Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley hold a copy of the second in a series of reports by the U.S. Conference of Mayor's on infrastructure projects that are "ready to go" during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, today.(Susan Walsh/AP Photo)
Barak Obama promised "Change." It was a profound message for a profound time in the USA. It sparked enthusism and hope that cannot be disregarded or ABUSED.
At time Barak simply seems a little scary. A new President. A Democrat with more influence than most in the past as he is taking office as the first Minority President to a majority House and Senate. It is a 'Dream Come True Administration' and we have an opportunity before us to hone this country into a progressive and modern society with jobs and vision that will set our path on a defyingly wonderful future while preserving our history and traditions. To say this administration has the potential to be the most exciting since George Washington, might be an understatement.
Everyone has their designs on 'the ideal' expenditures. In an article in Popular Mechanics, there are many interesting perspectives, but, some misdirection as well. While 'advise' is always a good idea and something Bush, Paulson and Bernanke should have sought a long time ago, it can also set the "W"rong priorities for the demands of our nation to be productive and NOT political.
And this may be a 'guy thing' but why does 'infrastructure' have to mean building stuff? There is a right way and a "W"rong way of proceeding with 'goals' of becoming a country with an economy that sustains without burdening others in the world with disasters due to Climate Change.
Obama's $700 Billion Infrastructure Plan (click here)
Four rules for spending the coming infrastructure fund.
By Jerry BeilinsonPublished on: December 8, 2008
By Jerry BeilinsonPublished on: December 8, 2008
Rule 1: Reward CompetenceSeems obvious, yes? But since political leaders are talking about employing people and stimulating the economy, it's easy to see how cost overruns and blown schedules might be tolerated as long as paychecks are going out and invoices from Joe's Cement and Job Creation are coming in.
Rule 2: Fund Goals, Not Technologies
SunPower Corporation's best "back-contact" photovoltaic cell can produce energy (in the form of electricity) equal to 23.4 percent of the energy (in the form of radiation from the sun) that hits its surface. That's 50 percent better than a conventional solar cell, and a good argument for why the incoming administration should throw its weight behind back-contact PV cells. But wait....In the meantime, political leaders would do well to leave the technical decisions to others and try to focus their vision thing: Promote broad goals rather than specific machines and materials....
Rule 3: Invest in Information
...The same principle applies to all sorts of infrastructure. No one knows how many miles of levees wind their way through America's lowlands, or how many lives they guard, or how many burrow-loving mammals are scratching out homes beneath them, to their own detriment and ours. Given the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina, the episodic drowning of portions of the Midwest and the perpetual threat hanging over the heads of Arnold Schwarzenegger and the other residents of Sacramento, Calif., you'd think we'd pay more attention to these humble mounds of earth and rock. We need a levee database and better computer modeling of flood patterns, and we need them quickly....
Rule 4: Address the Biggest Problem
...And the winner is...water. We can pour the concrete to fix every highway, and some decade soon we may even figure out fusion and stop worrying about energy, but the amount of freshwater in the world is fixed, and it's not enough. Soggy Atlanta had severe water shortages last year. Three more years of drought, and Lake Mead could drop below the level of one of the major intake valves supplying Las Vegas. And climate change is likely to make things worse, a point made at a joint PM/National Science Foundation conference last spring by Pat Mulroy, the general manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority....
I think building infrastructure that is 'valuable' to the future is important, but, there is no room for spending that leads to questions of corruption or misdirection of our purpose. Economic stimulus is important, but, providing a 'vision' to our measured spending is important to the youngest members of our society.
For six years, the Republicans made fools of themselves in spending on 'empty' money projects based in 'political gaming' rather than 'the change the nation needed.' I mean did we really need "Six Flags over Lincoln?" Maybe. But, at the expense of increased USA debt while attempting to pay for wars 'gone wrong.?' I don't think so.
We have an 'opportunity' to help the nation heal and change infrastructure that just doesn't work. Some of the poorest states in this country are in the south, to begin Alabama. How long will they claim their economy based on the largest number of hazaradous dumps?
Schools from Pre-K to High School are needed. Colleges that teach to improve the performance of our educational system. While its important to spend on building infrastructure that provides for worn out concrete, as in bridges that kill, let's make sure they go somewhere other than 'nowhere.' I would love to know 'the wish list' of Ray Nagin because I know it includes 'returning of The Wetlands of New Orleans' through restoration projects to protect once again the City of New Orleans.
We have an 'opportunity' before us. An opportunity to return 'faith in government' and return function to our Treasury. We need to 'invest' in spending that will 'build on itself' even in places like the Midwest where farmers are struggling to hang on in some instances.
To demonstrate how hideous 'big money' can be, I can relate a story about a university that now touts to be one of the most progressive 'Green Schools' in the South because the parking deck they are building will give preference in permitting to 'Green Cars' over any others.
Ready for this?
The parking deck, which has no basis in need so much as 'Pork,' was at the cost of fifteen acres of pristine, threatened Long Leaf Pine. The clear cutting of an entire section of academic forest took precedent over preservation of a TRULY Green Space. It is that 'hideous' nature of 'Big Money' that needs to be scrutinized and while that sounds like 'oversight after oversight' causing bureaucracy instead of infrastructure, we as citizens have to be involved in the priorities of our Mayors and Governors when they are provided with funds that will help rebuild and heal this nation.
The state govenment should have never indulged a Chancellor and local politicians in 'greasing the palms' of their donors, so much as re-examined the needs in Public Primary and Secondary Schools where the money was truly needed. We can improve our performance in spending or we can make the same stupid mistakes of the Republicans of Bush/Cheney, but, eeking out every advance and every improvement that leads to a wider and sustaining tax base requires a vision and dedication to purpose. It requires citizen activism and the desire to return good paying jobs to Americans.
There is nothing wrong with investing in Research and Development and there can't be any 'control' as to whom is a 'better risk' than any other by government. That is like being able to predict the outcome of R&D before it happens. There is room in this movement for everyone and when it comes to creating a more productive and stronger Main Street, pandering to Wall Street just ain't in the picture.
I don't envy our new President-Elect, but, applaud and seek his fervor. We need to 'be there' for him and his administration, but, more so we need to 'be there' for the future of our children and their hopes of a great country that protects them from disaster, be it terrorist network, marading politicians or environmental collapse.
It's going to be exciting. I know 'we can do this,' oh yes we can !
