A Few Facts on the Deficit

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Credit is not tight.

I see. That's just the small business community making shite up.

Credit conditions improved modestly for businesses in July with 32 percent of respondents reporting that credit was “somewhat” or “very difficult” to obtain over the past 12 months, down from 36 percent in April. Yet business owners expect credit to remain tight over the next 12 months as 42 percent expect credit to remain “somewhat” or “very difficult” to obtain, the same percentage reported in April and January 2010.

[Heracles 417]

You might want to factor in the fact that AUS does not have to contend with cold and snow. That is why our roads wear out so fast compared to AUS. Freezing weather and snow removal can kill a road very quickly.

So why are European roads in such a great condition then? Difference is that they are maintained. The interstates here are atrocious and full of ####### in the emergency lanes. Actually, most public roads I have seen are either unmarked, unlit, minimal cat-eye reflectors [if any], not cleaned, generally run down and full of cracks and potholes. With the rest being cheaply made out of concrete - which is dangerous. This is actually quite funny considering the US generally does not like mass transport like every other country. Therefore, you don't like PT and don't want to invest in the roads.

It's quite evident to me that infrastructure and building [investing] in America is not important to Republicans, just their own wealth. As long as their little gated HOA is fine and dandy, to hell with the country really. I cannot say Democrats are any better because the biggest shithole cities of them all have Democrat leaders. These so-called leaders wouldn't know how to improve a city or bring it close to 2010 world standards, out from their dilapidation, if their lives depended on it.

American conservatives would at least be good at this if you actually cared about it and viewed it as being important. After all, who else do you think brought Australian cities to the for-front of the game? Who made massive investments between public an private industries. I guess the difference is that they don't have Palins running the show there, they have visionaries with a clue.

I don't know who is worse here, liberals or libertarians. Each uniquely as destruction on the country and its economy as the other.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

I see. That's just the small business community making shite up.

Deadbeats always it find to hard to get credit. I live in a depressed area in a bankrupt state, and folks are falling over themselves to give me credit. Maybe it's because I don't want it, or need it at this point. I have some business associates that are buried in debt, and they can get credit, just not in the form they want it, because they can't show they made any money the last couple of years. There is lots of money out there, just nobody is risking it on venture capital. But if you want a payroll loan, there is an easy qualify, government guaranteed package out there that nobody wants.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Deadbeats always it find to hard to get credit.

A third to almost half of small business owners are deadbeats?

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Your talking out your azz now. I drive a LOT on our roads and I have been to Europe. Our roads are just as good if not better than most.

Europe? Which country specifically? No way are roads in the US even remotely as good as they are in Germany, Belgium, Holland, Austria. Take a drive through NYC, take a drive through Berlin and then come back here and tell me that the roads in the former are on par with those in the latter. Not even close. NYC and Bucharest? There you might have a case. And yes, Bucharest is also in Europe though hardly representative of the continent.

[JohnSmith2007 353]

Europe? Which country specifically? No way are roads in the US even remotely as good as they are in Germany, Belgium, Holland, Austria. Take a drive through NYC, take a drive through Berlin and then come back here and tell me that the roads in the former are on par with those in the latter. Not even close. NYC and Bucharest? There you might have a case. And yes, Bucharest is also in Europe though hardly representative of the continent.

I have been to Spain and England. I found the roads narrow and confusing. I was talking about the interstate system here and the expressways in Europe. Some are better than ours and some are worse. There isn't a big difference really.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

I have been to Spain and England. I found the roads narrow and confusing. I was talking about the interstate system here and the expressways in Europe. Some are better than ours and some are worse. There isn't a big difference really.

I haven't been driving in either Spain or England. True, roads are generally narrower in Europe but the roads I travelled on there are in pretty awesome shape - that's true for city streets, country roads and highways.

[JohnSmith2007 353]

I haven't been driving in either Spain or England. True, roads are generally narrower in Europe but the roads I travelled on there are in pretty awesome shape - that's true for city streets, country roads and highways.

I am not bashing Europe, I am sure they have a world class infrastructure. My point is that we have a problem of scale. The US is so big and has every imaginable type of geography so it is a monumental task to have roads that keep things moving. I would say our interstate system has done a very good job of it and we have a right to be proud of it. City streets are another matter. I haven't been to NYC yet but if they are like Chicago then I will give you that point. Those roads however are maintained by the local government and not the state or federal government like our interstate system is.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

I am not bashing Europe, I am sure they have a world class infrastructure. My point is that we have a problem of scale. The US is so big and has every imaginable type of geography so it is a monumental task to have roads that keep things moving. I would say our interstate system has done a very good job of it and we have a right to be proud of it. City streets are another matter. I haven't been to NYC yet but if they are like Chicago then I will give you that point. Those roads however are maintained by the local government and not the state or federal government like our interstate system is.

The US interstate system is decent but the structure is rapidly aging and not being maintained as well as it needs to be. The state of the infrastructure is alarming. Yes, it's a huge effort to maintain it but doing so will put the country on a better footing for the future and it would create a lot of jobs at all levels.

The country pulled off building the interstate system and reaped the benefits. Why can't we pull off maintaining it?

[JohnSmith2007 353]

The US interstate system is decent but the structure is rapidly aging and not being maintained as well as it needs to be. The state of the infrastructure is alarming. Yes, it's a huge effort to maintain it but doing so will put the country on a better footing for the future and it would create a lot of jobs at all levels.

The country pulled off building the interstate system and reaped the benefits. Why can't we pull off maintaining it?

I drive on average 20,000 miles a year on our interstates. I can tell you that they are constantly being repaired. I don't know what more they could do. In my mind they are doing a fair to reasonably good job of it. Sure we hear about our bridges needing major attention and that is true but you need to understand the sheer quantity of bridges we have is a huge undertaking to maintian.

[HAL 9000 96]

I drive on average 20,000 miles a year on our interstates. I can tell you that they are constantly being repaired. I don't know what more they could do. In my mind they are doing a fair to reasonably good job of it. Sure we hear about our bridges needing major attention and that is true but you need to understand the sheer quantity of bridges we have is a huge undertaking to maintian.

Good points. I think you may want to add something about the much higher demand for US roads than European roads per capita as a likely factor for the condition of the pavement. Do remember Europeans rely on public transportation systems much more than we do.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

A third to almost half of small business owners are deadbeats?

[mawilson 2,133]

A third to almost half of small business owners are deadbeats?

If they "need credit to make payroll", they are.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

If they "need credit to make payroll", they are.

Well, we're in some fix then, aren't we?

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

I just got a call:

"Your business has been preapproved for a capital improvement loan for up to $250,000. All you have to do is show that you make at least $2000 to $3000 in Mastercard/Visa transactions per month."

I hung up at that point.