Alright, let's get to it. Slighty thinner showing today, but most of the major candidates are represented.
On the subject of infrastructure, in the order received with ones that break the format last:
From Obama:
I am the only candidate committed to decreasing the influence wielded by Washington lobbyists so that our much-needed and long-overdue investments in infrastructure focus on safety and our long-term competitiveness rather than wasteful earmarks for special interests. In 2005, the American Society for Civil Engineers released a report card saying that, due to neglect and underfunding, our roads merited a D, our bridges a C, and our transit system a D+. I will provide the leadership to finally reform Washington so that it's not just the well-connected who benefit from federal laws. I will make long-term investments in our highways, bridges, airports, railways, and neighborhood streets. I also believe that we must expand access to critical 21st century infrastructure like high-speed broadband, which is why I am committed to bringing broadband access to disadvantaged rural and urban communities alike.
From Dodd:
I am only candidate that has introduced a bipartisan measure to address the critical needs of our nation’s major infrastructure systems – a measure that I have been working on for several years.
The Bush Administration has spent hundreds of billions waging a war that tore down a country and hundreds of billions more rebuilding it -- all while our own infrastructure crumbles. But we shouldn’t have to wait for a national disaster to invest in our priorities. To restore America’s strength we need leadership that has a proven track record of fighting for the right priorities and the foresight to invest in them.
My National Infrastructure Bank Act would offer federal financing of infrastructure projects through public and private capital. The bank is an independent government entity tasked with evaluating and financing capacity-building infrastructure projects of substantial regional and national significance. This includes publicly-owned mass transit systems, housing properties, roads, bridges, drinking water systems, and wastewater systems. This measure can help rebuild our roads and bridges, improve our quality of life, create thousands of jobs and spur economic growth. By investing today, we can minimize costs down the road and provide a brighter, more secure future for all Americans.
From Biden:
I am the only candidate who commutes daily on Amtrak and every day I see up close what our infrastructure needs. I am leading the effort to establish a national passenger rail system to create a cleaner, safer, more efficient transportation network. Traffic congestion cost us $65 billion in wasted hours in 2000. It also cost us almost 6 billion gallons of fuel, which is why I was delighted to hear that New Hampshire recently made an important expansion in commuter rail.
I have been actively working to improve our infrastructure as far back as 1992 when I proposed a $20 billion plan to invest in our roads, bridges, ports and other facilities, but today the Federal Highway Administration says of the 594,000 bridges in the country, 150,000 are rated "structurally deficient or functionally obsolete" and it would take $9-$10 billion a year over the next 20 years to bring existing bridges intro structural and safety compliance. We spend less that one percent of our national income on infrastructure investment, China spends 9 percent. We all saw the terrible tragedy in Minneapolis. A bridge shouldn't just fall down in the middle of America.
We also need a new green infrastructure and I support green building codes and create incentives for new energy efficient commercial building. This in turn will create more "green collar" American jobs. Look at the work that needs to be done. From engineering to construction, the core jobs that can build and sustain our middle class will be in demand if we invest in infrastructure. We need those jobs. We need the infrastructure.
From Edwards:
I am the only candidate who has proposed a national broadband policy with a goal of giving all U.S. homes and businesses affordable access to real high-speed internet by 2010. Just as FDR's rural electrification initiative brought power to every corner of the country, an investment in internet infrastructure can cover all Americans with a broadband "blanket," and create jobs and up to $500 billion in economic benefits.
The U.S. has fallen to 16th in the world in broadband penetration per household, but we don't have a national broadband policy. As president, I will establish a national broadband map to identify gaps in availability, price and speed to encourage private investment. Then I will create public-private partnerships to promote deployment; reform the universal service program to encourage rural buildout; and prohibit telephone and cable companies from discriminating against rural or low-income communities in building their networks. We need a national policy that encourages every level of government to make the Internet more affordable and accessible, from cities investing in municipal wireless projects, to state utility commissions promoting investments in high-speed infrastructure, to the FCC allocating broadcast spectrum -- like the newly available 700 megahertz broadcast spectrum -- to wireless networks that can improve service to underserved areas.
From Hillary (it's actually ~200 words, I checked, though obviously the format is once again in violation of the "I am the only candidate who" request):
Hillary Clinton announced her Rebuild America Plan in Rochester last week (http://www.fosters.c...).
Emergency Initiatives Addressing Safety:
* Establish $10b "Emergency Repair Fund" to address the backlog of critical infrastructure repairs.
* Provide $250m in "Emergency Assessment Grants" to the states to conduct immediate safety reviews of their high-priority, high-risk infrastructure assets.
* Form a commission to carry out a comprehensive assessment of our engineering review standards so that we better prioritize needed repairs on bridges and roads.
Modernizing Infrastructure:
* Increase federal funding for public transit by $1.5b per year.
* Link federal public transit funds to local land use policies that encourage residential developments that maximize public tranthat we better prioritize needed repairs on
bridges and roads.
Modernizing Infrastructure:
* Increase federal funding for public transit by
$1.5b per year.
* Link federal public transit funds to local land
use policies that encourage residential
developments that maximize public transit usage.
* Invest an additional $1b in intercity passenger
rail systems.
Partner with state and local governments and the
private sector to create a national policy to
guide the modernization of ports.
Addressing Congestion and Traffic Growth:
* Increase the budget for the DOT's congestion
reduction programs by approximately 50% to $600m
annually.
* Make "technology solutions" to congestion a
priority for the DOT.
* Promote telecommuting by encouraging its use at
federal agencies, and by committing up to $50m per
year to support state and local initiatives.
Broadband:
* Support initiatives to establish leadership in
broadband.
8/18/07 Update by Dean:
From Richardson:
I am the only candidate that has actually led a state's infrastructure development.
As Governor of New Mexico, I have invested aggressively in my state?s infrastructure with GRIP?a $1.6 billion transportation and infrastructure initiative that is improving highways and creating new modes of transportation like commuter rail. It is estimated that my program will have an $8.4 billion positive impact on New Mexico?s economy and create direct savings of $10.9 billion for our citizens in terms of commuter cost, safety, and vehicle operating costs. We can improve safety and transportation, while growing our economy. In fact, these priorities go hand in hand. In my state, we?ve improving our roads, while creating 80,000 jobs, lifting personal income, and cutting taxes.
As a nation, we must commit to the future. My plan for our economy emphasizes creating Green Jobs -- jobs that are good for American workers and the American environment. We need to incentivize energy-efficient green building and the retro-fitting of inefficient infrastructure. The recent tragedies in Minnesota and Utah have broken our hearts and proven that we cannot afford to fail. It is imperative that we make the necessary investments in our shared infrastructure.
From Kucinich:
I am the only candidate with a plan that will improve the infrastructure and put 2 million Americans back to work at a living wage in such enterprises as rebuilding schools, designing roads, refurbishing environmental projects, and manufacturing steel for water systems. We will also increase the quality of life, by making highways safer, water cleaner, and schools more conducive to learning. Infrastructure problems threaten our productivity, our economy, our environment, and our health. Under the Kucinich plan State and local governments would continue to issue bonds to finance infrastructure projects, the federal government would be authorized to buy those bonds. States would have to repay the principal, but unlike normal municipal borrowing, these bonds would pay zero interest. So, the cost of borrowing for infrastructure improvement would be reduced by half. The federal government would hold these bonds in the Federal Bank for Infrastructure Modernization (FBIM). The bank, as an extension of the Federal Financing Bank under the Treasury, would administer the loans. The loans would bear a small fee of one-quarter of one percent of the loan principal to cover the administrative costs of the FBIM. In order to provide the money for the loans, the FBIM would hold a portion of the Treasury securities that the Federal Reserve normally holds. Transferring about $50 billion annually to the FBIM would still allow the Fed to operate as it does now to add liquidity to the system. The Fed, instead of buying securities, would buy the mortgage loans of the states. The FBIM's finances would be integrated by the Federal Open Market Committee so as not to disrupt its ability to promote economic stability.
I'm in Palo Alto right now at a non-BH thingamajig. I may be unavailable for much of the day -- if any issues arise with the Policy Straw Poll, email me, but you may want to cc: Laura and Dean just in case.
Oh, and I have to say, these are withut a doubt some of the best answers yet. Thanks to all that participated.
Poll
Which of these answers did you find most compelling?
