A Call to President-Elect Obama to Invest in Infrastructure

Now that the seemingly endless campaign is finally behind us, it is time for our new President and Congress to show prudent leadership and help get the country back on track. This will obviously involve setting priorities and making tough choices. One priority that Democrats and Republicans alike should be able to agree on is the need to revitalize and rebuild our nation’s infrastructure.

Last week, New York Times columnist David Brooks published an outstanding article under the headline “Next president can jump-start economy by investing in infrastructure”. (11/3/08 Cincinnati Enquirer) Brooks writes: “In times like these, the best a sensible leader can do is to take the short-term panic and channel into a program that is good on its own merits even if it does nothing to stimulate the economy over the next year. That’s why I’m hoping the next president takes the general resolve to spends gobs of money, and channels it into a National Mobility Project, a long-term investment in the country’s infrastructure.”

Brooks notes that a “major infrastructure initiative would create jobs for the less-educated workers who have been hit hardest by the transition to an information economy. It would allow the U.S. to return to the fundamentals.” Brooks also calls for streamlining “the regulations that can now delay project approval by five years.” He recommends the exploration of “all the new ideas that are burgeoning in the transportation world – congestion pricing, smart highways, rescue plans for shrinking Midwestern cities, new rail and airplane technologies.”

Brooks concludes: “when you look into this sector, you see we are on the cusp of another transportation revolution. A mobility project would dovetail with the energy initiatives both presidential candidates have offered. It would benefit from broad political support from liberals and business groups alike. It would rebalance this economy, so there is more productive weight to go along with Wall Street wizardry. Smart investors are going to take advantage of the current panic to make money. A smart president could take advantage of it to build something that will last for decades and decades to come.”

We believe that revitalizing and rebuilding our infrastructure is a priority that all Americans can and should support.

Posted by: D. Scott Gurney