It's always been about who gets the federal dollars – seaport projects over poor people displaced by Katrina, for instance – and never about not spending the money in the first place.
Reputable opinion polls during the past year have consistently put his approval rating above 50percentt, sometimes as high as 70percentt, and he is largely seen as having lived up to his promises to fight corruption and improve the country's infrastructure, starting large toll road, airport and seaport projects.
As peacetime continues and infrastructure improves – with many ongoing roadway, airport and seaport projects – he sees many better days ahead.
The mayors also want money to improve security at airports, railways, roads and seaports, projects that could stimulate their economies.
While many of its major highway projects will be completed within that period, the need for expatriate labor will shift toward projects such as the expanded Doha International Airport, the seaport construction project, and the Qatar-Bahrain causeway.
It's not just billionaires like Bloomberg who are on board with the Seaport City project – even some enviromentalists are (tentatively) intrigued.
India also has its Connect Central Asia policy, Act East Initiative, an array of new road and rail projects that are extending throughout South and Southeast Asia, and seaport development projects at Chabahar in Iran and, potentially, at Paira in Bangladesh and Trincomalee in Sri Lanka.
Traffic at the area's seaports is projected to double by 2010 and triple by 2040.
