Trump’s Transportation Secretary Talks Infrastructure

Let’s invest in U.S. future
By Secretary Elaine Chao
Orlando Sentinel

February 15, 2018

President Donald Trump has announced a bold, innovative plan for improving and investing in America’s infrastructure. The proposal is the culmination of a year-long effort between Cabinet agencies, including the Department of Transportation, with significant input from state, local, and private sector leaders. It is designed to change how infrastructure is built, financed and maintained in communities across the country.

Advertisement

One out of every five miles of U.S. highway pavement is in poor condition. Americans spent an estimated 6.9 billion hours delayed in traffic in 2014, or 42 hours per driver. Almost 40 percent of America’s bridges are more than 50 years old. Fortunately, the president is a builder and he is making infrastructure a priority.

President Trump’s proposal will stimulate at least $1.5 trillion in infrastructure investment, which includes a minimum of $200 billion in direct federal funding. It will include not only roads and bridges, but drinking and wastewater, energy, broadband, and veterans hospitals as well.

The guiding principles are to: 1) provide federal dollars as matching funds to incentivize infrastructure investment; 2) provide for the needs of rural communities; 3) streamline and speed up project delivery; and, 4) provide for workforce training. The key element of the proposal is to empower decision making by State and local officials, who know best the infrastructure needs of their communities, including those in rural America.

Read more at the Orlando Sentinel.

 

SHARE THIS WITH YOUR FRIENDS:
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
6 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
James M. Miller
James M. Miller
6 years ago

I spent 25 years in the utility industry, finishing as a public works director for a small city. I also spent 17 years with Boeing as a project manager in engineering. My experience tells me, along with a degree in Finance, tells me that there has to be much more to this plan than a simple tag line. The devil is in the details, and that is what is needed. I also know, that America cannot afford the infrastructure that it currently has in place, and maintain our current military, and welfare handouts, along with an ever spiraling debt service to the Federal Reserve System. Therefore, the bonds must come directly from the Treasury, issue against the ‘Full Faith and Credit’ of ‘we the people’. This will avoid the ‘interest’ to the Fed. The infrastructure become the collateral. The bonds are issued as Trust, and currency is printed by the Treasury for payment. This will work, because the currency is backed by ‘something’, whereas the fiat dollar has no value. The money is given to the states who demonstrate a proper process of management, definition, and prioritization of projects. The projects are managed and awarded by a Public Trust Agency within each state. The money has to be paid back to the Treasury and is recycled for future projects in perpetuity. This is the only way that America can afford to rebuild its infrastructure.

Aaron Anderson
Aaron Anderson
6 years ago

What underground transit systems are planned or in the works? I heard of a proposal for underground subway like trains between major cities, which makes a lot of sense. This was done in Europe (connecting Great Britain to the mainland) through a tunnel.. Also, is there any plans to make a new access route through Southern Mexico? A canal or rail system to expedite trade routes?

GINETTE COHEN-ZINI
GINETTE COHEN-ZINI
6 years ago

President Trump is dealing with the needed repairs of the infrastructures.
He has already a bad time with the Deep State to finance them.
The Democrats and the Republicans will never accept this huge expense which will increase the debt’s ceiling. They left the country in a very bad shape. Trump goes to the emergencies first.

Roger
Roger
6 years ago

I would not leave it to the states.
California would build a high speed train to the Mexican Border
and continue to let our roads go to pot.

Gilbert Verdugo
Gilbert Verdugo
6 years ago

Roger is correct. The high speed train is another government fiasco. Political engineering at it’s worst. They failed to complete a seismic retrofit for the SFOBB and then built another completely overpriced replacement. It still has problems. Infrastructure maintenance has been with pot holes and rusting bridges.

Gilbert Verdugo
Gilbert Verdugo
6 years ago

Common sense has not prevailed. Political engineering is rampant. Too many agencies that hinder simplification of planning and implementation. Administrative costs are excessive.

6
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x