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Tell Congress to send real dollars where the real needs are

Applause rang out from both sides of the aisle during the State of the Union last week when President Obama called for the ambitious, “bipartisan infrastructure plan” we need for a 21st century, “middle-class economy”. It’s time to get real about how we raise that money, and more importantly, how we should invest it.

While the President noted that workers are getting a welcome break with lower gas prices, he declined to call for applying some of that savings to making sure those workers can get to their jobs. He again floated the idea of relying instead on a one-time windfall from corporate tax reform, and now some key GOP counterparts seem warm to the idea.

The problem is that no such deal is likely before the transportation program expires and money runs out in May. And even if it were, we need more than a one-shot infusion.

Beyond that, we need a federal transportation bill that actually gets resources to local communities that are struggling to repair and expand transit, roads and bridges so people can get to work and goods can get to market. They need the latitude to fix bottlenecks and potholes and to innovate for the future, in accord with their residents’ priorities.

Tell your representatives: Act now to produce a bipartisan, long-term transportation bill with real money. The time for trial balloons and what-ifs is over.

Please send your representative a message to:

  • Raise revenue to stabilize the Highway Trust Fund and spur economic growth. For the near term, increasing fuel fees that have lost a third of their value since the last increase in 1993 is the only sure bet.
  • Ensure funds are flexible enough to spend on all modes of transportation. Let communities invest in whatever way will bring the biggest bang for the buck.
  • Empower local communities with more control and resources. Local leaders are best able to identify the particular transportation investments to address their communities’ unique challenges.

Your member of Congress has a crucial opportunity to refocus the transportation program in ways that will boost local economies, maintain our existing infrastructure, and prepare for the future.

Send a letter asking your member of Congress to step up.

SOTU reaction: To build a 21st-century, ‘middle-class economy’, President and Congress must provide stable transportation funding

press release

For immediate release 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In response to President Obama’s call for increased investment in infrastructure Transportation for America Director James Corless issued this statement:

“President Obama tonight explicitly made the connection between his themes of helping the middle class and helping cities, towns and suburbs invest in infrastructure. Communities across the country are struggling in the face of unstable resources to fix and expand roads, bridges and transit systems so that people can get to and keep their jobs and goods can get to market.

The President also made it clear he is aware that time is running out on our transportation trust fund, and that Congress must act soon to renew our commitment to first-world infrastructure. Amid concerns of political stalemate, this is one area where bipartisan action is possible and clearly needed.

We applaud his continued call for smart, new investment, and welcome a significant infusion from the repatriation of corporate profits. However, that is a one-time funding source, and the President missed the chance tonight to embrace a more stable approach such as an overdue increase in gas tax revenues. Nevertheless, we urge him and leaders in Congress to come together on a plan for long-term, stable funding well before the May 31 expiration. We would note that the last increases in the motor fuels tax came with the leadership of presidents Reagan and Clinton, both of whom faced challenges in Congress but managed to find a way forward.

Communities across the country are leading the way with innovative, cost-effective investment strategies, with projects designed to sustain economic growth while improving quality of life. Any economy intended to give more people an avenue to middle-class jobs will have to be built on strong investment in basic infrastructure. The President surely knows it, but now he and his congressional counterparts will need to lead like they know it.”

 

Contact: David Goldberg
Communications Director
202-412-7930
david.goldberg@t4america.org

Backup contact: Stephen Davis
Deputy Director of Communications
202-955-5543 x242
steve.davis@t4america.org

Tell the President to back a bipartisan gas tax increase

The steep drop in gas prices offers the best opportunity in years to raise the revenue we need to rescue our transportation trust fund and build for the future. And, for the first time in recent memory, leaders in both parties are calling for a gas tax increase to avoid foisting monumental repair and construction bills on the next generation.

Now is the time:  Congress and the President must seize the moment.

 President Obama is keenly aware of the needs. In just about every State of the Union address since he was elected, he has called for more robust investment to fix our aging network and build what we need to keep people, goods and our economy moving. But the President’s proposals to fund his vision have been short on specifics. And he has opposed raising the gas tax in a weak economy.

Today, though, times are better and gas prices sinking. This time, the President must use the Jan. 20 State of the Union address to say how he would pay for the investments he knows are needed.

 Tell President Obama to voice clear support for a bipartisan move to raise real revenue.

We know we can’t rely on the gas tax alone over the long term. Consumption is likely to drop with cleaner, more fuel-efficient cars – and people are driving less. We need to diversify our revenue sources, even as we broaden the kinds of projects we build.

But that transition will take years, and we have a huge backlog of needs from a long recession that took a toll on our ability to maintain and build our network. Our local communities cannot begin to afford to make up the gap on their own. It’s a nationwide problem that needs national support.

By May, Congress must adopt a new transportation bill and find the money to pay for it. To make the best use of those dollars, Congress must get more resources to local communities, and give them the latitude to do best by their economies and quality of life.

Now, while consumers will feel the impact the least, is the best time to act for a near-term fix. The President can either stifle the conversation from the outset, or add his voice to the growing chorus.

 Please encourage him to add his support, in the high-profile setting of the State of the Union Address.