The Biden-Harris Administration | The White House

[blastercombo]

We were all duped into voting for Joe and Kamala. I
Actually thought change was going to be made.

Changes were made starting with another stimulus check a couple months out that gate that would of been doubled if not for a couple white people

What “changes” were you wanting?

 

[Mark Antony]

I'm actually kinda curious what dipset's expectations were.

 

[Fozz]

We were all duped into voting for Joe and Kamala. I
Actually thought change was going to be made.

Could you expand on what you were expecting?

 

[equality]

People forget just because one side wins the presidential election, it actually takes two sides to work together to make significant changes. You thought Biden/Kamala were going in there like MJ and call all the shots?

 

[BIG LEEMELONE]

Biden's big infrastructure ambitions are now up to the states
The Biden administration has said the infrastructure law help achieve its climate and equity goals. But it will largely be up to states to decide to spend the on projects that meet the goals

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden has sold his $1.2 trillion infrastructure law as a historic investment that will transform the country's ailing transportation systems and take major steps toward undoing racial disparities and combating climate change.

But it won't be up to him or his administration to decide how large parts of the money from the infrastructure law are spent.

Much of the decision-making will be left to state and local officials, raising questions about whether the Biden administration can make good on its promises for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

"While the federal government plays an important role here, states and localities are the ones that are ultimately deciding what projects they want to do," said Yonah Freemark, a senior research associate with the Urban Institute, a Washington-based think tank. "Will they actually follow through with their commitment to equity and sustainability? It's a big question."

Administration officials, including Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, said they hope to use some of the money to rectify a long history of urban planning that has negatively affected Black neighborhoods. Transportation officials have also expressed hope that some money can be used to expand bike lanes or sidewalks to encourage people to drive less and therefore reduce emissions.

The infrastructure law, which Congress passed with bipartisan support, allocates money to states through a combination of grant and formula funding.

The Biden administration has very little say in how states spend funding from the formula, which is based on a mathematical calculation that takes into account factors like states' population sizes.

States can pick and choose how to spend funds from the formula, prioritizing whichever projects they desire. Money often goes to more traditional projects — such as expanding roadways to make room for more cars — that could undermine some of the Biden administration's goals on climate and equity.

The Biden administration has more influence when it comes to the grant funding.

The infrastructure law includes dozens of competitive grant programs — many of them brand new — which require state and local governments to submit applications to federal agencies, including the Transportation Department.

Biden's big infrastructure ambitions are now up to the states

The Biden administration has said the infrastructure law would help achieve its climate and equity goals. But it will largely be up to states to decide to spend the on projects that meet the goals.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[BIG LEEMELONE]

Another Way Biden Pushes Gasoline Prices Up
Inaction on the Renewable Fuels Standard means crippling penalties or insolvency for some small refineries

Gasoline prices are the highest they have been in seven years and inflation is at a 30-year high, a double hit to American families. The Biden administration has aggravated the situation with new regulatory requirements on oil and gas producers as well as limits on domestic oil and gas exploration. But policy inaction also costs Americans at the pump. Consider the Biden administration’s failure to make decisions on the Renewable Fuels Standard.

Under the RFS, the Environmental Protection Agency, in consultation with the Department of Energy, sets the annual volumes of renewable fuel, such as ethanol and biodiesel, to be blended into the nation’s fuel supply. Congress set the general RFS parameters into law in 2007, but the specific annual volume targets must be set by regulation for each coming year before that year begin

The law also allows an economic-hardship waiver for small refineries—those with an average capacity of under 75,000 barrels of oil a day. These small refineries typically serve regional and niche markets, such as the Rocky Mountain States or rural areas like West Virginia. Their share of the gasoline supply cannot typically be replaced, without additional costs, by other refineries. The small-refinery waiver program has been as controversial as it has been litigious across each administration since the program’s inception. Ethanol supporters have claimed the exemptions reduce the ethanol supply while larger refineries complain of the increased burden placed on the

Congress imposed deadlines for considering economic-hardship applications, which are officially granted or denied by the EPA, with input from across the administration. These applications have averaged roughly 30 a year with a total of 44 in 2018. The Trump administration approved most applications, typically 70% or higher; the Obama administration typically approved less than a quarte

For the first three years of the Trump administration, the EPA, which I administered beginning in 2018, fulfilled its obligation to set annual renewable-fuel volumes. Last year we were delayed in setting the 2021 targets because the huge decline in gasoline consumption due to Covid-19 made it impossible to provide sound projections of 2021 gasoline sales by the November deadline. The EPA’s decisions on pending small-refinery waivers were delayed by a Supreme Court case, HollyFrontier Cheyenne Refining v. Renewable Fuels Association. The justices decided it in June, directing the government to continue the small-refinery waiver program. But given the pandemic, the Trump administration in 2020 extended the compliance deadlines under the program to stabilize the gasoline market.

The Biden administration, however, has inexplicably delayed decisions on the waivers and proposals for the annual volumes for 2021 and 2022 under the RFS. Gasoline consumption returned to pre-Covid levels months ago, and the government has had five months to implement the Supreme Court decision. The EPA could and should have set the 2021 renewable-fuel volumes earlier this year. Decisions on the 2019 small-refinery hardship petitions could and should already have been made as well, as the Energy Department completed the technical analysis supporting decisions on the petitions in 2020. These petitions are typically received and acted upon following the compliance year once the refineries and DOE have the economic data.

Opinion | Another Way Biden Pushes Gasoline Prices Up

Inaction on the Renewable Fuels Standard means crippling penalties or insolvency for some small refineries.

www.wsj.com

 

[BIG LEEMELONE]

People forget just because one side wins the presidential election, it actually takes two sides to work together to make significant changes. You thought Biden/Kamala were going in there like MJ and call all the shots?

Do you think messaging plays a part in the expectations people may have? Honest question

 

[getback]

People forget just because one side wins the presidential election, it actually takes two sides to work together to make significant changes. You thought Biden/Kamala were going in there like MJ and call all the shots?

And in less than 1 year at that

 

[getback]

I must be in the minority because I don't even really GAF about gas prices. Daily driver is 5.7L Jeep GC Hemi. Costs like $75-80 to fill up. Before gas went up it was like $65. I'm not losing sleep over $15-20/week.

Back in 2005 I was a poor college student commuting and gas was like $4.50 the whole fall. If I didn't stress then I ain't stressing now.

 

[Fozz]

Do you think messaging plays a part in the expectations people may have? Honest question

I think that plays a part of it and has always played a part of it (campaign 'promises'), but I feel like a lot of the people who voted for him, know very little about politics/government. Look at all the complaints from all these young cats one month after Biden went into office. It was ridiculous for them to even assume things would change immediately.

 

[BIG LEEMELONE]

I think that plays a part of it and has always played a part of it (campaign 'promises'), but I feel like a lot of the people who voted for him, know very little about politics/government. Look at all the complaints from all these young cats one month after Biden went into office. It was ridiculous for them to even assume things would change immediately.

I think politicians always take advantage of the public's ignorance. This was no different. I can't blame people for the backlash when they were led to believe certain things and have these expectations

 

[Fozz]

I think politicians always take advantage of the public's ignorance. This was no different. I can't blame people for the backlash when they were led to believe certain things and have these expectations

It's a given that politicians will always take advantage of the public's ignorance. They say things that will interest them to get their vote.

What expectation are you referring to? I think people who expected all things to be perfect a month after Biden became President are at fault for thinking that way.

 

[BIG LEEMELONE]

It's a given that politicians will always take advantage of the public's ignorance. They say things that will interest them to get their vote.

I don't think that's a valid excuse. That just feeds into the 'both sides' sentiment that some people have

 

[Fozz]

I don't think that's a valid excuse. That just feeds into the 'both sides' sentiment that some people have

Broken promises from both parties during their campaign isn't a valid reason? That's been going in since forever. That isn't anything new though.

 

[BIG LEEMELONE]

Broken promises from both parties during their campaign isn't a valid reason? That's been going in since forever. That isn't anything new though.

This isn't a good thing

 

[Fozz]

This isn't a good thing

Who said it was? lol. IMO, I don't think any politician has successfully achieved every single campaign promise they have ever said.

 

[BIG LEEMELONE]

Who said it was? lol. IMO, I don't think any politician has successfully achieved every single campaign promise they have ever said.

So then it should be understandable if people complain when they were sold dreams. Just because it's the norm doesn't make it any less trash

 

[deusavertat]

I must be in the minority because I don't even really GAF about gas prices. Daily driver is 5.7L Jeep GC Hemi. Costs like $75-80 to fill up. Before gas went up it was like $65. I'm not losing sleep over $15-20/week.

Back in 2005 I was a poor college student commuting and gas was like $4.50 the whole fall. If I didn't stress then I ain't stressing now.

Gas prices have always been volatile for as long as I've lived I just accept it as a fact of life.

And yea I remember paying obscene prices for gas during the Bush era and I got over it

 

[shogun]

I think that plays a part of it and has always played a part of it (campaign 'promises'), but I feel like a lot of the people who voted for him, know very little about politics/government. Look at all the complaints from all these young cats one month after Biden went into office. It was ridiculous for them to even assume things would change immediately.

Most americans are stupid. They must’ve forgot laws and policies have to be drawn up and make it through a bunch of stages to get votes for approval. Then implementation has to happen.

 

[Fozz]

So then it should be understandable if people complain when they were sold dreams. Just because it's the norm doesn't make it any less trash

I would say it's the norm for the people who keep current with politics or who have simply paid attention to how politics/government work. But for these millenial tik tok folks that participated in an election for the first time, yeah theyre fault to not read up on how elections and politics work.

 

[blastercombo]

People forget just because one side wins the presidential election, it actually takes two sides to work together to make significant changes. You thought Biden/Kamala were going in there like MJ and call all the shots?

And at that it’s not even that cut a dry. An old white man in charge of West Virginia and a Karen soccer mom attention ***** are stopping everything from happening because of the people that sign their “donations”

 

[BIG LEEMELONE]

I would say it's the norm for the people who keep current with politics or who have simply paid attention to how politics/government work. But for these millenial tik tok folks that participated in an election for the first time, yeah theyre fault to not read up on how elections and politics work.

Lol I guess. Their fault for not knowing politicians are used car salesmen

 

[mplsdunk]

For the sake of getting people to vote it would be nice if they actually did what they campaigned on.

 

[BIG LEEMELONE]

For the sake of getting people to vote it would be nice if they actually did what they campaigned on.

Right. Can't really make a case against voter apathy when the rationale is that voters shouldn't expect candidates to follow thru on their promises anyway

 

[TURBO UNO]

For the sake of getting people to vote it would be nice if they actually did what they campaigned on.

This. All of this right here.