Developing: Pakistani Plane Escorted by UK Fighter Jets — 2 Men Arrested

Listen to the Buck Sexton Show Live on TheBlaze Radio

Business

CNN Anchors: Heavy Traffic Means the Economy Is Improving

Feb. 6, 2013 2:50pm Becket Adams

Although sitting in traffic means burning through a ridiculous amount of expensive gas, the fact that there’s a traffic jam could mean that the economy is improving, says CNN’s Ashleigh Banfield.

“If you’re out there and you’re thinking that all the gas that you’re buying is expensive — yeah, it is. And it turns out that you’re wasting a ton of it in traffic,” she said, discussing the amount of cash U.S. drivers waste idling in congestion.

The average driver blows through an estimated $818 a year sitting in traffic, she explained.

“[A]re you ready for this?” she asked. “The traffic that you’re sitting in is a sign that the economy is improving. So, you can be happy about that.”

Banfield and CNN colleague Christine Romans explain this happy phenomenon.

“It’s one of those good news/bad news stories,” Banfield told Romans.

“It is a sign of a strengthening economy because it means you’re driving to work, more people are driving to work, it means more deliveries are being taken by truck on the roads, and it also means that those bridges are being fixed — some of those delays are because, you know, there’s infrastructure work being done,” Romans explains.

So, do you agree?

Follow Becket Adams (@BecketAdaams) on Twitter

(H/T: Mediaite).

Featured image courtesy Getty Images.

In CONTROL, Glenn Beck presents a passionate, fact-based case for guns that reveals why gun control isn’t really about controlling guns at all; it’s about controlling us. Find out more HERE.

Back to The Blaze »

Comments (65)

mikenleeds
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 5:33pm
that s one of the stupidest things i ve ever heard in my life , i d say more traffic is people working for less and having less to pay the king s taxes

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- Ollie123
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 11:48pm
  looks more like a mass exodus fro Taxafornia
  
  Report this comment
- pdw
  Posted on February 7, 2013 at 1:25am
  This has been happening for over 50 years does that mean the same? Of course the population has almost doubled does that mean the economy is improving? If we do not keep up with the population growth with our roads, does that mean our economy is improving? Does 8 million people no longer in the work force does that mean the economy is improving? At least one third more on welfare, does that mean the economy is improving. More unemployed who are no longer able to find work and have run out of benefits, does that mean the economy is improving?
  
  Report this comment
- Crazyotto
  Posted on February 11, 2013 at 8:10am
  This is like saying the best stimulus for the economy is food stamps. This is a progressive explanation that like others is just plain stupid.
  
  Report this comment
Living In NYC
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 5:25pm
No Ashleigh, it means some government road project is behind schedule and over budget!

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
media-bias-steals-elections
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 5:23pm
Or it could mean that your local authorities that approve road work don’t care how many months it takes the illegal Mexicans to finish your roads? It takes 18 months to fix 2 miles of highway?

Even after using pork money, stimulus money from all the other 50 states?

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
yiska8
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 5:03pm
They’re not all going to work!They’re going to apply for unemployment,fake disability,welfare,AFDC, WIC, Headstart, Sec.8 housing, and the food banks or grocery stores in their 2012 King Ranch Chevrolets and rimmed out Ford pick-ups. Wow, must be so tiring driving around in all that Obama created traffic and then have to deal with the fine art of leeching of the hard-working American, a new minority created by the Obama administration.They must be so tired from sitting and sipping coffee and eating pastries in the Social Security office where Tamaulipas, Mexico license plates are a common sighting in the parking lot these days.
Yeah, Banfield, all the traffic is a good thing for Obama.
You should be so proud, Banfield.
Crazy CNN heifer.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Tri-ox
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 4:57pm
No. More traffic, in the age of obama, means that more of his non-working, non-tax-paying freeloaders have more free time to drive around in their taxpayer-funded cars.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- Living In NYC
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 5:31pm
  The only new cars I see are around the federal government offices…I guess Prez Daddy (Chris Rock tag line for the Prez) is going to have hand-me-down two year govt cars to go with the Obama phones!
  
  Report this comment
sbelse
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 4:53pm
Very inspiring that the fourth branch of government (the MSM) will make up new standards of measurement to support their lie that the economy is improving…paying no attention that we don’t need anyone telling us what the state of the economy is (just like we don’t need anyone telling us what the weather is like outside), while ignoring other data. And speaking of data, where was the traffic data, adjusted for growth/contraction of road networks, necessary to compare traffic congestion this year to last so that we could confirm and quantify an increase?

Since rates of consumption today (i.e. the current number of cars burning fuel in the process of getting from point A to point B) tell us nothing about the rates of consumption tomorrow, you’d think that our measures of economic growth would be based on production and not consumption–but then you wouldn’t be thinking like a Keynesian.

Interestingly, congested traffic flows do tell us one thing: that urban planning at the city level doesn’t work . . . but we still want our government officials to centrally plan the economy, something vastly more complex than road networks and traffic patterns.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
mtsnj
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 4:42pm
Or, That there’s a terrible Wreck Ahead just like the economy.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- Outlaw_Josey_Wales
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 7:56pm
  January 31, 2013, Massive 30 Car Accident In Detroit on I-75, I’m glad to see that Detroit’s economy is improving.
  
  Report this comment
Exidor
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 4:26pm
This BIMBO used to be in Dallas. She was an idiot then too.

Oh, she’s also a lounge singer on the side.

*rolls eyes*

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- Ben__Franklin
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 4:31pm
  Its not the economy improving when at the end of the stuffed road is the unemployment office.
  
  Report this comment
- ICSPADES
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 4:40pm
  Nope, it is people going to work two or three jobs and the other half are under obamafare going to the malls and restaurants all day long.
  
  Report this comment
dingdongeddie
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 4:24pm
I think all that trafic is people leaveing Calaforiniea looking for a job.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Ralphbp
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 4:08pm
Have you heard of useful idiots? These are useless idiots. It reminds me of Ron Burgundy, if it is on the teleprompter, they will say it. They are so brainwashed!

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- russ1944
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 4:39pm
  Didn’t you mean Obama when it comes to the teleprompter?
  
  Report this comment
rosegrower
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 4:02pm
“it means you’re driving to work, more people are driving to work….” That’s a mighty large inference to make. Perhaps with all of the idle time that people have, they’ve decided to take a few road trips rather than look for work.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
SocialistSlayer
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 3:40pm
The Economy is great if you are a Commie Liberal Democrat – After all they all work for the Government , in the Unions or …. in most cases both …….. So they simply steal the rest of our money to support themselves.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- progressiveslayer
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 3:48pm
  That’s exactly what they’re doing and will continue to do until the system collapses,remember the Marxist POS told us he was going to ‘fundamentally transform America’ and that’s the only promise the worthless maggot kept.
  
  Report this comment
- Living In NYC
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 5:34pm
  Only traffic I see is around federal office buildings and most of the cars are taxpayer paid with federal plates on them!
  
  Report this comment
RANGER1965
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 3:38pm
Whew!!

We finally turned a corner and are now back on the road prosperity.

Well I guess I can sell my year’s supply of food, ammunition, and weapons now. I won’t be needing them now, since everything is hunky dory.

I’m so glad we finally have responsible news casters, and journalists… dedicated professionals who dig deep, and fine the golden nuggets of truth.

Who would have guessed that traffic delays are the Harbingers of our Salvation?

Thank god for CNN!

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- LakeHartwellSailor
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 4:18pm
  I feel the same way! Now, where did I put those rose colored sunglasses?
  
  Report this comment
- ICSPADES
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 4:42pm
  So thankful for a real news agency to answer all our questions. Praise to obamafare.
  
  Report this comment
thegoldman
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 3:29pm
Or somebody is out of gas because of record prices…

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
txswalker
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 3:27pm
Man…things are getting tough for the liberals. See all those people at the superbowl, the economy must be really good for that many people to be able to afford a ticket that cost that much,cause when Bussh was in office noone could afford to go…geeesh give me a break

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
crystalsky
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 3:24pm
yeah there on there way to big goverment pay checks

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
RJJinGadsden
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 3:19pm
LOL, haven’t we heard similar blather blaming some for trying to talk the economy down? Now, these two fools are trying to talk it up? Geez, I call BS alert.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Zipit
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 3:13pm
They’re all out on the road looking for jobs that aren’t there!

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
moreteaplease
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 3:08pm
The Libs will point to anything, no matter how insanely ridiculous it may sound, to try and prove that their agenda is good for the country.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- Dan_o
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 3:15pm
  Yep.
  
  When ice cream sales are high, the murder rate is high.
  
  Report this comment
whatthecrazy
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 3:07pm
They are stupid…………………….. it is so.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
progressiveslayer
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 3:05pm
LMAO And this is what passes for ‘journalism’ no wonder this country is so screwed up they listen to idiots like her. Okay airhead take this angle maybe there’s a traffic jam of people trying to get to the unemployment office,it’s possible especially with the regime we have working hard to put people out of work.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Cavallo
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 3:05pm
Uh huh.. so climbing unemployment and a shrinkage in the GDP during the Xmas season doesn’t have any effect on their outlook? And these people are information people? So basically it is like .” there was a lot of people at my department store so that means that Bobo is doing right with fascist economic models.” (Never mind the multiple empty store fronts, record food stamps, record unemployment.. )

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
hauschild
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 3:03pm
With so many people vying for employment, how on earth do these tools remain gainfully employed???

I’ve always been under the impression that higher unemployment leads to better products, services, etc. Obviously the drive-by media remains insulated from the normal laws of economics.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- progressiveslayer
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 3:10pm
  When hyperinflation hits we will all be made equal,from the billionaire to the currently homeless.
  
  Report this comment
- Joe_The_Patriot
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 3:29pm
  @progslayer
  
  That seems to be the plan doesn’t it…… Best way to destroy the most powerful country in the world is to destroy the currency.. they have already destroyed manufacturing, If you can’t make stuff you can’t sell stuff… If you can’t make stuff you have to buy it from some place else (china).
  t his has been the plan since bubba clinton and nafta….
  
  Report this comment
EQUALIZER
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 3:03pm
And i guess waiting in line at the post office means the post office is making tons of money.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Joe_The_Patriot
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 3:02pm
Where does CNN dig up these tools???? If your sitting in traffic because your states DOT who are unionized, decided to tear up a road and then stand around staring at one guy on a backhoe, put up cattle shoots, lane changes and lanes merges and then decide to tear up another road and abandon that previous project for any length of time, the the logic is the economy is getting better…. REALLY REALLY REALLY CNN ??? Ignore the unemployment numbers, the GDP, The DEBT, INFLATION, OIL PRICES, ELECTRIC RATES…. and focus on TRAFFIC ?????????

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply

It appears that you have Javascript Disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser preferences for a better user experience on TheBlaze. You can not comment without Javascript enabled.