Dec 06 2008
Deteriorated Infrastructure May Be Key to Recovery
Deteriorated Infrastructure May Be Key to Recovery
Public Infrastructure in America is in need of repair and the new President-elect appears poised to push forward with an economic recovery plan that will re-build roads, upgrade schools and improve energy efficiency across the country.
Recently I joined with many others in urging Mr. Obama to concentrate his economic recovery efforts on public infrastructure. In asking his transition team to prepare to expend millions of dollars on infrastructure in the biggest effort since construction of the Interstate Highway System in the 1950’s, the President-elect is focusing his team’s efforts on creating well-paying jobs rather than the “dole” of welfare-like benefits that demean the human spirit.
In addition to roads, there are thousands of bridges in America, many in the rural hinterlands, that are in critical need of upgrade.
Our National Park System, underfunded for reconstruction projects for many years, could also benefit from a new effort to preserve and improve our conservation and recreation lands.
City Parks and other local infrastructure, including streets, sewer systems, pedestrian improvements, and neighborhood lighting projects could all use an infuse of federal dollars that would put people to work.
Not to be overlooked in any comprehensive recovery effort should be some emphasis on TRAINING. We have a broken apprenticeship program, badly outdated and overcome by technology advances in the past forty years. Let’s prepare today’s youth for skilled labor and technical jobs by paying them enough to support their families while they train. A work-school program that puts 50 percent of their time in the classroom or in field training environments could provide long-term benefits for the next generation.
