest in roads and bridges in their communities, they’ll lose the money.”

To me that sort of fear seems kind of incompatible with making smart decisions (Just Do something!!! isn't so great if you do something bad). Otherwise, OK ideas.
 
We’ll invest your precious tax dollars in new and smarter ways, and we’ll set a simple rule – use it or lose it. If a state doesn’t act quickly to invest in roads and bridges in their communities, they’ll lose the money.”

To me that sort of fear seems kind of incompatible with making smart decisions (Just Do something!!! isn't so great if you do something bad). Otherwise, OK ideas.

I believe, and please correct me if I'm wrong, that most of not all transportation projects are funded on the basis of a proposal, so it's not as if states are given a bunch of money and told "now, do something with it". They make a proposal for federal funding, and if it is approved, they receive funding. The problem is states then sit on that funding so long that projects never get done.
 
Would it be more helpful in the long run to invest in expanding the country's rail infrastructure rather than throwing everything at the roads? Europe puts us to shame in the rail department.
 
Would it be more helpful in the long run to invest in expanding the country's rail infrastructure rather than throwing everything at the roads? Europe puts us to shame in the rail department.

It's not an/either or proposition, both have to be looked at. For the next 50 years at least, the vast majority of Americans are going to be driving cars, even if you expand rail in an unprecedented way. Public transportation loses money in large cities, even more in smaller places. America's infrastructure needs hundreds of billions of dollars in investment simply to live up to the standards it has on it's own booked and to accommodate the traffic volume expected over the coming decades. Congested roads lead to fuel increase.

Europe is small and dense compared to America, it's much easier to build and finance commuter rail there. And the places that are more rural there certainly don't have access to the kind of rail service found in London or Brussels or New York.
 
—ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS: “In addition to connecting our libraries and schools to the Internet, we must also ensure that our hospitals are connected to each other through the Internet. That is why the economic recovery plan I’m proposing will help modernize our health care system – and that won’t just save jobs, it will save lives. We will make sure that every doctor’s office and hospital in this country is using cutting edge technology and electronic medical records so that we can cut red tape, prevent medical mistakes, and help save billions of dollars each year.”

Okay, this part bothers me a little. While the idea is a good one overall, there's a lot of potential for misuse and crackers stealing my private medical records. Better use a VERY secure network OS, Barack. FreeBSD or Debian should do the trick. Linux Mint and/or 64-Bit Ubuntu might also work in a pinch. DON'T use anything from Microsoft. The hackers and crackers of the world know that company's software far too well for it to ever be even remotely secure.

I got news for you, most medical records are all digitized and through computer networks. I have a regular group of a patients, ones I like to call "frequent flyers" and when we go out to one of their homes, the ER docs send the pertinent shit to my blackberry.
 
I spent a summer traveling Europe entirely on Eurail.

I'm not wrong.


Yes. But Europe is a MUCH smaller land mass than the US.

Here on the East Coast, the rail system isn't to bad, for example, it's pretty easy to get to Philly from New York, a lovely little ride. But the East Coast has a population and geographic density that the rest of the country doesn't have.

My train ride from Chicago to New York City...endless. Forever. Not great at all. And I will never do something like that again.

Sometimes driving is much easier, faster, and maybe even cheaper...you don't stop every twenty minutes in some little town between home and your destination.
 
It's times like these I wish England was the 51st state.

I spent a summer traveling Europe entirely on Eurail.

I'm not wrong.

It would seem my point went over your head, the UK is in Europe and the UK rail network sucks BIG TIME. Therefore when it comes to averaging it out, Europes rail (as a whole) sucks also.
Now if you were to change what you said from Europe to perhaps 'France' or another country that has 'Eurail' then there won't be a problem when it comes to comparing it to the US.
 
I think you overestimate the relative weight of the UK in that averaging. Even if that had zero rail I'd still say Europe came out ahead. But I see the point about the US being more spread out.

There is a *lot* more work that can be done on local metro rail systems, though. And I think if money's going to be put into public transportation anywhere it should be there. Getting the DC metro out to Washington/Dulles airport would reduce a whole slew of congestion problems around here.....
 
Would it be more helpful in the long run to invest in expanding the country's rail infrastructure rather than throwing everything at the roads? Europe puts us to shame in the rail department.


No kidding, and most of the blame lies on our civic planning. Civic leaders allow for urban sprawl, which necessitates the "need" for roads, and the greedy land developers (who, IMHO, are worse than "greedy bankers") pay off the civic leaders who allow them to rape and pillage the land.
 
It would seem my point went over your head, the UK is in Europe and the UK rail network sucks BIG TIME. Therefore when it comes to averaging it out, Europes rail (as a whole) sucks also.
Now if you were to change what you said from Europe to perhaps 'France' or another country that has 'Eurail' then there won't be a problem when it comes to comparing it to the US.

I haven't had much problem with the service. The prices on the other hand are getting worse:(
 
Several things here...

1.) I'm happy that this thread has stayed civil, unlike the 'Letter to Obama' thread.

2.) About my medical records...

—ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS: “In addition to connecting our libraries and schools to the Internet, we must also ensure that our hospitals are connected to each other through the Internet. That is why the economic recovery plan I’m proposing will help modernize our health care system – and that won’t just save jobs, it will save lives. We will make sure that every doctor’s office and hospital in this country is using cutting edge technology and electronic medical records so that we can cut red tape, prevent medical mistakes, and help save billions of dollars each year.”

Okay, this part bothers me a little. While the idea is a good one overall, there's a lot of potential for misuse and crackers stealing my private medical records. Better use a VERY secure network OS, Barack. FreeBSD or Debian should do the trick. Linux Mint and/or 64-Bit Ubuntu might also work in a pinch. DON'T use anything from Microsoft. The hackers and crackers of the world know that company's software far too well for it to ever be even remotely secure.

I got news for you, most medical records are all digitized and through computer networks. I have a regular group of a patients, ones I like to call "frequent flyers" and when we go out to one of their homes, the ER docs send the pertinent shit to my blackberry.

Well, I haven't had health insurance in almost 2 years now. I haven't seen a doctor in over 10 years. Any records of mine that are floating around are likely to be out of date.

Still, I feel a little worried about the potential for the National Medical Records Server at the Dept. of HHS (or whatever it's called) to get hacked. Just imagine if some sociopath decided he didn't like you and wanted to see what kind of allergies you have? :eek: Talk about a scary situation...

3.) I like the idea of America having a fast & efficient rail system filled with Bullet Trains zooming along at 300 MPH. I like the idea of there being one of these rail routes between New Orleans and Memphis even more. That would make visiting my best friend's place somewhat easier. However, will the fares be cheaper (or at least comparable to) flying on Southwest?
 
Several things here...

1.) I'm happy that this thread has stayed civil, unlike the 'Letter to Obama' thread.

2.) About my medical records...

—ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS: “In addition to connecting our libraries and schools to the Internet, we must also ensure that our hospitals are connected to each other through the Internet. That is why the economic recovery plan I’m proposing will help modernize our health care system – and that won’t just save jobs, it will save lives. We will make sure that every doctor’s office and hospital in this country is using cutting edge technology and electronic medical records so that we can cut red tape, prevent medical mistakes, and help save billions of dollars each year.”

Okay, this part bothers me a little. While the idea is a good one overall, there's a lot of potential for misuse and crackers stealing my private medical records. Better use a VERY secure network OS, Barack. FreeBSD or Debian should do the trick. Linux Mint and/or 64-Bit Ubuntu might also work in a pinch. DON'T use anything from Microsoft. The hackers and crackers of the world know that company's software far too well for it to ever be even remotely secure.

I got news for you, most medical records are all digitized and through computer networks. I have a regular group of a patients, ones I like to call "frequent flyers" and when we go out to one of their homes, the ER docs send the pertinent shit to my blackberry.

Well, I haven't had health insurance in almost 2 years now. I haven't seen a doctor in over 10 years. Any records of mine that are floating around are likely to be out of date.

Still, I feel a little worried about the potential for the National Medical Records Server at the Dept. of HHS (or whatever it's called) to get hacked. Just imagine if some sociopath decided he didn't like you and wanted to see what kind of allergies you have? :eek: Talk about a scary situation...

Well, we only really use it on frequent patients who are on a strict medication, and it helps to keep track of dosage adjustments. There's also the list of people who have an at home life support machine that would get a check up in case of a power outage, but that's on the counties records.
 
Talk about one of the worst ideas to come up in recent times.

the original New Deal didn't actually do much good.

Better off if the federal govt. just went completely hands off with the U.S. economy.
 
Well, we only really use it on frequent patients who are on a strict medication, and it helps to keep track of dosage adjustments. There's also the list of people who have an at home life support machine that would get a check up in case of a power outage, but that's on the counties records.

That makes me feel slightly better.
 
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