Bloomberg, Rendell Announce Expansion of Coalition to Include State Legislative Leaders

On First of Two-Day Infrastructure Tour, Co-Chairs Encourage NCSL Members to Join "Building America's Future" 

Co-Chairs Propose Presidential Town Hall Meeting on Infrastructure

NEW ORLEANS – New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg and Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell, co-chairs of the Building America’s Future Coalition, today announced the expansion of the coalition that’s building support for the federal government to play a larger role in the funding of America’s infrastructure. The coalition’s newest members include individual state legislators from around the country. The co-chairs also proposed a town hall meeting on infrastructure and invited both major parties’ presidential candidates to participate.

In two addresses before the 2008 Legislative Summit of the National Conference of State Legislatures, or NCSL, Bloomberg and Rendell encouraged members to join Building America’s Future in building support for greater federal investment in the nation’s infrastructure. The two are kicking off a two-day trip to promote infrastructure investment at the NCSL conference. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, the coalition’s third co-chair, was in Sacramento due to ongoing budget negotiations and will participate in the second day of the tour.

“In the past 20 years, state and local governments across the country have been picking up more of the tab to build, maintain and expand the facilities and infrastructure on which people rely,” Rendell told participants. “If America is to continue competing in the global economic marketplace, we need an efficient and sound infrastructure; we need the commitment of greater federal resources to help counties and states meet these pressing needs.”

“Not only do we need to increase the federal government’s investment in infrastructure, we need to make sure that we, as a nation, are making smarter investments. We need transparency and accountability to give the public confidence that their investments are being spent wisely,” said Mayor Bloomberg.

Upon arriving in New Orleans, Bloomberg and Rendell attended a meeting of NCSL’s transportation committee, which is chaired by New Mexico Rep. Dan Silva. The co-chairs spoke with dozens of legislators about the challenges they faced in funding critical infrastructure projects in their states and innovative solutions to address these challenges.

Following the transportation committee meeting, Bloomberg and Rendell welcomed a number of legislators who joined Building America’s Future at a press conference at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. They also proposed, given the importance of the issue and the growing level of support for federal leadership, a town hall meeting on infrastructure and invited both major parties’ presidential nominees to participate.

“By standing with us today, these men and women are telling the next President and the next Congress that infrastructure investment is key to our economic recovery; key to the sustainability of our planet; and key to the quality of life and the safety of our citizens,” said Bloomberg. “We could not be prouder than to have their support as we prepare to take our case to Washington in the coming months and years.” 

“Without adequate infrastructure to quickly and safely move goods and people, our economy and traffic will stop dead in its tracks,” Rendell said. “We will have a much tougher job competing in the world markets.” 

“I appreciate the great leaders who have joined Mayor Bloomberg, Governor Rendell and myself in this most vital cause,” said Schwarzenegger. “Americans are working hard to compete in the global economy, but our nation’s infrastructure is woefully out of date. We need a strong federal commitment to tackle this problem – and its time for the federal government to step up and take action. Investing in our nation’s infrastructure will create jobs, stimulate the economy and prepare communities across the nation for the future.”

In an address to the entire membership of the NCSL, Bloomberg and Rendell unveiled a Statement of Principles that will guide Building America’s Future as it makes the case for increased federal investment in infrastructure.

The co-chairs encouraged state and locally elected officials who support these principles to join Building America’s Future by registering online at www.InvestInInfrastructure.org. 

Building America’s Future’s co-chairs have already spoken to the memberships of the National Governors Association, the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the National Association of County Officials. They plan to speak to other annual gatherings of national governmental organizations in the coming months to build a coalition of state and local government leaders who agree that the federal government needs to play a more vigorous role.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Building America’s Future statement of principles is attached.Building America’s Future is dedicated to bringing about a new era of U.S. investment in the infrastructure that enhances our nation’s prosperity and quality of life. We invite elected officials throughout the country who share our principles to join our efforts.

STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES

Whereas: the United States will not remain economically competitive with nations that are investing heavily in infrastructure unless we maintain and improve our infrastructure; 

Whereas: the federal government’s share of public investment in transportation, water, and other types of infrastructure has declined to the point where state and local governments account for three out of every four public dollars being spent on infrastructure in the United States;

Whereas: the United States has, in the past, recognized that infrastructure investment is a key stimulus for short-term economic growth and job creation that also yields long-term benefits;

Whereas: the United States cannot achieve energy independence, environmental sustainability, or greenhouse gas reductions without making fundamental changes to federal infrastructure policy to address those goals;

Whereas: as state and local leaders, we witness first-hand how important infrastructure is to the safety, security and quality of life of our citizens and communities; 

Now, therefore, Building America’s Future resolves to advocate for federal infrastructure investment guided by the following principles:

· Vision: The federal government needs to advance a new national vision for infrastructure policy that focuses on economic growth and global competitiveness, creation of economic opportunity for all Americans, and environmental

sustainability.

· Funding: The federal government must provide significantly greater resources to ensure that the nation’s infrastructure needs can be met without placing undue burdens on states and localities or on future generations of Americans.

· Merit and Accountability: U.S. infrastructure investment should be based on merit and accountability at all levels of government. The federal government should fund programs and projects that advance national priorities, and states and localities should be held accountable for ensuring that projects are completed on time, on budget, and meet rigorous performance standards.

· Streamlining and Innovation: The federal government should streamline bureaucratic processes and allow greater flexibility to enable states and localities to use federal infrastructure funds quickly, efficiently and effectively, and to leverage innovative approaches to financing infrastructure investments, consistent with the national vision.

· Urgency: The new Administration should make developing a new national infrastructure policy a top priority and immediately call on Congress and the federal agencies to implement this policy.