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You got the "seems" part right at least. Understandable given the amount of Democrat ass kissing that goes on in this neighborhood.

Infrastructure construction encourages economic growth, and improves the viability of industry. The great cities in our country developed because of the proximity to infrastructure, and areas without infrastructure languished. Its the sort of investments the nation should have been making years ago if not for the single mindedness of the Republican party worrying about slashing taxes for their rich friends. Funny how it always seems to be the Republican party that gets this country into the worst economic crises and the Democrat's "big government" that everyone looks to when its time to clean up the mess; maybe there really is something positive that can come from a federal government making investments in the nation.

One tier of government must go and federal administrators appointed to take total control of bridge and road works.

The only persons that should get a feather in their cap is Obama and his administration.

This stimulus package wont work at all, it didnt work for Japan in the 90s it wont work here now.

Before someone points to the new deal, you must consider that prior to the 1930's the US had no effective infrastructure. Today we do, albeit a bit older. By no means would massive spending on "improvements" stimulate an economy. The jobs that it would create would be entirely temporary and rather medial.

Once all the bridges are built, the highways improved, etc etc then what? All those jobs are used up creating nothing long term.

Why not invest that money where its needed and will have long term lasting effects? Education, labor training, basic sciences, and many many more.

I was a little miffed when i heard the stimulus was going to road/highway projects, i didnt hear about potential rail projects until this. Effective public transportation is embarrassingly lacking in this country. I think it is the wrong decision to build any infrastructure that promotes further sprawl, and will prove difficult to maintain. I have to admit tho, i have not yet had the time to read past the headlines for the proposed stimulus package.

U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez... terrible senator and Hudson County machine protege. New Jersey can do better.

All of the politicians are licking their lips!! Spend (the taxpayer's) money on construction, get campaign donations (and a little, uh sorry, a lot under the table) from the construction companies, get re-elected and start the process all over again!! Where does all of the taxpayer's money go??

I agree that elected in NJ and everywhere have badly mismanaged the budget and transportation spending. but funding an extension of the light rail and repairing bridges needs to be done.

Obama shouldn't give a cent to any State for bridge repairs or transport improvement like the light-rail.

It is mismanagement by our elected officials that turned a blind eye to this problem over many years and administrations - tolls were justified by paying for maintenance. All I see is rusty bridges and band-aid pot hole repairs on the turnpike.
I'd love to see an audit done on the State and our City's books.

Light Rail extensions called smart $$$ use

Tuesday, January 06, 2009
By CHARLES HACK
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

And yes, all politics - and infrastructure projects - are local.

Hudson County bigwigs said yesterday they want some of the federal stimulus package money the president-elect and Congressional leaders are cobbling together to pay for an extension of the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail system within Jersey City and on into Bergen County.

At a press conference organized by Sen. Robert Menendez to urge passage of an estimated $775 billion stimulus package, County Executive Tom DeGise, said extending the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail would be a prime candidate for some of those funds.

DeGise wants the Light Rail extended from North Bergen to the 4.8 million-square-foot Meadowlands Xanadu entertainment and sports complex in East Rutherford.

The Jersey City Redevelopment Agency is also in negotiations with NJ Transit to extend the Light Rail from the West Side Avenue Station across Route 440 to a redevelopment zone on the Hackensack Riverfront.

The new station would link the Jersey City waterfront and North Hudson to a planned 100-acre development with 8,100 residential units, 1 million square feet of office space and 600,000 square feet of retail space.

"We are not talking about throwing money into the wind hoping for a economic miracle," Menendez said at the Duncan Avenue press conference.

"We are talking about smart investments and the types of local projects and programs that actually fuel our economy and help create the economic conditions necessary for an economic turnaround."

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Senator: Fix bridges, aid economy
Tuesday, January 06, 2009

The 76-year-old Pulaski Skyway served as a backdrop yesterday as U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, standing in Jersey City, said the span is typical of the neglected bridges that should receive fix-up money from the economic stimulus package President-elect Barack Obama and the 111th Congress began to craft this week.

Flanked by Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy and Hudson County Executive Thomas DeGise among other officials, Menendez said spending on upgrades and new projects will help jolt the U.S. economy out of the deep recession it finds itself in.

The state Department of Transportation plans to spend $220 million through 2014 on interim repairs to the 3.5-mile Skyway, which connects Jersey City and Newark and touches down in Kearny.

Replacement of the bridge would cost $1.2 billion, officials said.

"This is not only a way of providing jobs in the 'new Great Depression' as I call it," said Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy, about the proposed investment in infrastructure projects. "But it will put our people back to work."

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

CHARLES HACK