J. Arthur/W. Canary: Legislature, invest in our roads and create a better future for Alabama
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 Engineers‘ 2015 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! • • • 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.
Alabama members call for longer-term transportation planning after trust fund vote
The U.S. House has passed H.R. 2353 — a bill approving temporary funding for the nation’s federal transportation trust fund for two months beyond an impending statutory cutoff — with the support of U.S. Reps. Bradley Byrne and, somewhat more surprisingly, Terri Sewell. But that didn’t stop either from expressing displeasure at the short-term nature of the bill passed Tuesday, a result of ongoing gridlock over myriad issues in the House. Byrne and Sewell, who respectively represent Alabama’s 1st and 7th Congressional Districts, each issued statements Tuesday evening saying a more predictable and comprehensive approach is required for maximum public good. “It is sometimes hard in Washington for Republicans and Democrats to find common ground, but both sides agree we need a long-term, reliable funding stream for the Highway Trust Fund,” Byrne said in his news release. “While I voted for today’s short term extension, I will not continue to support kicking the can down the road and putting off difficult decisions. Funding our nation’s highway system is a fundamental responsibility of Congress, and it is time we get serious about finding a solution. I intend to be a constructive participant in that process.” Sewell — breaking with most of her caucus, which opposed the measure — echoed those statements after her “yea” vote Tuesday afternoon. “The Highway Trust Fund Extension is nothing more than a Band-Aid. It’s disappointing that Congress is no closer to drafting a long-term solution to invest in our nation’s roads, bridges, and rails than we were this time last year,” Sewell said in her written statement. “Our nation’s investment in infrastructure is woefully inadequate to the detriment of our constituents.” “In Alabama, deteriorating roads cost motorists approximately $1.2 billion a year. Across our country, an estimated one in three fatal traffic accidents is caused by roads that are in poor or mediocre condition, and the American Society of Civil Engineers estimates that one out of every nine bridges in the U.S. is structurally deficient.” Sewell ended, however, on a hopeful note. “By building the infrastructure of tomorrow, we would also create thousands of good-paying jobs that help more hard-working Americans earn a living.”
