|
The Coalition will inform the national debate and advocate for practical
and innovative solutions.
The primary job of this Coalition is quite simply to bring people together from all sides, and in so doing, to create an environment where infrastructure funding is treated like the national priority it should be.
In the short term, the Coalition will work with the presidential candidates and the platform committees of the national political parties to ensure that the next president understands the enormity of the infrastructure crisis, is committed to increasing federal funding, and that both party platforms reflect these commitments.
The Coalition will become a repository of best practices on infrastructure funding issues. Mayors and governors who are looking for innovative ways to fund critical infrastructure projects will be able to turn to this center of best practices to learn how their colleagues in other parts of the country were able to find funding. The Coalition will also resemble a think tank, performing analysis and offering opinions on emerging infrastructure issues, including federal, state, and local legislative proposals.
The Coalition will be made up of elected officials throughout the country serving in elected executive and legislative roles at the state and local levels of government. We will work closely with associations that represent these officials, like the National Governors Association, the US Conference of Mayors, the National League of Cities, the National Association of County Officials, the National Conference of State Legislators, and the Council of State Governments.
The Rockefeller Foundation and its President, Judith Rodin, have generously committed a significant grant to ensure that the Coalition has the necessary resources to be fully staffed and to carry out its vital mission.
The Need for the Coalition
Congress should focus on strategic priorities, not political imperatives.
In 2009, Congress will tackle the re-authorization of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act-A Legacy for All (SAFETEA-LU). Earlier this week, a Congressionally-sponsored commission issued a report on the future of surface transportation infrastructure, after more than two years of studies and public hearings. The Commission’s recommendations, which will serve as a critical input into the upcoming reauthorization hearings, include:
- establishment of a new federal transit ticket tax;
- significant increases in the federal gasoline tax;
- expansion of congestion pricing and tolling schemes throughout the national interstate highway system;
- an increase in discretionary spending to be offset by fewer Congressional earmarks; and,
- the harnessing of private sector resources through increased public-private partnerships.
Others in Washington are also beginning to realize the magnitude and urgency of our nation’s infrastructure woes. For example, Senators Dodd (D-CT) and Hagel (R-NE) have recently introduced a bill that would create a National Infrastructure Bank to finance regional and national infrastructure projects of at least $75 million.
We cannot shy away from tough decisions regarding infrastructure priorities.
Although the Coalition does not currently endorse any of these funding or policy options, we seek to initiate an honest and open discussion of our growing infrastructure woes and a recognition that tough decisions will need to take place on all sides and at all levels of government to address these challenges.
|
