Has building roads, bridges and an airport or two, anything to do with party politics? Billions have been spent for this purpose by both the Democrats and Republicans; they have voted for it for many decades and given unstinted support to reconstruction plans in their states.
On Thursday 3rd November the plan of the President to spend on infrastructure $60 billion came up to the Senate for voting; not even one Republican decided to break orders of the party and vote for it. The reason was that the bill said that funds would come from a surtax (0.7%) to be levied on those earning over $1 million. It would impact on taxpayers numbering 345,000 as per the findings of Citizens for Tax Justice. On an average it would add to their yearly tax bills $13,457.

Determined to protect this elite section of society and adhering like leeches to their anti-tax principle the Republicans ignored the needs of the people and the millions of jobs that would be created if roads, bridges and airports were built.
It was the same adamant stand of the Republicans in the Senate towards the full jobs act of the President previously introduced. Now the Republicans are going to block the pieces of that bill that will be brought by the Democrats.
The Republicans have been accused of going against any good plan that could improve the employment scenario and revive the sluggish economy somewhat prior to the elections scheduled to be held in 2012.
There is no second opinion that the bill pertaining to infrastructure would benefit the ailing economy and provide hope for development in the future. $50 billion would be directly used for road and bridges as well as airports and mass transportation. Another $10 billion would go to an infrastructure bank so as to give encouragement to investors in the private sector to participate in mega projects of the government.
An infrastructure bank bill had been co-sponsored in March by Republican Senator Kay Bailey last March. For many years Republicans have given their support to such types of efforts. But their mulish adherence to anti-tax promise is trumping over even their own good plans.
The soothing balm is that that this will not stop the Democrats. There are other jobs bills for the future; unemployment insurance will be extended and cuts in payroll tax. The Republicans would have to repeatedly block these and thus clearly expose their intentions to the public.