Comments on: Gee Whiz! Introducing The Pothole Killer http://www.infrastructurist.com/2009/05/20/the-pothole-killer/ America Under Construction Mon, 15 Mar 2010 07:17:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: Dave http://www.infrastructurist.com/2009/05/20/the-pothole-killer/comment-page-1/#comment-2097 Dave Fri, 22 May 2009 23:43:47 +0000 http://www.infrastructurist.com/?p=2794#comment-2097 "Since the Pothole Killer is functionally a job killer, it might make sense to hold off using it on a large scale until this whole recessionary unpleasantness is behind us." WRONG! The proper function of government is to provide basic services -- NOT to provide jobs. Government officials have a fiduciary responsibility to employ our tax dollars as efficiently as possible. Taxpayers first! Not jobs. “Since the Pothole Killer is functionally a job killer, it might make sense to hold off using it on a large scale until this whole recessionary unpleasantness is behind us.”

WRONG!

The proper function of government is to provide basic services — NOT to provide jobs.

Government officials have a fiduciary responsibility to employ our tax dollars as efficiently as possible. Taxpayers first! Not jobs.

]]> By: Bob http://www.infrastructurist.com/2009/05/20/the-pothole-killer/comment-page-1/#comment-2083 Bob Fri, 22 May 2009 20:03:17 +0000 http://www.infrastructurist.com/?p=2794#comment-2083 John,, that sounds to me like a very poor machine operator.......... John,, that sounds to me like a very poor machine operator……….

]]> By: John http://www.infrastructurist.com/2009/05/20/the-pothole-killer/comment-page-1/#comment-2053 John Fri, 22 May 2009 14:55:04 +0000 http://www.infrastructurist.com/?p=2794#comment-2053 There's one of these operating in Trenton, NJ. It doesn't live up to the hype. It makes a mound of sticky asphalt and gravel that dislodges within a week onto people's shoes and tires. There’s one of these operating in Trenton, NJ. It doesn’t live up to the hype. It makes a mound of sticky asphalt and gravel that dislodges within a week onto people’s shoes and tires.

]]> By: Catbus http://www.infrastructurist.com/2009/05/20/the-pothole-killer/comment-page-1/#comment-2022 Catbus Thu, 21 May 2009 21:48:39 +0000 http://www.infrastructurist.com/?p=2794#comment-2022 KCL, you do know that the Nazis arrested, imprisoned and executed socialists, don't you? Anon No. 1 makes the salient point: We have plenty of work to be done in this country and plenty of people available to do it. What we don't have is a mechanism for matching up available work with available workers in a way that gets the workers paid. If you can patch a pothole for $3 instead of $70, that's $67 you can use to pay laid-off construction workers to rehab dilapidated homes a mile and a half from the central business district. KCL, you do know that the Nazis arrested, imprisoned and executed socialists, don’t you?

Anon No. 1 makes the salient point: We have plenty of work to be done in this country and plenty of people available to do it. What we don’t have is a mechanism for matching up available work with available workers in a way that gets the workers paid. If you can patch a pothole for $3 instead of $70, that’s $67 you can use to pay laid-off construction workers to rehab dilapidated homes a mile and a half from the central business district.

]]> By: KCL http://www.infrastructurist.com/2009/05/20/the-pothole-killer/comment-page-1/#comment-2011 KCL Thu, 21 May 2009 18:46:16 +0000 http://www.infrastructurist.com/?p=2794#comment-2011 The city of Springfield, MO has been using one of these machines for a few years now. While it is efficient, any automation like this is a job killer. Welfare should come with a timeclock punch card. It shouldn't be free money for those who won't... any monkey can shovel hot pitch and gravel in a hole especially those on welfare. Let's get some programs together somewhat like Missouri did back in the 1920's with the campaign to "Get Missouri Out Of The Mud!", but now it's more like "Get Missouri Out Of The Hole!" Pothole, that is... Just think of the Socialistic slogan we can use... Arbeit macht frei... or, Work makes you free. Just like over the gate at Auschwitz. The city of Springfield, MO has been using one of these machines for a few years now. While it is efficient, any automation like this is a job killer.

Welfare should come with a timeclock punch card. It shouldn’t be free money for those who won’t… any monkey can shovel hot pitch and gravel in a hole especially those on welfare.

Let’s get some programs together somewhat like Missouri did back in the 1920’s with the campaign to “Get Missouri Out Of The Mud!”, but now it’s more like “Get Missouri Out Of The Hole!” Pothole, that is…

Just think of the Socialistic slogan we can use… Arbeit macht frei… or, Work makes you free. Just like over the gate at Auschwitz.

]]> By: admin http://www.infrastructurist.com/2009/05/20/the-pothole-killer/comment-page-1/#comment-2002 admin Thu, 21 May 2009 15:54:04 +0000 http://www.infrastructurist.com/?p=2794#comment-2002 Well, that's not at all what I'd like. But if you get $1 million in federal stimulus loot for road repairs, it's not like you can just say, oh, let's use it to pay firemen instead. In cases where that's an option, then obviously. Well, that’s not at all what I’d like. But if you get $1 million in federal stimulus loot for road repairs, it’s not like you can just say, oh, let’s use it to pay firemen instead.

In cases where that’s an option, then obviously.

]]> By: anonymous http://www.infrastructurist.com/2009/05/20/the-pothole-killer/comment-page-1/#comment-2001 anonymous Thu, 21 May 2009 15:17:36 +0000 http://www.infrastructurist.com/?p=2794#comment-2001 So would you rather hire five people to fix potholes, or hire one person to fix potholes and avoid laying off four teachers or firemen? So would you rather hire five people to fix potholes, or hire one person to fix potholes and avoid laying off four teachers or firemen?

]]> By: admin http://www.infrastructurist.com/2009/05/20/the-pothole-killer/comment-page-1/#comment-1967 admin Wed, 20 May 2009 17:48:32 +0000 http://www.infrastructurist.com/?p=2794#comment-1967 Though I'll add: A Keynesian, in arguing that governments can spend a country out of a recession, would say that it doesn't really matter what kind of work the person does. So to whatever extent there is money that could be taken from pothole filling and spent on something more useful, like fixing bridges or upgrading disused rail lines, great. But that's only if it's zero sum. If there's a standalone choice between "wasting" money on the old-fashion way of filling potholes and spending less to do it with a Pothole Killer, we should "waste" that money as vigorously as possible. -Jebediah Though I’ll add: A Keynesian, in arguing that governments can spend a country out of a recession, would say that it doesn’t really matter what kind of work the person does. So to whatever extent there is money that could be taken from pothole filling and spent on something more useful, like fixing bridges or upgrading disused rail lines, great. But that’s only if it’s zero sum. If there’s a standalone choice between “wasting” money on the old-fashion way of filling potholes and spending less to do it with a Pothole Killer, we should “waste” that money as vigorously as possible.

-Jebediah

]]> By: admin http://www.infrastructurist.com/2009/05/20/the-pothole-killer/comment-page-1/#comment-1965 admin Wed, 20 May 2009 17:39:31 +0000 http://www.infrastructurist.com/?p=2794#comment-1965 Anon #1: I think you've got me on this one. -Jebediah Anon #1:

I think you’ve got me on this one.

-Jebediah

]]> By: Claire http://www.infrastructurist.com/2009/05/20/the-pothole-killer/comment-page-1/#comment-1964 Claire Wed, 20 May 2009 17:16:08 +0000 http://www.infrastructurist.com/?p=2794#comment-1964 They've been using the pothole killer in Houston for a while. Since our potholes **always** come back, its main advantage seems to be that traffic isn't blocked but for a few minutes while it's being filled. The repairs seem to last at least as long as the ones done by hand. They’ve been using the pothole killer in Houston for a while. Since our potholes **always** come back, its main advantage seems to be that traffic isn’t blocked but for a few minutes while it’s being filled. The repairs seem to last at least as long as the ones done by hand.

]]> By: anonymous http://www.infrastructurist.com/2009/05/20/the-pothole-killer/comment-page-1/#comment-1963 anonymous Wed, 20 May 2009 17:09:55 +0000 http://www.infrastructurist.com/?p=2794#comment-1963 It sounds like this is only a temporary fix though, so the actual cost is higher than just $3. And they only seem to be using it for shallow, residential road-side potholes, not those behemoths that actually do the most damage in the middle of a busy lane. It sounds like this is only a temporary fix though, so the actual cost is higher than just $3. And they only seem to be using it for shallow, residential road-side potholes, not those behemoths that actually do the most damage in the middle of a busy lane.

]]> By: anonymous http://www.infrastructurist.com/2009/05/20/the-pothole-killer/comment-page-1/#comment-1962 anonymous Wed, 20 May 2009 17:02:57 +0000 http://www.infrastructurist.com/?p=2794#comment-1962 Um, no. Instead of wasting money and labor fixing potholes with manual labor, use this whiz-bang doohickey for that and use the leftover money and manpower to build more rail lines or bike lanes or any of the other myriad improvements that need doing. There is no such thing as a shortage of work, only a shortage of motivation. Um, no. Instead of wasting money and labor fixing potholes with manual labor, use this whiz-bang doohickey for that and use the leftover money and manpower to build more rail lines or bike lanes or any of the other myriad improvements that need doing.

There is no such thing as a shortage of work, only a shortage of motivation.

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