HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania, November 6, 2008 (ENS) – Pennsylvania voters have approved a $400 million bond issue that will allow the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority to award grants and loans for water treatment systems and pipelines.

With 99.6 percent of precincts reporting, the referendum received more than 2.8 million “yes” votes and 1.7 million “no” votes.

Critics of the referendum argued that Pennsylvanians already owe $110 billion in state debt, not including the additional $3 billion passed in the 2008-09 state budget. They are wary of taking on new debt in the current economic climate.

The money will be available for municipally owned drinking water, wastewater and stormwater systems in all parts of the state, in communities large and small, urban and rural.

The funding will be available to the 183 publicly owned water systems in Pennsylvania that are facing federal mandates to reduce nutrient pollution in the Susquehanna and Potomac river basins and downstream in the Chesapeake Bay.

“Pennsylvanians from different parts of the state and from all party affiliations overwhelmingly chose to create new jobs and make an important down payment on our economic future and the quality of life in our communities,” said Governor Edward Rendell.

“Our water and sewer systems – as well as other critical components of our infrastructure – are in need of substantial investments to ensure quality, dependable services that will position our economy to grow,” the governor said.

The Sustainable Infrastructure Task Force convened by the governor early this year released a report last week that listed at least $36.5 billion in capital repairs and upgrades that are needed statewide over the next 20 years to maintain service.

The task force estimates that Pennsylvania will need to spend another $77.1 billion for operation, maintenance and debt service.

“This is part of a larger national problem,” Governor Rendell said. “Across the country, we’re confronted with a staggering total national infrastructure shortfall of $1.6 trillion. That unmet need affects the quality of not only roads, bridges, water and sewer systems, it also applies to our airports and rail freight lines – important services that businesses rely on to ship their goods and supplies. If we don’t act quickly, that deficit will continue to grow and we will see our infrastructure fall further into disrepair.

“And, with our nation’s economy slowing, now’s the time to make these investments,” he said. “These projects will support tens of millions of jobs that are necessary to build these systems and maintain them.”

The $400 million bond issue approved Tuesday is expected to support 12,000 jobs in Pennsylvania.

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PHILADELPHIA, Pennesylvania, July 15, 2008 (ENS) – Pennsylvania Governor Edward Rendell Monday took the reins of the National Governors Association and announced that the organization’s annual Chair’s Initiative, chosen each year by the incoming leader, will focus on strengthening infrastructure investment.

“It is an honor to serve as NGA’s chair,” Governor Rendell said during the association’s Centennial meeting. “Out-going chair, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, deserves a tremendous amount of credit for moving America closer to clean energy. Just last week I signed legislation to invest more than $650 million in Pennsylvania’s alternative energy sector. Tim’s leadership has inspired every governor in the nation and once again states are taking the lead on this critical issue.”

Governor Ed Rendell receives the NGA
gavel from Governor Tim Pawlenty.
(Photo courtesy NGA)

“Over the past year, the nation’s attention has becoming increasingly focused on the growing energy challenges that face us,” said Governor Pawlenty. “I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished as part of the Securing a Clean Energy Future Initiative, but our work is just beginning. It will take continued effort and renewed dedication to ensure that our country has an energy future that is safe, secure and clean.”

At the opening plenary session, the NGA announced a new state-industry partnership between the Securing a Clean Energy Future Initiative and General Motors Corporation to help states increase availability of E-85 fueling stations. E-85 is an alternative fuel consisting of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline.

Under the partnership, states will develop a strategy for installing E-85 pumps in key locations. GM will provide technical assistance to states in developing these strategies and will leverage their relationships with the automobile and ethanol industries to help states implement their strategies.

“There is no silver bullet available to solve this nation’s energy challenges,” said Rendell. “This will be an all-hands-on-deck, all-technologies-available effort.”

“Another significant challenge facing our nation is the rebuilding of its infrastructure,” said Rendell, who made a pledge in January with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger of California and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg to form a non-partisan national coalition that will lobby for federal investment in America’s decaying infrastructure.

“America’s infrastructure urgently needs attention,” said Rendell. “From outmoded ports to crumbling bridges to underinvestment in public transit, we must begin a new era of investment in the systems that support our prosperity and our quality of life.”

“If America is to continue competing in the global economic marketplace, we need an efficient and sound infrastructure. For the past two decades, state and local governments have been picking up more of the tab for infrastructure repair, but we can’t keep it up,” said Rendell.

The American Society of Civil Engineers estimates national infrastructure needs of more than $1.6 trillion dollars over the next five years.

“Infrastructure funding – making sure our roads, bridges, schools, airports, trains, ports, and water systems are safe – is an issue about which I am very passionate,” said Governor Rendell. “It started when I was mayor of Philadelphia and continues today because I see that our nation’s aging infrastructure is hurting our economic stability and hampering future growth.”

“Businesses and communities can’t survive if they can’t get their products to market, educate their students and access safe water supplies,” he said.

“State and local governments now fund 75 percent of all infrastructure work. We will need the federal government to step up significantly if we are to fully meet this challenge. I will continue to work with my fellow governors to give these issues the attention they deserve,” said Rendell.

As NGA chairman, Governor Rendell will work with other states to design and implement strategies for smarter, more cost-effective infrastructure investment at the state level.

In addition, states will be challenged in the coming years to align their infrastructure investments with the new realities of climate change, and Governor Rendell will work with states to design strategies to accomplish this.

The National Governors Association is celebrating its 100th anniversary during 2008.

U.S. Route 6 through Iowa was broken up
by the June floods. (Photo by Dave
Darby, Iowa US Route 6 Tourist Assn.)

In May of 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt hosted the first meeting of the nation’s governors at the White House to discuss conserving America’s natural resources. The meeting was attended by the president, vice president, cabinet members, Supreme Court justices and 39 governors. Following this inaugural meeting, governors decided to form a bipartisan association through which they could come together to discuss mutual concerns and act collectively.

As part of the centennial celebration, NGA partnered with the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and the University of Pennsylvania Press to publish two books: “A Legacy of Leadership: Governors and American History” and “A Legacy of Innovation: Governors and Public Policy.” These books – authored by journalists, academics and historians – highlight gubernatorial achievements and specific public policy initiatives through the decades.

In addition, Governor Pawlenty released four publications to help ensure the work of the Securing a Clean Energy Future Initiative continues.

The first, “Opportunities for States in Clean Energy Research, Development & Demonstration,” outlines state roles in this area and is intended to guide states in the crucial decisions they must make about clean energy in the years ahead.

The second, “A Governor’s Guide to Clean Power Generation and Energy Efficiency ,” offers guidance for states to engage in enhanced electricity planning efforts and policies that can drive greater investment in and adoption of efficiency and cleaner power sources.

A third, “Clean and Secure State Energy Actions — 2008,” catalogs what all 55 states and territories are doing to advance a cleaner, more secure energy future, highlighting existing policy models other states can replicate.

Finally, a new Issue Brief, “Greening State Government: �Lead by Example’ Initiatives,” examines current efforts across a range of state government operations to increase energy efficiency and support the use of clean and renewable energy.

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HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania, July 10, 2008 (ENS) – A new $650 million fund that will save families and small businesses money on their energy bills by supporting investments in energy conservation and efficiency was signed into law Wednesday by Governor Edward Rendell.

Households and small businesses can qualify for $100 million to support the installation of solar energy technology that allows them to generate their own electricity and sell any excess power back to the grid through net metering.

Carnegie Mellon University estimates the technology could help reduce electricity demand by five percent during the 100 most expensive hours of the year – typically, times when the sun is most intense, temperatures are highest and people are running their air conditioners full blast.

Electricity rates can be 15 to 30 times more during periods when demand is highest, and university scientists estimate the net metering from solar power generation would save Pennsylvania ratepayers $1.9 billion annually.

Residential consumers and small businesses will be eligible for $92.5 million in loans, grants, reimbursements and rebates to support energy conservation and weatherization projects that can ultimately reduce energy bills.

Another $40 million is available to provide financial assistance through the state’s Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, and establish an energy efficiency loan fund through the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency.

Solar panels top the roof of Pennsylvania’s
Cambria office of the Department of
Environmental Protection. (Photo by
Robb Williamson courtesy NREL)

The governor said these kinds of investments are important today because consumers who now find it difficult to pay for gasoline, diesel fuel, natural gas and heating oil will only face greater financial hardship when the generation rate caps that have held electricity prices in check since the mid-1990s expire, leading to double-digit rate increases.

“This should concern all of us because the residential consumers and businesses in the five utility service territories where rate caps haven’t expired – PECO, PPL, Allegheny Power, MetEd and Penelec – are facing a $4 billion increase in their electricity rates by 2011,” said the governor.

“At a time when gasoline and diesel fuel are at $4 and $5 per gallon and natural gas has more than doubled since last year, these rate increases will be the straw that breaks the camel’s back,” he said.

Included in the new $650 million fund is $500 million that provides:

* $165 million for loans and grants to spur the development of alternative and renewable energy projects, except solar, among businesses and local governments

* $100 million to provide loans, grants and rebates that cover up to 35 percent of the costs residential consumers and small businesses incur for installing for solar energy technology

* $80 million in grants and loans for economic development projects in the solar sector

* $40 million to the Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority to support early stage activities, such as incubator support services, translational and early stage research in startup businesses that develop and implement energy efficiency technologies

* $25 million for wind energy and geothermal projects

* $25 million for green buildings. Homeowners and small businesses will benefit from grants and loans to build energy efficient structures or renovate an existing building to improve its energy efficiency

* $25 million for pollution control technology to help energy generators meet state and federal standards

The remaining $150 million will be allocated over eight years, with $20 million annually through 2014-15 and another $10 million in 2015-16 that will include:

* $92.5 million so homeowners and small business owners can cover 25 percent of the cost of purchasing and installing energy conservation tools and weatherize their buildings

* $50 million in tax credits of up to $1 million a year per project for developing and building alternative energy projects, which will help Pennsylvania companies invest and grow here

* $5 million to support an Energy Efficiency Loan Fund through the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency

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PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania, March 14, 2008 (ENS) – With continued job losses in America’s manufacturing industry and the warning signs of a national economic slowdown, Governor Edward Rendell today cited Pennsylvania’s track record of investing in green technologies and renewable energy to help revitalize the economy and create new jobs.

“America’s economy is facing pressure today from job losses, international competition, mounting national debt, and a declining dollar,” Governor Rendell said during closing keynote remarks at the Good Jobs, Green Jobs conference in Pittsburgh.

“We can relieve these pressures by investing in clean and green energy efficiency and production technologies,” said Rendell. “And, in doing so, we can help put our people back to work – especially in the manufacturing industry that has been so decimated by the outsourcing of jobs to overseas firms.”

“Pennsylvania has been able to weather this slowdown because we’ve made the necessary investments in our economy over the last five years,” said the governor. “We’ve invested in our infrastructure, helped train our workforce to meet 21st century demands, supported innovation and business expansion projects, and we’ve leveraged our resources to attract private sector development in the rapidly growing renewable energy industry.”

“This formula has worked. Since 2003, we’ve helped create 3,000 new jobs in the alternative and renewable energy sectors – many of which are good-paying, skilled manufacturing positions – and $1 billion in private investment. Furthermore, our state’s unemployment rate has been below the national average in each of the last 13 consecutive months.”

Organized by the Blue Green Alliance, a strategic partnership between the United Steelworkers and the Sierra Club, the conference is intended to launch a nationwide dialogue about moving the United States rapidly toward leadership in creating a new green economy.

This worker monitors equipment that
turns waste into a chemical building
block for environmentally-friendly
products. (Photo courtesy NYSERDA)

The conference brought together local, state and federal policy makers; representatives of labor; business; environment and public health organizations; economic and workforce development specialists; investors; and scientists and technology experts.

On Thursday, United Steelworkers International President Leo Gerard called on the union’s environmental allies to join in supporting federal investments in renewable job growth.

In a statement delivered by his assistant, Marco Trbovich, Gerard said that climate change legislation now under consideration by Congress is flawed because in its current form it fails to require any significant improvements in the greenhouse gas emissions created by countries such as China, Brazil and India.

Proposed by Senators Joe Lieberman, a Connecticut Independent, and John Warner, a Virginia Republican, the bill would reduce overall carbon dioxide emissions from trading partners of the United States by providing economic incentives for achieving reductions.

But Gerard said that under those circumstances, corporations would have incentives to build more manufacturing facilities in countries without environmental regulations, unintentionally causing a spike in greenhouse gas emissions and costing thousands more manufacturing jobs in the U.S. and Canada.

“This flaw – this gaping loophole – would encourage energy intensive industries in the U.S. to move production to those locations where the environmental rules are lax – wiping out thousands more U.S. jobs in the process,” Gerard said. “There could hardly be a worse example of good environmental intentions paving the road to an economic hell for millions of working Americans.”

In contrast, Gerard urged “supplanting half-baked subsidies like the billions in giveaways to big oil with federal investments aimed at commercializing renewables, retrofitting entire communities and producing energy-efficient transportation on an industrial scale comparable to our efforts in World War II and the Apollo mission to reach the moon.”

As the conference opened Thursday, a coalition of nonprofit environmental and economic research organizations from across the country headed by the Apollo Alliance released two new guides to help cities and states enhance opportunities in the clean, green, energy efficient job sectors.

The guide, “Green-Collar Jobs in America’s Cities,” was accompanied by a similar study and plan of action for state policy makers, “Greener Pathways.”

According to both documents, a job qualifies as green collar if it provides high enough wages and good benefits to support a family, opportunity to advance and build a career, and reduces waste, pollution, and other environmental risks.

Among the green collar jobs that are gaining in number and popularity, said the studies, are machinists, technicians, service workers, equipment and installation specialists, construction workers, and managers of all kinds.

The business sectors seeking such employees span alternative transportation and fuels, green building and energy efficient retrofitting, as well as renewable energy production and installation.

“The movement to make American cities more sustainable, efficient and livable is perhaps the greatest new engine for urban economic growth, innovation, and job creation in decades,” said Phil Angelides, chairman of the Apollo Alliance Board of Directors.

“A greener American economy can and will create jobs,” said Joel Rogers, director of the Center on Wisconsin Strategy, whose work in Milwaukee is profiled in the city guide.

Milwaukee, with the help of the Center on Wisconsin Strategy, has organized a major project to retrofit residential, commercial, and institutional buildings in order to reduce energy consumption. Milwaukee Energy Efficiency, or Me2, is raising both public and private capital to finance the retrofit work. Building occupants pay back the funds through charges on their utility bills, and they will realize immediate savings from reduced energy costs.

“To make real progress on economic and workforce development in the new energy economy,” Rogers said, “we must focus more carefully on key clean energy sectors and seize the opportunities in leading industries, like energy efficiency, wind, and biofuels.”

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HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania, March 10, 2008 (ENS) – The state of Pennsylvania is making a $22.3 million investment in 124 projects that will help restore the state’s polluted streams, provide clean water, and help prevent floods in communities across the commonwealth

Announcing the grants on Friday, Governor Edward Rendell said Pennsylvania’s long mining history and extensive farm industry have created challenges that affect the state’s natural water resources.

Additionally, regular floods throughout the state have diminished the effectiveness of natural and man-made measures designed to protect people, businesses and communities.

“Pennsylvania has been blessed with incredible natural resources,” said Governor Rendell. “Unfortunately our streams have been tainted by agricultural run-off and acid mine drainage from the unregulated activity of the past. Furthermore, recurring floods in many places have eroded stream banks and rendered many flood measures ineffective, which can exacerbate the damage caused to our communities.

“The $22.3 million in grants we’re announcing today will help undo this damage with effective treatment systems, agricultural best management practices, stabilization work, stormwater management strategies, and flood protection projects. Together, these measures will help restore the health and natural functions of our streams,” the governor said.

The Berks County Conservation Association is receiving $171,660 to install innovative stormwater management techniques on the county agricultural campus to improve water quality and for educational purposes.

Warrington Township in Bucks County was awarded $100,000 to install stormwater best management practices, including rain gardens, rain barrels, retrofitting basins, and to provide public education and outreach in the Little Neshaminy Creek watershed.

In Delaware County, Villanova University is receiving $185,000 for stormwater wetland best management practice reconfiguration and the town of Swarthmore gets $21,759 to address stormwater management at a playground and pocket park in an urban area.

In Lancaster County, the town of Columbia was awarded $325,000 to implement a variety of stormwater best management practices, including porous asphalt and concrete surfaces, vegetated swales, and rain gardens, at the new Riverfront Park.

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society receives $250,000 to continue the TreeVitalize Watersheds program that restores tree cover in Southeastern Pennsylvania, including riparian buffers and plantings in stormwater detention basins.

Of the $22.3 million awarded today by the Department of Environmental Protection, $9 million comes from the Growing Greener program in the form of watershed grants and $10.1 million comes from the Growing Greener II initiative.

The remaining $3.2 million was awarded by DEP in nonpoint source implementation program grants, which are funded by the federal government through Section 319(h) of the Clean Water Act.

The grants support acid mine drainage treatment facilities, stream bank stabilization efforts to reduce erosion and protect against flooding, added riparian buffers to filter pollutants before reaching streams, aquatic habitat improvements, and comprehensive watershed protection planning.

The grants will also be used to implement innovative agricultural and stormwater management techniques that reduce nonpoint source pollution in streams.

This year, DEP is allocating up to $2 million to begin addressing the unmet operation and maintenance costs of acid mine drainage remediation projects.

The grant funds also will support the first Watershed Renaissance Initiative, awarding $381,000 to treat acid mind discharges in Indiana County’s Bear Run watershed. The new initiative is intended to fund the complete or substantial implementation of an existing watershed restoration plan by encouraging public-private partnerships, long-term coordinated stewardship of the water resources, and educational outreach to promote environmental protection.

Since 1999, DEP has invested more than $190 million in watershed grants for 1,657 projects in all 67 counties of Pennsylvania through the traditional Growing Greener program. The grants are used to create or restore wetlands, restore stream buffer zones, eliminate causes of nonpoint source pollution, plug oil and gas wells, reclaim abandoned mine lands and restore aquatic life to streams that were lifeless due to acid mine drainage.

Voters overwhelmingly approved the $625 million Growing Greener II initiative in May 2005 to clean up rivers and streams; protect natural areas, open spaces and working farms; and shore up key programs to improve quality of life and revitalize communities across the commonwealth. Since then, DEP has awarded $38.5 million for watershed projects.

Smaller, impaired watersheds that have existing comprehensive plans to restore water quality are targeted through the Watershed Renaissance Initiative, which will again be available in next year’s grant round.

DEP is now accepting grant applications for the next Growing Greener grant round. Applications will be accepted until May 16. For more information or to download a grant application form, visit www.depweb.state.pa.us, keyword: Growing Greener.

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HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania, February 7, 2008 (ENS) – Declaring that Pennsylvania must act boldly to fix its huge number of structurally deficient bridges, high-hazard dams and outdated aviation and rail freight facilities, Governor Edward Rendell this week urged the General Assembly today to approve his rebuilding Pennsylvania proposal.

The governor’s $28 billion budget proposals includes $100 million for flood-control projects over the next three years.

He says the additional funds will allow the state to increase the number of flood-protection grants awarded to municipalities each year, boost support for stream improvement projects, and complete emergency closure work and rehabilitation projects.

“Pennsylvanians have battled a number of storms that resulted in flooding over the past few years,” said the governor. “Unfortunately, in some communities, rivers and streams were not able to handle the resulting runoff and water flow. What we were left with was hundreds of millions of dollars in damages in the form of lost homes and damaged property and infrastructure.”

House cleaning after heavy flooding from
the Delaware River, July 2006. Water
level reached five feet high inside this
house in Yardley, Pennsylvania.
(Photo by Leif Skoogfors courtesy FEMA)

Debt incurred for flood mitigation efforts will be paid by collecting a surcharge of 7 cents per $100 of homeowners’ insurance premium and putting those funds in a dedicated account for this purpose.

Total flood-related debt service in 2011 is expected to be $3.3 million

Under the enhanced flood-protection program, the state will have additional resources to help communities rehabilitate existing flood-protection projects.

There will be more resources to repair or replace deteriorated culverts and construct new projects like waterway channels, floodwalls, levees and stream bank stabilization, said Governor Rendell.

In 2008-09, Rebuilding Pennsylvania calls for accelerating $200 million for bridge repairs, $13 million for flood-control projects, $12 million for repairs to state-owned dams, $10 million for new rail freight projects and $5 million for aviation projects.

The 2008-09 budget proposal also includes $15 million in new General Fund investments for local dam repairs, flood-plain mapping and infrastructure for business development.

The Department of Environmental Protection, DEP, will be responsible for working with those state agencies and municipalities that own the unsafe dams.

Across the commonwealth, there are 24 state owned high-hazard dams that have been classified as unsafe by DEP’s dam safety program. Repair work to some of these dams is in the design or construction phase, or is already eligible for funding through the state’s capital budget. The cost to repair the remaining 17 dams has been estimated at $37 million.

Additionally, 21 unsafe high-hazard dams are owned by county or local governments. The governor has called for the state matching loan/grant program to help cover 30 percent of the cost of repairing those dams.

“Dams can protect downstream communities and the environment, and they can provide recreational opportunities for anglers and boater in addition to a reliable supply of water,” Governor Rendell said. “This initiative will allow us to preserve or breach unsafe structures to eliminate the potential for a catastrophe.”

But Republicans in the General Assembly rejected Rendell’s budget as too expensive.

“If enacted, what the governor has proposed would increase spending by more than $1.6 billion or a 6.1 percent increase over last year’s budget,” said Representative Rick Geist of Altoona.

“Since he took office in 2003,” Geist said, “the governor has increased spending each year by more than a billion dollars and this is bad economic policy for Pennsylvania.”

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LOS ANGELES, California, January 22, 2008 (ENS) – California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican; Pennsylvania Governor Edward Rendell, a Democrat; and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, an Independent, stood beneath a Los Angeles highway interchange on Saturday to announce the formation of a non-partisan national coalition that will lobby for federal investment in America’s decaying infrastructure.

The need amounts to at least $1.6 trillion dollars over the next five years, they said, a need too great for any one level of government to handle alone.

“So we all got together and we decided that we should form a partnership, that we’d form a coalition,” Schwarzenegger said. “You have an Independent here, you have a Democrat here, a Republican. I mean, how much better can you get? And we are soul mates. We totally believe that we must rebuild America.”

In the short term, the coalition will work with presidential candidates and the platform committees of the national political parties to ensure that the next president understands the enormity of the infrastructure crisis and is committed to increasing federal funding, the three officials said.

From left: Governor Arnold
Schwarzenegger, Governor
Ed Rendell, Mayor Michael
Bloomberg announce the
Building America’s Future
coalition. (Photo courtesy
Office of Governor
Schwarzenegger)

“This coalition is going to demand that the presidential nominees tell us what their position on infrastructure is, talk to us about what their goals and dreams are for building a better American infrastructure,” said Governor Rendell.

“In July of this year I take over as the chair of the National Governors Association,” said the Pennsylvania governor, “and with Governor Schwarzenegger’s help, we the governors are going to focus attention like a laser on infrastructure.”

The new coalition, called Building America’s Future, will be not-for-profit organization made up of elected and executive officials serving at the state and local levels of government.

“Our coalition is going to be made up of literally hundreds of local and state government officials and leaders,” Governor Rendell said. “It’s going to include private sector associations and individuals, and it is going to go everywhere to beat the drum for infrastructure for America’s future.”

“We have an infrastructure crisis,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “Nonstop television showed us in New Orleans when the levees broke, and Minneapolis when the bridge collapsed. But the governors and the mayors of this country every day see at an operational level bridges that are rusting away, and tracks that can’t carry high speed trains, and power transmission lines that can’t keep up with demand, and airports that need new runways, and water lines that need backup systems, and sewage plants that leak into the rivers and the oceans.”

“If we continue to ignore these problems we are going to suffer more collapses, more human tragedies, and more economic pain, and that’s just in the short term,” Bloomberg said. “Over the long run we really are going to risk losing our place as the world’s leading super power.”

“China, Japan, India, Dubai, Malaysia, Europe, all of them are investing in modern infrastructure at higher rates that we are here in the United States,” the mayor said. “But Congress is setting back and resting on its accomplishments of past generations, our parents’ generation. And they can only go on this way for so long before the rest of the world starts to pass us by. And we are here to say we cannot let that happen. We cannot hand our children a country that is crumbling from neglect.”

“America needs $1.6 trillion worth of infrastructure over the next five years, yet federal investment has been cut in half as a percent of gross domestic product since 1987,” said Governor Schwarzenegger. “This is disastrous because without adequate infrastructure to quickly and safely move goods and people our economy and our traffic will stop dead in its tracks.”

Cars and roadway litter the
river where the I-35 bridge
collapsed in Minneapolis.
August 5, 2007. (Photo by
Todd Swain courtesy FEMA)

The problem has two parts, Bloomberg said, “we under-invest in infrastructure, and we invest badly. And both problems spring from the same source; short-term political calculations.”

But in his view, the timing of the new coalition’s push for funding “couldn’t be better” because “there’s a lot of talk in Washington about putting together an economic stimulus package.”

“Democrats can say that investing in infrastructure is in the great tradition of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and Republicans can say it’s in the great tradition of Dwight D. Eisenhower. I think it is in the great tradition of America, and if both parties want to take credit for it, I think that’s great. Let’s just get the job done,” said the mayor.

Governor Rendell said he and the other other two founding members are good people to lead the coalition “is not just, as Governor Schwarzenegger said, that we represent parts of the political spectrum, but each and every one of us has made a significant commitment in our own jurisdiction to rebuilding our infrastructure.”

“In the past 20 years, state and local governments have been forced to pay more and more of the cost for infrastructure repairs and expansion,” said the Pennyslvania governor. “Three-quarters of our nation’s infrastructure spending is by state and local governments. In the past five years Pennsylvania has increased state funding for bridge repairs by 300 percent, yet the number of structurally deficient bridges has increased. Our country can’t do it without federal leadership.”

One organization has already offered its support to the fledgling coalition. The Rockefeller Foundation has committed funding for staffing and resources.

“For almost a century, the Rockefeller Foundation has supported breakthrough solutions to society’s most pressing problems, and one of the most urgent challenges today is our aging and inadequate transportation infrastructure,” said Rockefeller Foundation President Judith Rodin, who joined the Mayor and the two governors under the L.A. highway interchange.

“A few years ago, the Rockefeller Foundation funded the hurricane recovery planning process in New Orleans, and so we saw deeply and personally what happens when infrastructure and transportation fail. Lives are lost, vast amounts of property are damaged, elected officials are held in account. All of this was after the fact,” Rodin said.

“We’ve seen now the need for robust advanced planning, and much more focused attention on investments and infrastructure and transportation,” she said. “We can no longer rely on FEMA and the federal government to solve our infrastructure disasters after the fact.

“First, it is very clear that our aging and insufficient infrastructure makes us frighteningly vulnerable to natural and to manmade disasters,” said Rodin. “We can do better; we must do better.”

“Second, as the governors and mayor articulated, continuing environmental degradation and climate change are inextricably linked with the choices we make, not just about the roads we build or the railways we need, but about land use and zoning and housing,” she said.

The bottom line, said Governor Schwarzenegger, is that we cannot wait for people to die in floods and bridge collapses before we get the message.

“I think we got the message,” he said, “that we must rebuild America, we must invest in America, and that is the bottom line.”

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