Subject: An e-Christmas Greeting for you!
Reply: Seriously?
My computer keeps accepting those e-mail holiday cards. I guess they are an extension of this whole social networking blitz, where we say hello from our laptops. I understand the recession has hit people in unexpected places, sometimes where it counts, but I can’t help but think a winter wonderland scene made to stuff my inbox instead of my stocking is a little flaky when it comes to sincerity. Clicking a key to unload these mass mailings seems to do that.
The Obama administration and Congress are treating highway and bridge funding much the same way. It appears both want to spread some industry cheer heading into 2010 with a sled full of funding, but because money is hard to come by, the delivery is just static and cold.
Happy Holidays from Barack Obama!
Our president made the first attempt to break out the holiday cheer during a jobs summit at the White House in early December. There, he told industry leaders that the infrastructure sector was due for a major upgrade, and took it a step further a week later when he announced a plan that would pull unused money from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). Wait, didn’t he wrap a ribbon around the same promise last year. Wouldn’t this qualify as a re-gift? Obama’s touch turned a little slimy when he told those same leaders he could not order any more government spending, then turned around and informed economists that we must continue to spend our way out of this recession.
Season’s Greetings from Congress!
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Jim Oberstar (D-Minn.) offered warm tidings when he rustled up legislation that would offer the road and bridge market more than $22 billion in additional money for 2010, and the House of Representatives followed by passing a $155 billion jobs bill that includes $27.5 billion for pavement and piers. Hmm, not a bad addition to put under the tree, but the Senate was too busy doing its shopping in the health-care aisle and at press time was not setting any timetable for a similar package. And wasn’t it Oberstar who threatened to drop coal on anything that was not a six-year highway bill? Is the Minnesota madman shortening his list of demands, instead of checking it twice?
While some in the industry took these holiday wishes with a thank-you, I found myself wanting to hit the delete button with a Scrooge-like grumble. While I believe it is nice to have record-setting money flowing through our system over the next year, I can’t help but think they are just dressing up their much-wanted 18-month extension of SAFETEA-LU in a Santa Claus suit.
This will take us through the year, and then what? That’s right, at about the mid-2011 mark we just may have what we all really wanted this year—a six-year highway bill.
In the meantime, contractors are going to continue to choke payroll and stretch the limits for their fleets; manufacturers will still be holding their breath for the next order to come in; and state DOTs (like New Jersey and Illinois) will continue on their merry way to credit oblivion. Sure, workers will be able to grab that hammer and join the employment line thanks to the temporary burst in funding, but that same group will be holding nothing but pink slips when they return to the unemployment line in a few months.
Not too long ago those in road and bridge construction were asked to call their local representative and senator and urge the passing of the next SAFETEA-LU. Thousands participated; zero actually got the message. Not too long ago I also had hope that peace and harmony would again reign on our embattled jobsites. I wanted something much bigger heading into Christmas, but all I got were a few empty words.
