Resist Trump’s #InfrastructureScam

Trump is throwing his weight behind a massive #InfrastructureScam that will poison our air and water and let Wall Street charge Americans tolls — even making it the centerpiece of his State of the Union address.

The scam will do nothing to actually rebuild America — but some Democrats may fall for it, anyway. After a decade seeing Republicans block real, Democratic plans to rebuild our nation’s infrastructure, too many Democrats have shown an interest in collaborating on infrastructure with the racist, xenophobic, misogynist occupying the White House.

We need massive investments in America’s roads, bridges, transit, schools and parks — but we can do it without helping Trump’s corporate cronies get rich while gutting environmental protections. With the Trump puppets spewing disinformation about his plans following the State of the Union, we need to ramp up the pressure immediately.

Tell Congress: Block and resist Trump’s #InfrastructureScam.

We at CREDO have not forgotten that opposition to the Nazi regime in Germany faded fastest in the areas where it built the Autobahn. Authoritarian regimes use such projects to buy silence while they crack down on vulnerable groups. There is no excuse for helping Donald Trump’s political position by collaborating on infrastructure.

Instead, we need to push members of Congress to forcefully reject the Trump #InfrastructureScam and stand up for a real, progressive and people-first plan. Trump’s plan would:

• Gut environmental protections
• Allow Trump cronies to push projects without public input
• Turn public highways into toll roads
• Sell off public property to distant Wall Street hedge fund landlords
• Pad the profits of contractors for projects already underway
• Give billions in tax handouts to Wall Street corporations
• Fuel the construction of more dirty energy pipelines
• Lower worker pay and sabotage worker power
• Produce few new jobs, as companies will just pocket subsidies on projects already underway

Trump tried to disguise his first big bailout for Wall Street, polluters and corporate interests as a tax plan, and now the second bailout comes in the guise of an #InfrastructureScam. We need to force every Democrat to oppose this scam — and put Republicans on the defensive.

Under Trump’s proposal, Americans would pay to give private corporations a subsidy to buy the infrastructure Americans build and funded. We would pay the “Trump tolls” those companies would charge to return massive profits to well-connected Wall Street investors. And we would pay with poorer health and fewer jobs when those companies focus on projects that maximize profits instead of investing in clean energy from wind and solar, small roads and bridges, and repairing water systems that poison children.

Instead of a handout for Wall Street, progressives have outlined infrastructure principles that would create millions of jobs by directly rebuilding crumbling roads, bridges and schools and investing in 21st century infrastructure projects. In these crucial days when members of Congress are weighing how to react to Trump’s plan, we need to make sure they know Americans oppose the Trump #InfrastructureScam.

Tell Congress: Block and resist Trump’s #InfrastructureScam.

Originally published at act.credoaction.com.