Mike
Well-Known Member
Transportation and infrastructure got a brief moment in the prime-time spotlight during President Obama’s State of the Union speech on Tuesday night, but behind any bright light there are shadows.
President Obama rolled out two proposals to fix America’s infrastructure, including 70,000 structurally deficient bridges. While the announcements drew applause from Congress, small-business truckers were left wondering about specifics and how they will be affected.
The first plan called Fix-It-First calls for a quick infusion of $50 billion to pay for urgent infrastructure needs.
“Tonight, I propose a ‘Fix-It-First’ program to put people to work as soon as possible on our most urgent repairs, like the nearly 70,000 structurally deficient bridges across the country,” President Obama stated.
With any proposal, the devil will be in the details of what was said – and what was not said.
Congress must find a way to plug a $138 billion gap in the Highway Trust Fund after the current highway bill expires.
President Obama made it clear that the administration would call on the private sector to invest in infrastructure, going beyond highways and bridges to include pipelines, power grids and ports. He called it Partnership to Rebuild America, the second of his proposals.
“And to make sure taxpayers don’t shoulder the whole burden, I’m also proposing a Partnership to Rebuild America that attracts private capital to upgrade what our businesses need most,” he said.
OOIDA supports a robust federal transportation program paid for by user fees, namely the fuel tax. The Association opposes a patchwork of public-private toll roads and alternatives such as a tax on vehicle miles traveled to pay for infrastructure.
Full Story
President Obama rolled out two proposals to fix America’s infrastructure, including 70,000 structurally deficient bridges. While the announcements drew applause from Congress, small-business truckers were left wondering about specifics and how they will be affected.
The first plan called Fix-It-First calls for a quick infusion of $50 billion to pay for urgent infrastructure needs.
“Tonight, I propose a ‘Fix-It-First’ program to put people to work as soon as possible on our most urgent repairs, like the nearly 70,000 structurally deficient bridges across the country,” President Obama stated.
With any proposal, the devil will be in the details of what was said – and what was not said.
Congress must find a way to plug a $138 billion gap in the Highway Trust Fund after the current highway bill expires.
President Obama made it clear that the administration would call on the private sector to invest in infrastructure, going beyond highways and bridges to include pipelines, power grids and ports. He called it Partnership to Rebuild America, the second of his proposals.
“And to make sure taxpayers don’t shoulder the whole burden, I’m also proposing a Partnership to Rebuild America that attracts private capital to upgrade what our businesses need most,” he said.
OOIDA supports a robust federal transportation program paid for by user fees, namely the fuel tax. The Association opposes a patchwork of public-private toll roads and alternatives such as a tax on vehicle miles traveled to pay for infrastructure.
Full Story
