Top GOP economist: We need infrastructure spending. Pay for it with means...
In my new The Week column, I outline a number of possible Obama-Republican compromises on issues such as corporate tax reform, infrastructure spending, and expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit. In...
View ArticleOn transportation, power is flowing out of Washington
Washington is grabbing too much power — just look at Obamacare, environmental regulations and education standards. That has been a constant complaint of conservatives, not only during Barack Obama’s...
View ArticleNo, we shouldn’t raise the federal gasoline tax. There are better ideas
Some Republicans are signaling they’re open to increasing the federal gasoline tax. As Senator John Thune said over the weekend, “The highway bill expires at the end of May and there’s about a $100...
View ArticleWhat to do about America’s aging infrastructure
Michael Mandel:America’s infrastructure is like a house where the carpets are worn, the shower is leaking, and cracks in the wall let through the winter winds. The average age of U.S. highways and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Mind the gap: US and European train safety
This article appears in the March 9, 2015 issue of National Review.In June 2011, an Amtrak train collided with a truck on U.S. Route 95, killing at least six people. This sobering accident near Reno,...
View ArticleFunding battle ensues after Amtrak crash: Goldberg on ‘Your World with Neil...
Fellow Jonah Goldberg discusses the Amtrak accident in Philadelphia and the ensuing debate on infrastructure spending on Fox News' 'Your World with Neil Cavuto.'
View ArticleLawmakers divided on Amtrak funding: Goldberg on Fox News’‘Special Report’
Fellow Jonah Goldberg discusses the infrastructure debate triggered by deadly Amtrak crash on Fox News' 'Special Report.'
View ArticleThe dodgy economics of infrastructure spending on ‘megaprojects’
Democrats often mock Republicans for having a one-track mind when its comes to economic policy. Here is a famous example, President Obama at the 2012 Democratic National Convention: “And that’s because...
View ArticleMaking Amtrak compete would benefit all
The recent Amtrak derailment outside of Philadelphia, which killed eight people and injured over 200, is a somber reminder that quick action by Congress is necessary to prevent another passenger rail...
View ArticleClik here to view.
America’s transportation challenges: Proposals for reform
Abstract:Politicians and civil engineers alike often refer to America’s immense surface transportation system as “our nation’s crumbling infrastructure.” Major segments of the system are in need of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Not a dime more for Metro — yet
Paul Kupiec is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. Ryan Nabil is a research associate at the American Enterprise Institute.Metro officials have been quick to capitalize on the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Is the era of big infrastructure over? (Bullet train buffs, do not read!)
One issue where the leading Democratic and Republican presidential candidates seem to agree is the need for improved US infrastructure. And many economists think that the combination of need and cheap...
View ArticleClik here to view.
US infrastructure may be underrated, but that doesn’t mean it couldn’t use an...
McKinsey Global Institute is out with a big report on infrastructure. I think what you can conclude about the state of things in the US is that while our infrastructure could use a big upgrade —...
View ArticleLinks and Quotations for September 10, 2015: Mindfulness creates false...
Might want to pause to read the latest research before you sign up for that Mindfulness Seminar. That and more major developments here. Jamaican Government Steals Years Of Public Domain Works From Its...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Fixing America’s ‘crumbling infrastructure’
The 405 freeway is viewed from above in Carson, California August 5, 2015. REUTERS/Mike Blake. In a new AEI Economic Perspectives paper, Richard Geddes presents a set of principles to guide policy...
View ArticleClik here to view.
What’s the future of pricey bullet train projects in a world of driverless...
The Wall Street Journal reports that the “U.S. government has approved the first federal funds for an ambitious plan to tap Japanese technology for a high-speed train project that could carry...
View ArticleClik here to view.
What technology do tech entrepreneurs think is underhyped?
Business Insider Business Insider produced the above chart based on a poll of 500 founders from NYC VC firm, First Round Capital. Maybe driverless cars (and trucks) are still underhyped because the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A few charts on the state of America’s infrastructure
Given low interest rates and the need, I can certainly understand the case for a boost in public infrastructure spending. But as these White House charts show, talk of an infrastructure “crisis” seems...
View ArticleThis is the math for spending $2 trillion on US infrastructure
From economist Larry Summers: For the foreseeable future, there is no danger that the United States will overinvest in infrastructure. An increase in infrastructure investment of 1 percent of gross...
View ArticleBuilding a 21st-century transportation system: Federal, state, and private roles
America’s transportation network faces numerous problems. The American Society of Civil Engineers consistently assigns US infrastructure low grades. With revenue from federal fossil-fuel taxes...
View Article