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Senate passes bipartisan bill to subsidize U.S.-made semiconductor chips

washingtonpost.com

191–200 of 489 posts

Re: Senate passes bipartisan bill to subsidize U.S.-made semiconductor chips

#191
post #163

It should be noted that the US decided not to extend the universal free school meals program, because it was "too expensive" at $11B. They also stopped the expanded and early payment of family tax credits, causing a double-whammy hit to poor families (then pile on inflation/food prices, and gas prices). But $50B to large monopolistic companies isn't "too expensive," and we can afford that . Unfortunately 52 senators…

A substantial number of those 52 senators oppose free school meals not because they're "too expensive" but because the policy itself (the government giving free food to children) is something they object to on ideological grounds. A much smaller subset of that group also oppose the government giving free stuff to industry, but in either case the cost is not what they're concerned about.

I’m all for healthy free lunches for poor kids. Is it really necessary to give free meals to all Palo Alto kids independent of financial status? https://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/2022/06/19/palo-alto-uni...

Re: Senate passes bipartisan bill to subsidize U.S.-made semiconductor chips

#192

It should be noted that the US decided not to extend the universal free school meals program, because it was "too expensive" at $11B. They also stopped the expanded and early payment of family tax credits, causing a double-whammy hit to poor families (then pile on inflation/food prices, and gas prices). But $50B to large monopolistic companies isn't "too expensive," and we can afford that . Unfortunately 52 senators…

They only killed universal free lunch, not the means tested part. Poorer kids are still getting free lunches and now the richer families have to pay for school lunches. They ended welfare for the wealthy.

Not that anyone with wealth and some sense was letting their kids eat that goop.

Re: Senate passes bipartisan bill to subsidize U.S.-made semiconductor chips

#193
I can't help but conclude that this is too little too late. R&D isn't the problem, which is what this bill seems more focused on. The ability to produce affordable chips domestically at affordable prices is the actual problem. North America's first priority isn't access to bleeding edge tech.

> The bill also includes about $100 billion in authorizations over five years for programs such as expanding the National Science Foundation’s work and establishing regional technology hubs to support start-ups in areas of the country that haven’t traditionally drawn big funding for tech.

I can only imagine how bureaucratic the process for accessing those funds will be. More likely, Medium Tech and even Big Tech will be the ones who feed from that trough because they're the only ones willing or able to cut through the red tape.

Re: Senate passes bipartisan bill to subsidize U.S.-made semiconductor chips

#195
post #163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A substantial number of those 52 senators oppose free school meals not because they're "too expensive" but because the policy itself (the government giving free food to children) is something they object to on ideological grounds. A much smaller subset of that group also oppose the government giving free stuff to industry, but in either case the cost is not what they're concerned about.

I’m all for healthy free lunches for poor kids. Is it really necessary to give free meals to all Palo Alto kids independent of financial status? https://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/2022/06/19/palo-alto-uni...

My experience is that the rich kids mostly bring food, because the cafeteria food is terrible.

Re: Senate passes bipartisan bill to subsidize U.S.-made semiconductor chips

#196

I disagree that subsidizing R&D to a few companies is going to make us more competitive. Look at GE or Boeing, it didn’t work out. What works is a free market. Raise import costs on CPUs and you’ll incentivize building in the US and more companies to form. It costs $0 tax dollars and brings in revenue and high paying jobs. Similar to what we did with car manufacturing.

What works is a free market. Raise import costs Well, which do you want? You can't have both.

Internal free market mechanics with macro somewhat controlled by regulation. Sort of like a commercial Hunger Games.

Re: Senate passes bipartisan bill to subsidize U.S.-made semiconductor chips

#197

Earlier quoted context omitted.

51 senators could change that rule any time though, it’s just an accidental convention that hasn’t had the best track record imo

Nobody changes it because they know they are going to need it when they are the minority. Someone is gonna have to take one for the team and pull the plug on it, but I have little faith in our government ever doing the “principled” thing.

In 2013, Senator Harry Reid did it for federal judges (and not supreme court judges). At the time, McConnell told them that if they killed the filibuster for federal judges, he would kill it for supreme court justices. In 2017, he followed through on his promise, the orange fool appointed 3 justices, and now Roe v. Wade has been overturned.

It would not be crazy to link the overturning of Roe to the 2013 decision of Harry Reid to invoke the "nuclear option." It appears to have led to an era of unprecedented judicial activism.

I doubt that getting a few extra progressive federal judicial nominees through was worth those supreme court seats. For now, it seems that enough of the Senate has learned their lesson about removing the filibuster.

Re: Senate passes bipartisan bill to subsidize U.S.-made semiconductor chips

#198

It should be noted that the US decided not to extend the universal free school meals program, because it was "too expensive" at $11B. They also stopped the expanded and early payment of family tax credits, causing a double-whammy hit to poor families (then pile on inflation/food prices, and gas prices). But $50B to large monopolistic companies isn't "too expensive," and we can afford that . Unfortunately 52 senators…

They only killed universal free lunch, not the means tested part. Poorer kids are still getting free lunches and now the richer families have to pay for school lunches. They ended welfare for the wealthy.

I went to a public elementary school in New York state in the early 2000s, and only kids who needed free or reduced school lunch prices got it. The rest of us paid $1.75.

Re: Senate passes bipartisan bill to subsidize U.S.-made semiconductor chips

#199
post #163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A substantial number of those 52 senators oppose free school meals not because they're "too expensive" but because the policy itself (the government giving free food to children) is something they object to on ideological grounds. A much smaller subset of that group also oppose the government giving free stuff to industry, but in either case the cost is not what they're concerned about.

I’m all for healthy free lunches for poor kids. Is it really necessary to give free meals to all Palo Alto kids independent of financial status? https://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/2022/06/19/palo-alto-uni...

The idea behind it is not to embarrass the poor kids who need the free lunch by making lunch just free.
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