US$1.6 trillion needed for US infrastructure

Traffic congestion, polluted air and beaches, overcrowded schools, 
potholes, blackouts, broken water mains and decaying bridges are daily 
miseries that most everyone has had to confront. These hazards and 
disruptions will continue and in some cases worsen, according to the 
American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).by Terrie Albano

On September 4, ASCE issued its 2003 Progress Report for America's 
Infrastructure. It once again gave the US infrastructure a grade of 
"discouraging D+", showing no progress from two years ago. However, while 
the grade has not changed, the estimated costs to bring the nation's 
infrastructure to an "adequate" level have gone up since 2001 — from 
US$1.3 trillion to US$1.6 trillion.

The report bolsters what many in the trade union and people's movements 
have argued: the country needs more investment in people's needs and the 
basic infrastructure.

ASCE announced "trend indicators" for 12 infrastructure categories: Roads, 
Bridges, Transit, Aviation, Energy, Schools, Drinkable Water, Wastewater, 
Dams, Solid Waste, Hazardous Waste, and Navigable Waterways.

The trends are not good, according to ASCE President Thomas Jackson, who 
told reporters, "We're sliding toward failure and the prospects for 
improvement are grim."

Accompanied by members of the House Transportation Committee, the ASCE 
President called on Congress to take urgent action on pending 
infrastructure legislation, in addition to "the creation of a long-term 
infrastructure agenda for our nation."

Many may not consider infrastructure a glamorous issue, but it touches the 
lives of working families every day. "Seventy-five percent of our nation's 
school buildings remain inadequate to meet the needs of school children", 
the report stated. At least US$127 billion, according to ASCE, is necessary 
to remedy overcrowded and aging facilities. And that may be a conservative 
estimate.

The AFL-CIO (US trade union peak council) states, "Repairing and upgrading 
schools to meet federal standards and wiring them for computers and 
Internet access requires at least $185 billion."

Besides alleviating everyday miseries and hazards, investment in the 
infrastructure will create badly needed jobs. According to the AFL-CIO's 
"Agenda to Create Jobs and Lift the Economy", for every billion dollars 
invested in the transportation infrastructure an estimated 40,000 jobs are 
created. Using that formula, over four million jobs would be created if 
ASCE 's projected US$1.6 trillion was invested over a five-year period.

Gary Schaeffer, secretary-treasurer of the Ohio State Building and 
Construction Trade Council, told the People's Weekly World in a phone 
interview that the infrastructure is in "dire need of rebuilding". He 
related how, when he lived in Akron, a chunk of concrete fell off a bridge 
and killed an elderly couple. "This kind of thing will happen more and 
more" , he said.

In Columbus, Ohio, residents recently had to deal with raw sewage because 
of problems with the sewer system, Schaeffer said.

The list of problems grows. "The Midwest blackout was a problem of 
deregulation and an old grid system", he said.

On Labor Day, George W Bush went to Ohio, a 2004 election battleground 
state, and spoke to some union members about his tax cuts (for the rich) 
and how they would create jobs. A week later, employers announced 93,000 
jobs were slashed in August.

"President Bush was here on the worst possible day. It was raining. I heard 
about 1,000 people attended. Most people were disappointed, because he 
spoke of generalities and didn't get into details [about jobs]", Schaeffer 
said.

Joe Brady, a spokesman for the International Union of Operating Engineers, 
told the People's Weekly World that investing in the infrastructure made 
total sense for job creation.

"Thousands and thousands of good paying jobs would be created", he said. 
"And when you delay addressing these problems, you increase the cost. Plus 
every year they delay, schools get worse, depriving our children the proper 
environment in which to learn."

On September 7, Bush requested another US$87 billion for the cost of 
rebuilding and occupying Iraq and Afghanistan. This is on top of the US$79 
billion requested in April for the illegal war on Iraq, the almost US$400 
billion 2003 military budget, and the US$350 billion tax giveaways to the 
rich. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities said Bush's tax policies 
could cost US$1 trillion over the next 10 years if they are extended.

The Bush administration's fiscal and economic policies have resulted in the 
largest deficit ever, US$500 billion, and the largest job loss ever, over 3 
million since taking office.

There was no comment from the White House on the ASCE report. But, even 
conservatives questioned the White House spending priorities versus the 
needs of the country, reflecting a growing trend.

House Transportation Committee member Republican Rep. John Duncan told the 
media, "If we can spend a billion dollars or more a week in Iraq  we should 
be doing the same types of things for the people in this country."

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People's Weekly World, paper of Communist Party, USA