Tampa Bay Online
By PAUL YAROSSI | Special to The Tampa Tribune
Published: January 23, 2012
As the debate over jobs and funding drags on, it has occurred to me, as well as many other transportation professionals, that we need to change our position on maintaining and improving our nation's infrastructure. It's painfully clear our transportation inventory is aging, and our country needs to be more resilient against natural and man-made disasters.
We know globalization is driving a need for better intermodal connections to encourage trade — that our economy is challenged and job creation is paramount — and we must meet these demands or fall behind. Until recently, our arguments for funding transportation have necessarily centered solely on all of these critical needs. Our industry has centered the discussion on what the American people won't have without action by our political leaders.
While this funding uncertainty has caused many state departments of transportation to postpone or cancel vital projects and related jobs, our message has yet to motivate politicians to compromise on a multiyear reauthorization bill. Recent activity by the U.S. House
Senate to move a transportation bill forward is encouraging. However, that movement is tempered by recent appropriation activities that reduce last year's funding to states by $2 billion, putting 50,000 to 70,000 jobs in jeopardy... FULL ARTICLE
Posted on
Mon, January 23, 2012
by John Cox