Infrastructure in the News: January 28, 2010

Washington Post had an article about Obama's view on energy from his State of the Union speech and according to Bloomberg California, Florida and Midwest will receive U.S. economic stimulus package to help build high-speed rail. Read more about those and other stories in this Infrastructure in the News.

National News

Washington Post: Obama on energy: America must build "the infrastructure of tomorrow"
...Next, we can put Americans to work today building the infrastructure of tomorrow. From the first railroads to the interstate highway system, our nation has always been built to compete. There's no reason Europe or China should have the fastest trains, or the new factories that manufacture clean energy products.

Bloomberg: California, Florida, Midwest Get U.S. High-Speed Rail Money
California will get $2.3 billion and Florida $1.3 billion to help build high-speed passenger-train service, the biggest winners among 31 states sharing $8 billion in rail grants from the U.S. economic stimulus package.

Lloyd's:  Ageing infrastructure - condition critical
Underinvestment in infrastructure is one the most highly interconnected risks on the World Economic Forum’s Risks Interconnection Map. The strongest links are to financial crises, oil prices and natural catastrophes but it also links to health issues, including both infectious and chronic diseases as well as to food price volatility. Amongst other links, the map highlights that...

State News

Journal Sentinel: Doyle puts priority on jobs, transit
Gov. Jim Doyle pledged Tuesday to focus on jobs in his last months of office and warned of pending budget cuts...Doyle also promoted a plan he rolled out last week to create a Milwaukee County regional transit authority that could impose a sales tax of up to half a cent to fund buses.

Northside Sun: Water Woes
RESIDENTS AND city leaders in Jackson aren’t the only ones that have had to face the brunt of mother nature and the realities of aging, worn out water systems.  The severe cold snap that resulted in days of below-freezing temperatures and 156 water main breaks in the capital city in January also took its toll on the water infrastructure in Shreveport, La.