Building America's Infrastructure Coalition Gathers Steam

Two of the three founding co-chairs of the Building America's Future Coalition - Pennsylvania Governor Edward Rendell and New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg - announced the coalition's new statement of principles at the 2008 Legislative Summit of the National Conference of State Legislatures, or NCSL, in New Orleans.

The statement of principles reveals the environmental background to the coalition's proposals. "... the United States cannot achieve energy independence, environmental sustainability, or greenhouse gas reductions without making fundamental changes to federal infrastructure policy to address those goals," it states.

Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell addresses the NCSL conference. (Photo courtesy NCSL)

At the conference Rendell and Bloomberg asked state lawmakers to support their effort to address the urgent need for some $1.6 trillion over a five year period to reverse the deterioration of America's roads, bridges and highways.

"In the past 20 years, state and local governments across the country have been picking up more of the tab to build, maintain and expand the facilities and infrastructure on which people rely," Rendell told NCSL participants.

"If America is to continue competing in the global economic marketplace, we need an efficient and sound infrastructure; we need the commitment of greater federal resources to help counties and states meet these pressing needs," he said.

The federal government's share of public investment in transportation, water, and other types of infrastructure has declined to the point where state and local governments account for three out of every four public dollars being spent on infrastructure in the United States," Mayor Bloomberg told conference delegates.

"Not only do we need to increase the federal government's investment in infrastructure, we need to make sure that we, as a nation, are making smarter investments," said Bloomberg. "We need transparency and accountability to give the public confidence that their investments are being spent wisely."

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, the coalition's third co-chair, was in Sacramento due to ongoing budget negotiations and will participate today in the tour.

"Americans are working hard to compete in the global economy, but our nation's infrastructure is woefully out of date," said the California governor. "We need a strong federal commitment to tackle this problem - and its time for the federal government to step up and take action. Investing in our nation's infrastructure will create jobs, stimulate the economy and prepare communities across the nation for the future."

One of the five principles on which the policy is based is the need for the federal government to articulate "a new national vision for infrastructure policy that focuses on economic growth and global competitiveness, creation of economic opportunity for all Americans, and environmental sustainability."

Mayor Bloomberg told the NCSL participants that America' economic competitors, such as China and many European countries, already have long-term plans in place to upgrade their infrastructure, but the United States lacks such a plan.

A 12" water main break in Howard County, Maryland sends a fountain of water aloft. (Photo courtesy Dept. of Public Works, Howard County)

The third principle is that U.S. infrastructure investment should be based on merit and accountability at all levels of government.

The fourth principle states that "the federal government should streamline bureaucratic processes and allow greater flexibility to enable states and localities to use federal infrastructure funds quickly, efficiently and effectively, and to leverage innovative approaches to financing infrastructure investments, consistent with the national vision."

The fifth principle is urgency. "The new Administration should make developing a new national infrastructure policy a top priority and immediately call on Congress and the federal agencies to implement this policy."

The co-chairs proposed a town hall meeting on infrastructure and invited the Democrat and Republican presidential candidates to participate.

"There is nothing partisan about investing in infrastrucure," said Mayor Bloomberg. "The best days for America really are ahead."

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