Donald Trump
If Trump Wants to “Fix It First,” a Big Spending Spree Isn’t the Way to Go
It's hard to pin Donald Trump down on policy issues. But let's take one of his recent infrastructure pronouncements literally and see where the implications lead.
January 27, 2017
Mayors Stand Up to Trump’s Executive Order on Sanctuary Cities
With an executive order yesterday, Donald Trump followed through on his threat to punish cities where local police do not report undocumented immigrants. Funds for transportation, housing, and other programs may (or may not) be at stake, but mayors of sanctuary cities around the country made it clear they are not backing down.
January 26, 2017
Today Trump Gags the EPA. Tomorrow the GOP Strangles the Census.
Republicans want to cut off federal data that social science researchers depend on, limiting our ability to understand the effects of transportation and land use policy, especially on the most vulnerable Americans.
January 25, 2017
Senate Dems Put Out Their Own Trillion Dollar Infrastructure Plan
Senate Democrats have an infrastructure "blueprint" of their own, one that's weighted toward transit. The trouble is that Democrats have little power to set terms, and getting drawn into negotiations over an unnecessary infrastructure bill may not play out to their advantage.
January 24, 2017
Trump’s First Budget May Zero Out Federal Transit Funding
Donald Trump's first budget will reportedly follow a blueprint for extreme spending cuts laid out by the Heritage Foundation. That could spell disaster for cities, since Heritage recommends eliminating federal support for transit.
January 19, 2017
Why Infrastructure Costs May Rise Thanks to Trump’s Cronyism
The Trump transition team is already harassing companies in several ways, all of which are likely to lead to more graft and higher costs for the public.
December 20, 2016
Of Shipyards and Golf Courses: Infrastructure and Economic Nostalgia
Cross-posted from the Frontier Group.
December 5, 2016
Trump’s Pick for U.S. DOT Is GOP Insider Elaine Chao
Chao was secretary of labor under George W. Bush and is married to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. An official announcement is expected shortly.
November 29, 2016
4 Ways Trump’s Transportation Plan Is Ripe for Corruption
As long as Trump doesn't release his tax returns, divest from his assets, and put his wealth in a true blind trust, the public can have no confidence that federal infrastructure spending will be based on merit and not Trump's personal financial interests.
November 28, 2016
Steve Bannon Would Love to Team Up With Chuck Schumer on Infrastructure
Trump advisor Steve Bannon's comments to the Hollywood Reporter about infrastructure are worth a closer look. It helps explain why Democrats like Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi are making a grave mistake when they line up to help Trump implement this plan.
November 21, 2016