Wattenberg At Large: "Waterways"
Wattenberg At Large: "Waterways"
Show host Ben Wattenberg says the United States has a remarkable system of waterways, because the major rivers have been tamed; barge and towboat docked in Alton, Illinois. Barge sailing through lock and dam No. 26; adult Caucasian man standing on barge deck. Turbulent waters rushing around dam. Aerial views of lock and dam system; towboat pushing barge into lock. Cartoon illustration of how a lock system works. Green light signal. Lock doors opening. Towboat and barge slowly sailing through an undersized lock. Thomas Gladders, of Gladders Towing Co. Inc., says the Alton lock is a critical factor in the entire river navigation system due to the delays, lack of capacity, and the Mississippi and Illinois rivers that feed into the area. He equates it to "two superhighways that funnel into this old, antiquated, forty year old structure that simply doesn't serve modern transportation needs." Aerial view of towboats and barges waiting to pass through lock No. 26.
Wattenberg At Large: "Waterways"
POV from dam No. 26, looking down river. Aerial view of coffer dam construction for Melvin Price Lock and Dam; heavy cranes lifting and dumping dirt into coffers. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers St. Louis District safety sign atop No. 26 Lock and Dam. Water lapping against No. 26 concrete dam. Railroad tank cars passing across bridge; No. 26 Lock and Dam facility in FG. "Restricted Area" sign.
Wattenberg At Large: "Waterways"
Cars driving across Red River bridge in Louisiana; small city in far distance. Red River Lock and Dam #1 construction site. Dump truck unloading concrete into container. Yellow construction trucks driving on site. Heavy crane lowering container full of concrete into hole surrounded by adult Caucasian male workmen wearing white hard hats; rebar sticking out vertically from the ground. Show host Ben Wattenberg at construction site, explaining the contour of the new river. Additional lock construction site. Wattenberg standing on the river bank, says the project is not going forward due to Reagan administrations budget cuts. Red River and shoreline.
Wattenberg At Large: "Waterways"
Director for the Office of Management and Budget, David Stockman believes there may be other modes of transportation that could be more cost efficient; he doesn't think it's fair to sit in Washington and make a judgement that the Red River project will draw capital to that area ,over other areas in the country. Show host Ben Wattenberg argues that money is not the only allocater of resources; political capital is also a resource that can be drawn upon to influence the Red River project to move forward. Stockman agrees with that argument, but reality poses different challenges. Wattenberg comments on President Reagan's belief that government is the problem, not the solution. He then offers historical government land purchases (Louisiana and Alaska) and the G.I. Bill as examples to the contrary of that idea, and asks if government can offer a vision, instead of purely making book keeping decisions. Stockman believes that those examples need to carry historical context, specifically the percentage of taxes collected and how much money was used efficiently, instead of being wasted. He again references abstract application of principles versus present day economic realities. It is a matter of prioritizing finances, placing Social Security and national defense over spending on the Red River project.
Wattenberg At Large: "Waterways"
Show host Ben Wattenberg agrees government should spend money more efficiently, but cutting off the Red River project is, in terms of supply side economics, "eating seed corn." David Stockman, Director for the Office of Management and Budget, disagrees because the project doesn't add to the national wealth or economic activity. Wattenberg asks if Stockman believes in the locks and dams built in 1920s and '30s on the Ohio River, which opened up the heartland to industrial activity. Stockman won't second-guess history, thinks past investments added to economic growth of the region, but doesn't equate the logic of past spending to the current situation on the Red River project. Wattenberg contends the west was opened up by the Erie Canal, asks Stockman if great countries are built by book-keepers, economists, and accountants, or by visionaries, poets, and politicians. Stockman doesn't think the world can be divided in that manner, thinks some great boondoggles have been built that would not have been if bookkeepers, economists, and accountants had more of a say.
Wattenberg At Large: "Waterways"
Show host Ben Wattenberg pointing out that the Red River project decision could have an effect decades down the line. He can accept the argument of fiscal responsibility, but concern comes from rhetoric that paints the government as some force for evil. David Stockman, Director for the Office of Management and Budget, says that rhetoric is not meant as a categorical imperative, just as a relative assessment. Under current financial circumstances, the expansion of government at the expense of private income and savings, calls for government reduction and reform. These financial decisions are being made given the current circumstances and do not necessarily apply to all previous or future economic conditions. Wattenberg thanks Stockman for his time.
Wattenberg At Large: "Waterways"
Closing credits superimposed over barge traveling on Mississippi River. VS of towboats and barges.