Our Failing Infrastructure

“According to submissions that we received from states, metropolitan planning organizations, and public transit agencies, 8,587 highway and transit projects are under construction in all 50 states, three territories, and the District of Columbia, totaling $19.7 billion, as of November 30, 2009. These projects have created or sustained more than 250,000 direct, on-project jobs, with payroll expenditures of $1.3 billion.”

 

So said House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman James Oberstar (D-MN) and Highways and Transit Subcommittee Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-OR) in a joint statement this week responding to an Associated Press story that claimed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) had no affect on unemployment. Read the full statement on the committee’s website.

The claims made in the AP article have also prompted Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, others in the Obama administration, and the transportation industry to defend the investments and demonstrate the need ARRA is filling in state budgets across the country. With the recession hitting states harder than expected in 2009 and 2010, it is unpleasant to imagine what might be the current situation had the federal government not provided extra, no match funds for roads, transit, waterways, and water infrastructure.

The fact that the unemployment rate is still at 10 percent and much higher in the construction sector remains true. But much of that is the result of lagging private commercial and housing development – something in which government has not traditionally intervened. Additionally, less than 10 percent of ARRA went to infrastructure, making it hard for highways, transit, and water systems alone to cure our economic woes.

From ASCE’s perspective, we would have preferred ARRA to contain more new design opportunities for our members.  Based on time constraints and the seriousness of the problem, however, the Society strongly supported the measure as the most effective short-term course of action and provided a set of principles for determining projects.

So it seems a little unfair for the AP to criticize the entire infrastructure program because it did not do what it was not intended to do. Data collected by the T&I committee and the Recovery Board show that jobs were in fact created or saved directly from federal stimulus funds. It was, and still is, the hope of every supporter of ARRA that those new direct jobs would stimulate activity in the economy and in turn create “indirect” jobs. With thousands of projects in all types of infrastructure still waiting to begin and a natural winter construction slow-down, it is doubtless those jobs won’t come overnight.

ASCE estimates that there is about $2.2 trillion worth of infrastructure work that needs to be done over the next five years. So the $100 billion included in ARRA is hardly going to put a dent it that - but it’s a start. We can move forward from that start by making progress on needed policy changes such as a new six year authorization of the surface transportation system and reauthorization of the Clean Water Act. If we want our economy to regain the strength it once had, we will need a first class infrastructure as the foundation. It’s a mistake today to misinterpret incomplete data. It’s a greater disservice to our future if we abandon the path for improving infrastructure.

The news this morning wasn’t good: unemployment in October climbed to a twenty-five year high of 10.2 percent and is expected to grow. More troubling for those of us in the infrastructure field, last month the economy also lost about 62,000 construction jobs. While the Obama administration estimates on recovery.gov that as of October 30, 640,329 jobs have either been created or saved by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, clearly more must be done to stem the tide of continuing job losses.

You know another thing that’s still not getting any better? Yep, that’s right, you guessed it- the nation’s failing infrastructure! It’s been almost 10 months since ASCE graded the nation’s infrastructure at a D and estimated that it would cost $2.2 trillion over five years to bring it up to a good condition – and so far not much has changed.

So bad news all around, right? Well, if you don’t want to be too depressed on a Friday afternoon, why not take this opportunity to help put some of this right. We need engineers and anyone who cares about infrastructure to contact their legislators in support of these crucial issues that will improve infrastructure and put people to work:

1.                  Surface Transportation System Authorization – the nation’s transportation system has been operating on short-term extensions since SAFETEA-LU expired in September. This lack of action on new policy is keeping states from making long-term transportation plans or hiring new workers. House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC) this week called waiting on an authorization “wrong-headed” when so many people are out of work. Click here to send a message to your legislators instantly.

2.                  Clean Water Trust Fund – the nation’s water infrastructure system faces hundreds of billions of dollars worth of repairs, and yet no sustainable federal revenue source exists to pay for those needs. The Trust Fund would collect money from polluters and those who use water systems for product disposal and distribute it in a consistent manner to states for repair and rehabilitation of essential drinking water and wastewater treatment facilities.  The Fund would raise an estimated $11 billion per year through 2015. Click here to send a message to your legislators instantly.

3.                  Dam Rehabilitation and Repair Act – across the country, thousands of dams are aging. Most of these dams were built prior to development down stream, and now, should they fail, could cause major loss of life and property. The Dam Rehab bill would create a grant program to help states repair and modernize threatened dams. Click here to send a message to your legislators instantly.

The speedier travel time, more reliable water systems, and protection from unsafe dams should be reason enough to support any of these above issues. But think about the job someone would get designing, building, or maintaining any of this infrastructure and these pieces of legislation take on even more importance. So ask your elected officials for support today and let people in your community know how important a safe and efficient infrastructure is to our economy. 

At a town hall meeting in Fort Myers, Florida today, President Barack Obama gave a “nod” to ASCE’s Report Card for America’s Infrastructure saying that the D grade we released in January “Makes a case for high-speed rail and mass transit” and other infrastructure improvements. To read his full remarks go to the White House blog.

ASCE released its 2009 Report Card early to do just that – make the case for infrastructure in the stimulus package being debated in Congress. And it seems to have worked. The Senate this afternoon passed their version of the package at a vote of 61 to 37. The cost of the bill passed is $838 billion that will have to be reconciled with an $819 billion version in the House.

Keep checking this blog for updates on the progress of the bill.

There is much discussion these days in Washington, D.C. and state capitals about a “shovel ready” projects.  Unfortunately, there does not seem to be any consensus about a definition, and you won’t find on in H.R. 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.  Of course in the coming weeks, once H.R. 1 becomes law we’ll get a much better idea of what was meant by “shovel ready.”

On Monday morning, February 9, 2009, National Public Radio’s Morning Edition, had a good story discussing “shovel ready” projects.  Click here to listen.

The U.S. Senate voted this evening to cut off debate (or invoke cloture) by a vote of 61 to 36. This is a crucial procedural step that means they will likely vote for final passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act tomorrow.

The compromise hammered out in the last few days now puts the Senate version at around $780 billion. The House-approved version is an $819 billion bill and the two versions will have to be reconciled in a conference before heading to the president for his signature. Read more about this issue  

After meeting with President-Elect Obama’s transition team and with the House and Senate leadership, ASCE’s lobbyists began fanning out across Capitol Hill today with the ambitious goal of meeting with the offices of more than 200 members of Congress by the end of January. 

Focusing first on members of the House Appropriations Committee and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and then all members of the Senate, we will be carrying ASCE’s message that making infrastructure investment the central focus of the economic stimulus is a good idea, and that it must be done right.  In each meeting, the Principles for Infrastructure Stimulus Investment will be the key message.

I had my first meetings today.  Our reputation on Capitol Hill is as the champion of infrastructure, and as Hill staffers gather information, sort through various proposals, and hear from numerous groups, they are very interested in what ASCE has to say.  Congressional offices are hearing from group after group with a never ending list of ideas on how to spend stimulus money, some of them very compelling, some of them not so much.  

Our message is simple, keep the focus on infrastructure.  By adhering to ASCE’s Principles for Infrastructure Stimulus Investment, the economic stimulus plan will pay dividends, not only in short-term job creation and economic stimulation, but will provide long-term benefits of public health and safety and sustained economic growth. 

So, as we wear down the soles of our shoes on the marble floors of the Cannon, Longworth and Rayburn House Office Buildings, and Dirksen, Russell, and Hart Senate Office Buildings, we will be getting ASCE’s message out.  That message will be louder and more effective, if they hear from you too.

Send a message today. 

-Martin Hight, Senior Manager, Government Relations

President-elect Barack Obama spoke today at George Mason University in Virginia on his economic recovery plans.

While there was still no word on how much the final plan will cost, Obama acknowledged the price tag would have to be significant to make real improvements. As he as indicated for a few days, Americans should prepare for continued budget deficits.

What was most exciting to hear were his words about targeting spending on the most worthy and effective causes, and to build accountability into the process. ASCE has been advising the transition team in the past weeks with its Principles for Infrastructure Stimulus Investment   that call for those very constraints on the program.

Obama stated that our current economic crisis was caused by our own doing - bad decisions, neglect, and poor oversight. That may sound harsh, but he pointed out that since the mess was of our own making, not an outside force, we can fix it. Using the example of infrastructure, Obama explained how much work there was to do to improve it. With our rising unemployment rates, it shows there are people available to do the work. We need to identify the problems we face and the resources we have to solve them.

Please take the opportunity to let your federal legislators know that you support infrastructure investment in the economic recovery package and that we have the ability to solve this problem.

Write your legislators now!

The 111^th Congress convenes this week and Barack Obama is sworn in as President on the 20^th. With all these changes, it would be nice to have a few weeks to get used to the new guys in town, but not this year!

I hope everyone had a restful holiday season, because we’ll need the energy to make sure the economic recovery package is directed at projects that will give us the most bang for our buck. Over the coming weeks, ASCE and its members will be waging a full-scale campaign to educate policymakers on the most pressing needs facing our nation’s infrastructure and how best to spend the recovery dollars dedicated to it.

As we mentioned last week, ASCE has released a set of Guiding Principles for Infrastructure Investment  that highlight the need to meet the immediate goal of creating jobs and providing long-term benefits such as improved flow of commerce or environmental restoration. We will be relying on our members to help us carry the message to lawmakers and the new administration that civil engineers have the experience and know-how to help make our economy strong again.

ASCE’s lobbying team will be working on the Hill throughout the first days of the new Congress to ensure an effective and responsible stimulus is enacted. ASCE members and Key Contacts are encouraged to contact their legislators in support of this effort. Stay tuned to Our Failing Infrastructure for regular updates on the stimulus.

We have lots to do, so let’s get started!

Incoming chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisors, Lawrence Summers, wrote eloquently in the Washington Post   this weekend about President-elect Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan which includes funding for infrastructure.

Summers gives a few more details about the proposed plans, specifically addressing the upgraded jobs figure of 3 million, but what is most striking is his insistence that the recovery dollars go to programs and projects that will make the economy strong for years to come. The same assertion ASCE has been making for years. He sees a very real need to put people back to work in the short run, but also build for the future, “Failure to create enough jobs in the short term would put the prospect of recovery at risk. Failure to start undertaking necessary long-term investments would endanger the foundation of our recovery and, ultimately, our children’s prosperity.” 

Another of Summers’ points worth mentioning to those who might be skeptical about the price tag and expanding the reach of government over the economy: most of the jobs and growth created would be in the private sector as those new workers create demand for goods and services. Additionally, Summers seconded Vice President-elect Biden’s promise that there will be no earmarks in the bill and that investments will be made in a prudent and worthwhile manner.

To guide decision-makers in the coming months, ASCE has prepared a set of principles for infrastructure investment available on our website.

Even during the Holiday break, talk in Washington still revolves around the Economic Recovery package and what the funding level will be for infrastructure projects.  Since ASCE President Wayne Klotz sent his email to all ASCE members on Friday, December 19th regarding the Economic Recovery and ASCE’s ongoing efforts, the ASCE Washington office has had meetings with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s office, the Department of Transportation Transition Team for President-Elect Obama, and the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. 

Our message has been simple – any investment in infrastructure must do more than just create jobs, it must begin to address the nation’s crumbling infrastructure by providing long term benefits to the public with a focus on public health and safety.  ASCE has put together a set of “Principles for Infrastructure Stimulus Investment” that were delivered to Captiol Hill and President-elect Obama on Tuesday, December 23, 2008.

As the New Year approaches, ASCE’s lobbying efforts will intensify as we work with Congress and the incoming administration to incorporate these Principles in the Economic Recovery legislation.  ASCE’s Key Contacts will be urged to communicate with their elected officials once the 111th Congress convenes on January 6, 2009.

 ASCE believes that all projects supported by an economic stimulus investment must meet the following fundamental criteria: 

• Projects must create and sustain employment increases;
• Investments must provide long term benefits to the public (such as congestion relief); 
• Long term maintenance and upkeep needs of all infrastructure projects - existing and new - must be taken into account; and
• To ensure accountability and transparency an auditing program must be established to review the program and measure desired outcomes.

As the investments are made, proper attention must be paid to the prioritization and selection of these projects to ensure that the criteria are met. The following principles should guide selection decisions: 

• The project should deliver measurable improvements in public health, safety and quality of life;

• The project should provide substantial, broad-based economic benefit;
• The project should be designed and built in a sustainable and cost-effective manner, and proper consideration must be given to life-cycle costs; and
• The project should have a significant environmental benefit such as area restoration, improved air quality through reduced congestion and better watershed management through eliminating vulnerabilities in a system.