Comments on: When $1 Billion Doesn’t Buy What it Used To

Comments on: When $1 Billion Doesn’t Buy What it Used To — And When it Does http://dc.streetsblog.org/2009/10/08/when-1-billion-doesnt-buy-what-it-used-to-and-when-it-does/ Your daily source for national transportation policy news and analysis. Sat, 20 Mar 2010 21:38:30 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: Kenney http://dc.streetsblog.org/2009/10/08/when-1-billion-doesnt-buy-what-it-used-to-and-when-it-does/comment-page-1/#comment-85401 Kenney Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:42:28 +0000 http://dc.streetsblog.org/?p=35831#comment-85401 I'm glad you did an article on this. I noticed that among transportation circles, mention of both the "$1 billion investment creates 'x' jobs" estimate and the ASCE's assertion that we need to spend "$2.2 trillion over 5 years" just to get our infrastructure into a state of good repair tends to draw many chuckles. It's not that the validity of these estimates is in question, but the fact that as an advocacy tool, these estimates miss the point. The point is that investments in infrastructure creates jobs, clear and simple, and that our infrastructure as a whole is in a state of disrepair due to underfunding. There also seems to be a misunderstanding surrounding ASCE's figure of $2.2 trillion over 5 years. They are not saying that we need to increase spending by $2.2 trillion ON TOP of what we typically spend over a 5-year period, but that we need to increase spending TO $2.2 trillion over 5 years. To summarize, these numbers mean nothing to people. If Members of Congress and advocacy groups who champion transportation want to get their point across, they have to frame the discussion in a way that is meaningful to people: the built environment affects your wallet, how you live, what you eat, the safety of your children, the job opportunities available to you, supply chain management in your business, and so forth. I'm glad you did an article on this. I noticed that among transportation circles, mention of both the "$1 billion investment creates 'x' jobs" estimate and the ASCE's assertion that we need to spend "$2.2 trillion over 5 years" just to get our infrastructure into a state of good repair tends to draw many chuckles. It's not that the validity of these estimates is in question, but the fact that as an advocacy tool, these estimates miss the point. The point is that investments in infrastructure creates jobs, clear and simple, and that our infrastructure as a whole is in a state of disrepair due to underfunding.

There also seems to be a misunderstanding surrounding ASCE's figure of $2.2 trillion over 5 years. They are not saying that we need to increase spending by $2.2 trillion ON TOP of what we typically spend over a 5-year period, but that we need to increase spending TO $2.2 trillion over 5 years.

To summarize, these numbers mean nothing to people. If Members of Congress and advocacy groups who champion transportation want to get their point across, they have to frame the discussion in a way that is meaningful to people: the built environment affects your wallet, how you live, what you eat, the safety of your children, the job opportunities available to you, supply chain management in your business, and so forth.

]]>