I need 3 paragraphs ( 5-6 sentences each paragraph) answer to the following discussion board question:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pete-buttigieg-60-minutes-2022-03-13/?intcid=CNM-00-10abd1h (Links to an external site.)

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rising-rent-prices-60-minutes-2022-03-20/?intcid=CNM-00-10abd1h (Links to an external site.)

Interesting videos from a couple weeks back…

So, for this DB, please tell the class the following, based on the video first, but also any other thoughts/experiences you might have:

1) general thoughts on both

2) will the Biden infrastructure plan potentially help related to roads/bridges/etc.?

3) have you personally been affected by any potholes, issues with infrastructure?

4) where do you think money should be allocated related to infrastructure?

5) what do you think should be consumers view or strategy related to home ownership vs renting?

6) where have you seen inflation in your lives recently?

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I also need a 1 paragraph (5-6 sentences) response to the following post:

jasons post

1) general thoughts on both

My initial thought after watching the first video with Pete Buttigieg is why was he selected as the U.S. Secretary of Transportation? He certainly does not have any prior experience that would indicate that he should/would have future success in this role unless you count graduating from Harvard as an automatic qualifier. To be honest after hearing his qualifications or lack there of it reminded me of Hunter Biden being on the board of for Burisma, a Ukrainian gas company, despite having no natural gas experience. It just seems odd to me. I am all about family and think that it is the most important thing, but if you choose to take an important position like the Secretary of Transportation then there are required responsibilities. The fact they he went on paid paternity leave for two months in the middle of a global supply-chain crisis does not inspire my confidence that he is the right selection to be leading such an endeavor.

The second video was an eye opener for me. The statistic that showed a 40% percent rent increase in Austin seems unbelievable. I do not know how people could afford to live there on the same salary and with raising inflation. Also, a shortage of 4 million homes was very surprising to me as well. I knew investment firms like Blackrock, Tricon Residential, and even Zillow were buying up all available homes and renting them or reselling for a profit. I did not know they were trying 800 homes a month though.

2) will the Biden infrastructure plan potentially help related to roads/bridges/etc.?

Yes, I believe Biden’s infrastructure plan can potentially help related to highways and bridges. The bill provides $110 billion to repair the nation’s aging highways, bridges, and roads. According to the White House, 173,000 total miles or nearly 280,000 kilometers of America’s highways and major roads and 45,000 bridges are in poor condition. And the almost $40 billion for bridges is the single largest dedicated bridge investment since the construction of the national highway system, according to the Biden administration. However, I do not like the fact that there is not a requirement to use a set amount of that money on fixing existing roads and bridges because unfortunately States will decide to spend the money on new projects instead.

3) have you personally been affected by any potholes, issues with infrastructure?

When I was in the military one of my duty stations was at Schofield Barracks located on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. When it comes to driving, Hawaii is less than paradise. Despite having fewer roadway miles than any other state per capita, nonetheless has a generally underbuilt road system, which has resulted in one-third of roads being in poor condition because of potholes and uneven pavement. They were so bad that my Brigade Commander did not allow us to ride motorcycles on the island due to the risk of injury.

4) where do you think money should be allocated related to infrastructure?

Inflation is rising because the Government has printed ridiculous sums of money over the past two years and because of supply chain issues. Prices on goods are rising mainly because container ships are stranded at ports, and unloaded goods are waiting for trucks, leading to mass shortages and delays. I believe one of the most important infrastructure problems at the moment is port automation, the lack of which makes California ports among the least efficient in the world. However, the infrastructure bill specifically forbids money for automation, instead spending ports money on emissions reduction. This desperately needs to be amended.

5) What do you think should be consumers view or strategy related to home ownership vs renting?

I think consumers should do what is right for them in regard to home ownership vs renting. However, I think most should be looking towards home ownership for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, it is an investment opportunity. You will not make money on your rental payments, but after years, you probably will on house payments. Second, is cost savings. With homeownership, you are not paying a premium to rent on top of a bank loan. You are the owner of the base level mortgage, which means lower overall monthly costs. If you secure a fixed interest rate you will a predictable payment for the lifetime of the loan and will not be subjected to the same rent payment jumps as the people in the second video. This being said, I am not sure this is the ideal market to be purchasing a home. Many experts state that we are currently in a bubble and unfortunately this bubble will probably burst and many new homeowners who overpaid will be stuck holding the bag.

6) where have you seen inflation in your lives recently?

Inflation has affected many areas in my life. My heating bill was definitely higher as the price of electricity reportedly rose 4.2% in January from the previous month, as overall energy prices remained volatile. January’s increase was the biggest monthly rise since 2006. The price of power was up 10.7% in January over the previous year. I do not do most of the household shopping, but I recently had to purchase some bacon which cost nearly $8 for a pound. Prices for groceries were a reported 7.45 in January compared to last year. Finally, when I just filled my gas tank when it was only ¾ empty and that cost me almost $100. The average price of gas in the U.S. is now a record $4.32 a gallon. In some places it’s much higher and getting painful for people on modest incomes, especially if they have long commutes or need to drive a lot.

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allisons post:

• General thoughts on both:

I think both of these clips were very relevant and helpful to grasp a more in-depth knowledge of both news topics that I’ve heard a lot about but have not really done much research on. As for the transportation and frustration bill, I think this is a needed bill. I think that we need to focus on frustration so I am encouraging by the idea of updating and contributing to something that all Americans can agree on. I think it’s also very interesting to see how much budget is available for this task. Lastly, I find it good planning on the political parties that Mayor Pete is leading this incentive and I also see it as a great position for Mayor Pete to be in if he’d like to run for office in the future.

As for the housing video, this hit a big close to home. I know a lot of people and myself who are looking to purchase a new home, but right now the environment is a bit rough. I worked in Mortgage at Quicken Loans so I’m somewhat aware of the process and conversation around it. However new to me was the overall impact of the 2008 housing decline and the limited supply of houses. I wasn’t aware that this was part of the reason for the housing price increase.

• Will the Biden infrastructure plan potentially help related to roads/bridges/etc.?

I think the plan will help improve all and hopefully be the start of continuing improvements in our countries infrastructure. I think that it will also go to the State government to figure out what needs to be prioritized. I also wonder how much of it will go to other costs rather than intended since in learning about politics I understand that there are sometimes these issues. The problem with investing in this is that there isn’t a strong return on investment outside of happy people. However, this is a large part of what government funding is.

• Have you personally been affected by any potholes, issues with infrastructure?

Personally I’ve only been impacted by some potholes, but I attribute that to Michigan weather and climate rather than infrastructure issues. I also just recently noticed that a lot of bridges are being taken down and built around 94 where I live. While I haven’t been impacted too much I do think it could get worse if we aren’t continue to plan what to improve/keep alive.

• Where do you think money should be allocated related to infrastructure?

I heard in the video that there was focus on rural and towns split by roads prior, and also they mentioned 3 airports that will be focused on. However, I think I would focus on things that impact the most people right now and also what will support the future plans for drivers/flyers etc. However, I do think there should be help for rural locations as well. But I think the focus should be helping people get and live their life smoothly.

5)What do you think should be consumers view or strategy related to home ownership vs renting?

I think the consumer view should be that they should be able to do what they want to do. For example, I think the video focused a lot on how now everyone is renting and no one can find a home. I think that with anything there are people who will need to rent and others that will need to buy. While there is the concern that investors are buying up too many properties, however as I understand it, it’s not a large amount compared to all houses. I might have too much trust in economics, but I think that it will correct it’s self and there is always opportunity you’d just need to move or make an adjustment or wait a bit. However, I am a bit concerned to see how the future will bring.

6) Where have you seen inflation in your lives recently?

I’ve seen inflation at work, shopping and with car and housing prices. I’ve also heard a lot about it on tv and news which I feel like I might not have known too much about outside the discussion. Overall I think that do to working in my role at Quicken Loans and Ford Motor that I’m already somewhat aware of changes and impacts with the economy and housing updates. So maybe I’m just not as much shocked.