'Inspector America' and the highway bill
April 28, 2011 By: Pit & Quarry StaffThe History Channel has a new show called “Inspector America,” and maybe it will help the American people see that our nation’s infrastructure is aging and in need of repair. Most of us don’t need a TV show to educate us on the subject. I only have to look at the water main that breaks once a year on my street, the storm sewers that can’t handle heavy downpours or the potholes that swallow my car. But, for some reason, politicians at the local, state and federal levels have been reluctant to spend the money necessary to repair the nation’s backbone.
Infrastructure safety inspector Timothy Galarnyk is the host of “Inspector America,” and he showcases the decay that could lead to disasters on highways, bridges and other structures. With the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA) and other groups working with politicians to secure a new multi-year highway bill by year’s end, the timing of the show is good.
There has been some indication that a new highway bill could happen this year. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood made a special appearance at ConExpo-Con/Agg, where he said he expects to sign a new highway bill by August. Ron DeFeo, chairman and CEO of Terex Corp., also said at ConExpo that he expects a new highway bill this year. However, DeFeo said he expects the new bill to be at the same funding level as the previous multi-year bill – SAFETEA-LU.
House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s (R-Wis.) FY 2012 budget plan calls for significant reductions in transportation spending. NSSGA says the total budget authority for all federal transportation pro- grams would shrink by 31 percent from current levels under Ryan’s plan, from a total of $93 billion in FY 2011 to a total of $64 billion in FY 2012.
In the most-recent news about a highway bill, Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., said a three-year surface transportation reauthorization might be preferable to a six- year bill. That same idea was proposed off-the-record by the CEO of a large equipment manufacturer who said perhaps a short-term bill would be better, giving the economy time to improve before consideration of a longer-term bill.
In other words, do we want to be locked in for six years if the funding levels are low? – Darren Constantino
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