Daily Willie Green Choo-Choo thread.
Promoting 19th Century technology for the 21st Century.
Posted on 09/07/2010 12:59:04 PM PDT by Willie Green
President Barack Obama’s six-year, $50 billion plan to upgrade the nation’s transportation infrastructure could give Pittsburgh contractors a much-needed boost — provided Congress is on board.
The plan includes providing funding for roadways, railways and airport runways, and it calls for the creation of a government-run bank to finance projects via a combination of tax dollars and private investment so it does not increase the deficit over time.
“We’re talking roads,” Obama said during a Labor Day speech in Milwaukee Monday. “We’re talking bridges. We’re talking about high-speed rail lines required to compete in a 21st century economy.”
Steve Chizmar, a spokesman with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, described the plan as "welcome news for Pennsylvania."
"We have the most structurally deficient bridges in the nation, more than 5,600, and more than 7,000 miles of state-owned roads that are rated in poor condition," he said. Our hope is when the legislation is passed, it will provide a much needed, stable, long-term plan for investing in transportation infrastructure."
Obama said the plan will not only create jobs immediately, but will “make our economy hum over the long haul.” He is expected to announce tax-related breaks on Wednesday.
But the work of hammering out legislation would go to Congress, which is gearing up for mid-term elections in November.
“It (a passage of Obama's plan) would be good news because the talk is to put the money into the type of projects our constituency builds — roads, bridges, railroads and airport runways,” said Rich Barcaskey, executive director of the Constructors Association of Western Pennsylvania. “There’s a significant hole in investments to the nation’s transportation systems, and that comes on a federal level because the re-authorization of the Highway Trust Fund was supposed to occur Sept. 30, 2009 and hasn’t. Also, on the state level, there’s a transportation funding crisis that needs to be addressed. This call for additional investment couldn’t have come at a better time and certainly would be beneficial.”
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is hamstrung by a budget gap of $472.5 million, while the commonwealth’s stimulus infusion through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act ends in 2011.
“It would be very nice, but I’m not holding my breath,” said Chuck Niederriter, owner of Golden Triangle Construction, based in Imperial, Pa., about 14 miles west of Pittsburgh. Stimulus contracts, including rail work for Pittsburgh’s North Shore Connector, account for about 20 percent of Golden Triangle’s work in 2010, and it expects to completes all of these contracts by year-end.
“I know the political climate we’re in right now and money the way it is,” Niederriter continued. “We’ll have to wait and see. Regardless of what your political affiliation is, there’s going to be some money spent on infrastructure if we don’t want to turn into a third-world country. But it remains to be seen what happens and how quickly. Let’s hope they get their heads together and come out with something palatable to everybody.”
How are high-speed raillines required to compete in the 21st century? This guy’s starting to believe his own BS.
Regular readers of the Pittsburgh Business Times will recognize their take (and that of most of the slow-witted “business leaders” whom they choose to interview) is that of “What is the Government going to do to fix this economy? What is the Government going to do to create jobs here? What is the Government going to do for ME and MY COMPANY today?”
We don’t really have entrepreneurs in this town...just a lotta people who sit around all day with their thumbs up their rear ends, waiting for Government to come along and make it all better. Pathetic!
...calls for the creation of a government-run bank to finance projects....
A govt. run slush fund. Plain and simple.
This “bank” will be used to reward the supporters of big govt. and whoever is currently in power (Democrat or Republican) and punish those that do not support larger govt. In other words, conservatives.
I can’t imagine Willie Green thinks this is a good thing, even if it helps rail development.
High speed rail... a 'solution' desperately searching for a problem.
I have a feeling high speed trains will come to a screeching halt come November. Just a guess, but don’t see the rest of the country that committed to the unions and their local lackeys. Nothing like mortgaging your future for yesterdays technology.
The stimulus paid for the bridge down the road from me. It’s done now but since the scheduled completion date was after Nov 15, they just show up for work and walk around a bit.
two more months of detours..
“What is the Government going to do to fix this economy? What is the Government going to do to create jobs here? What is the Government going to do for ME and MY COMPANY today?”
The Federal Government owes jobs to Pittsburgh because the government destroyed Pittsbugh's economy with harsh air and water pollution standards and then imported cheap crap steel from countries that don't have to meet the same standards.
It's the Fedgov's fault. The Fedgov owes it to the 'Burgh.
Anything to make it pleasant ride to the unemployment office. Nice roads union made.
What County?
Logan county, Ohio
Daily Willie Green Choo-Choo thread.
Promoting 19th Century technology for the 21st Century.
And to think that this was once a city that was home to many national corporate headquarters - Alcoa, U.S. Steel, Koppers, Gulf Oil - and provided thousands of jobs for the citizens of the area.
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