Job-creating investment in highway operations, not just construction
This past week, the US House of Representatives, by a close 217-212 vote, passed a "jobs bill" directing more than $35 billion in highway and transit spending (and $30 million for barge-related improvements on the Mississippi). The money is intended to "stimulate" jobs in constructing more roads. This same week, headlines blared about people dying and businesses and industries being paralyzed by snowstorms for which overwhelmed road agency winter maintenance operations. No doubt, the increased public spending on building more roads will create jobs -- next Spring or Summer. But short-sightedly refusing to spend what we need right now is not only costing us lives and livelihoods right now, but it's also contributing to tax revenue shortfalls as taxes on worker earnings and commercial sales taxes take huge hits when impassible roads gridlock transportation. A study by Global Insight confirms these costs .
Let's "stimulate" highway operations and save jobs on "Main Street"!
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