U.S. bridge projects going to the Chinese

[snopes]

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Shocking News from ABCs

OUR PRESIDENT, What the heck is he thinking? I-635 in Texas is being
rebuilt with underground tolls from I-35 to I-45 and is contracted to a
CHINESE firm for over $5
billion. And Diane Sawyer reporting on U.S. bridge projects going to the
Chinese.... NOT Americans.

The bridges are right here in the U.S. and yet Obama has approved for
Chinese contractors to come in and do the work. What about jobs for
Americans???

Watch this video. It doesn't take long to view. This video is a
jaw-dropper that will make you sick.

The lead-in with Obama promising jobs in the U.S. by improving our
infrastructure is so typical of all his promises! Our tax dollars are at
work - for CHINA !!! I pray all the
unemployed see this and cast their votes accordingly in 2012!

http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/us-b...ylist=14594944

[GenYus234]

I watched the video. According to it, the California state officials refused Federal money which meant they didn't have to follow the law requiring them to source the job to American firms. I'm not sure what else Obama could have done. It also meant that none of the stimulus money for that project is going to Chinese firms since only state money is going to Chinese firms.

So, at least for the one project that was described in detail, not at all what the OP suggests happened.

[Gayle]

No, Chinese firms are not building 635 in Dallas.

http://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot.../shortlist.pdf

http://www.dot.state.tx.us/business/...hips/i_635.htm

Chinese? Hmmm, I don’t think so. For one thing, no ONE company got that project. It’s a group of companies. Several of them are headquarted in Spain, but I don’t see anything Chinese about it.

[firefighter_raven]

So California refuses federal money for a bridge project so they can get around the federal law requiring them to hire American firms to do the jobs. And that's somehow the President's fault?

I've heard of the welder shortage before in connection with the oil fields in North Dakota and as far back as 1993 when I worked for a company that made parts for railroad cars. The company was offering to pay for people to take a welding class at the local community college/vocational school (just for what welding they needed not the full course) because they couldn't find enough welders.

The lack of welders is partially due to manufacturing jobs moving out of the US and using robotic welders for many others.

[A Turtle Named Mack]

So what if the contractor is Chinese, or Mexican, or Italian, or, ... The work will be done here, as roads and bridges are not very moveable (even in California they only move a few feet at a time). The workers will work here and spend most to all of their wages on local lodging, food, etc. The suppliers will supply the same way they would for American contractors - if they can supply from local sources for less than shipping it in, they will, otherwise, they will have it shipped in (in which case American truckers and longshoremen will have work to do). There should not be preferences for or against any contractor or supplier for anything based on the supposed identity of the owners, whether it is a national identity, a racial identity, a sexual identity or whatever. If American companies can compete on price and quality, let them do it; if they cannot, then others will fill the bill.

[GenYus234]

Originally Posted by firefighter_raven

So California refuses federal money for a bridge project so they can get around the federal law requiring them to hire American firms to do the jobs. And that's somehow the President's fault?

Yes. Because those folks are all about having the Federal government make the states do whatever the Federal government says they should.