Spotlight Vol. 7, No. 8: Sentiments Clear at the Regional Assembly: Nation Needs a Path to Sustainability

To maintain and upgrade our nation's infrastructure will require a far greater financial commitment than our government has been willing to contribute in recent years. In fact, in our nation's history, we have never spent as little as we do today on our infrastructure - be it roads, bridges, rail, aviation, ports, water, sewer, pipelines, power lines or broadband. As a percentage of GDP, India outspends us 7-to-1, and China 15-to-1. Even the European Union outspends us 6-to-1. If this trend continues, how can we expect to compete with these super-powers in the future? 

The need to invest in our vital systems and protect our natural resources was the theme of RPA's 18th Annual Regional Assembly at the Waldorf=Astoria last Friday. More than 700 participants were treated to an inspiring program that included US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Member of Congress Earl Blumenauer, Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, President of the Rockefeller Foundation and Chair of the Regional Assembly Judith Rodin, and many others. A surprise appearance by Governor David Paterson was a welcome way to close the event. 

The Assembly's record high turnout may be a testament to the growing sense that Oil & Water - standing as symbols of the resources we need to drive a strong regional economy, and the symbols of resources that are becoming scarce - are pressing issues that need to be addressed. 

On the water side, Shirley Franklin described Atlanta's ongoing fight for clean drinking water. For years, the city has struggled with depleted water reservoirs and an aging water and sewer system. Dubbing herself the "Sewer Mayor," Franklin has made water her signature issue, campaigning at the federal level for a more stringent enforcement of the Clean Water Act, and at the local level for a better educated citizenry in all matters water. Under her leadership, and thanks to a federal injunction to enforce the Clean Water Act, voters agreed to tax themselves to fund a $3.2 billion overhaul of the city's water and sewer infrastructure. 

On the oil side, Earl Blumenauer and Judith Rodin described a national transportation policy addicted to fossil fuels. Despite the fact that one-third of the carbon emissions produced in the United States comes from our transportation system, and despite the fact that 90% of the oil we import goes to transportation, we continue to dedicate 80% of all transportation infrastructure spending to roads and highways. A heavier reliance on local transit systems and improved intercity rail would lessen our carbon footprint, reduce our reliance on foreign oil, increase our mobility and improve the reliability of our transportation system, but rail continues to be significantly underfunded at the national level. 

Yet, as Blumenauer pointed out, additional funding is not enough. Investing in the nation's infrastructure will also require coordinating our expenditures and targeting them to make them as effective as possible. Today, for example, our national transportation dollars are allocated among states based on vehicle-miles driven, thus rewarding the states that drive the most. As Blumenauer put it, "A state gets no credit for a drive not taken." An effective national transportation system will require a rethinking of how transportation funding is allocated. 

Rebuilding America's vital facilities will also require that policy areas traditionally separate now be coordinated. Rodin pointed out, for example, that unless our land use patterns change - today, the number of miles Americans drive increases 2.5 times faster than population growth - the federal government's requirement that cars achieve 35 miles a gallon will simply be negated, in terms of carbon emissions, by the increased number of miles we drive. Federal efforts on transportation must be coordinated with state and local land-use plans to ensure that all levels of government are working toward the same goal. 

As she came on stage for her keynote speech, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi - "the most powerful woman in the world," as Blumenauer remarked - received a standing ovation. Pelosi called for a national campaign to Renew and Rebuild America saying, "In Congress, it is our responsibility to protect the American people, grow our economy and create good paying jobs, strengthen America's families, and preserve our planet and promote energy independence. All of these can be accomplished through rebuilding our infrastructure ... Why isn't this Congress' Stimulus Package?"

Pelosi warned, however, that public education needed to be a critical component of an increased commitment to infrastructure, because few Americans today understand the need or the urgency. Even just a few hours after the Minnesota bridge collapse, a poll revealed that Americans did not support a five-cent increase in taxes on gasoline to improve infrastructure. "Unless we have the drumbeat for change, we can't make the change we want."

Advocates of all stripes should be beating this drum. Better bridges, rails, public transit, schools, sewers and power systems means faster economic growth, greater energy independence, a healthier environment, more jobs, a more equitable society, increased community stability and, ultimately, a better quality of life. Rebuilding America may be one of the biggest issues this nation has faced, but if advocates for jobs, national security, clean air and water, environmental justice and healthy neighborhoods join forces, we can make the change.