J. Arthur/W. Canary: Legislature, invest in our roads and create a better future for Alabama

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Alabama Road sign

There is a proposal in the Alabama Legislature that includes reforms to the way we spend money on transportation infrastructure and adds much-needed investment for Alabama’s roads and bridges.

Our crumbling infrastructure is an issue that affects all 67 counties and every single city in the state.  

According to the American Society of Civil Engineers2015 Report Card for Alabama’s Infrastructure, our roads received a grade of D+, and our bridges received a grade of C-. These grades illustrate the fact our state’s infrastructure – the roads and bridges our family, friends and loved ones rely on – is failing.

  • We depend on roads and bridges when our children leave the house every morning on the school bus;
  • We depend on efficient infrastructure because it creates jobs, promotes commerce and helps us export goods effectively; and
  • We depend on these investments to create jobs and to protect our families.  

Not one single state legislator has denied Alabama’s infrastructure is important for all of those reasons or that additional investments are needed. Yet, there are still some who will oppose the current proposal, which is a very reasonable piece of legislation designed for those who use our infrastructure.

In addition, this legislation includes many, many compromises reached with numerous stakeholders, legislators and the administration.  

Some legislators will oppose this plan despite the fact that it will provide a much needed economic boost to the very communities they represent. Each and every day, all of us are faced with yes-or-no scenarios.

It is simply 50-50.

For many saying NO is safe. NO goals, NO direction, NO ambition, NO vision, and NO plan. As a rule NO’s don’t move us forward.

Instead, they could say YES! YES, I have decided to show courage. YES, I have goals and a plan. Here is where it gets tricky … It is not always easy to say YES. YES means taking chances, being courageous, putting oneself out there, and embracing the future. When we open ourselves to YES, amazing opportunities and exciting possibilities.

If transportation infrastructure is important to you, educate lawmakers on the importance of infrastructure to your community. For lawmakers who may say “NO” to this plan, they must have a plan of their own to fix our state’s infrastructure. Otherwise, they are not doing the job they were sent to Montgomery to do: solve problems to fix our roads to create a better future for Alabama. It is their responsibility to do nothing less!   

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Jeremy L. Arthur is the president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce Association of Alabama.

William J. Canary is the president and CEO of the Business Council of Alabama. 

11 COMMENTS

  1. RT @billholtzclaw: An article from proponents of the gas tax pending in the legislate. I encourage you to read it. By the way, the… https…

  2. SB180 doesn’t do much for municipalities and completely ignores cities that cross county boundaries. I can envision litigation with county governments over the municipal share of County gas tax funding. We’ll spend a lot of the gas tax on accountants tracking the gymnastic formulae for tax distribution.
    Municipalities get shafted in this legislation.

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