Tag: politics: Page 11

Business

Nonresidential construction index indicates gradual improvement, notes concerns with sequester, labor shortage

The FMI Nonresidential Construction Index has reached the highest mark since its inception in the first quarter of 2009. Released this week, the second quarter 2013 edition of the NRCI reached 60.1. FMI, a management consultant and investment banking provider, surveys a group of panelists each quarter to measure the health of the nonresidential construction […]

May 30, 2013

Business

U.S. infrastructure spending has plummeted in last 5 years

According to a report from our sister site Better Roads, infrastructure spending in the U.S. has plummeted in the last five years. Citing data that began in 2002, Better Roads reports that highway and road construction spending began a major decline in 2009. It should come to no surprise that the culprit is the country’s […]

May 30, 2013

Business

Funding isn’t there to rebuild partially-collapsed I-5 bridge in Washington

Despite the increased attention it has given to the problem, the aftermath of a partial collapse of a bridge on Interstate 5 spanning the Skagit River in Washington state also underscores the dearth of solutions the U.S. has for its aging infrastructure and lack of funding. Last Thursday, a section of the 58-year-old bridge collapsed after […]

May 28, 2013

Business

Obama slashes review and approval times for infrastructure projects

As he said he would do shortly after his infrastructure-heavy State of the Union address, President Barack Obama has signed a Presidential Memorandum with the goal of decreasing the review and approval times for major infrastructure projects, according to our sister site Better Roads. Titled “Modernizing Federal Infrastructure Review and Permitting Regulations, Policies, and Procedures,” […]

May 24, 2013

Business

Immigration bill gains Senate committee’s approval, retains limit on construction visas but increases H-1B visas for highly skilled workers

With a 13-5 vote Tuesday night, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved an immigration bill that would give 11.5 million immigrants living in the United States illegally a chance at citizenship, the Associated Press reported. The bill retains the new guest worker program, called the “W-Visa,” that would make a maximum of 200,000 visas available each year. […]

May 23, 2013

Business

AED and 17 construction industry groups call for House to support approval of Keystone XL pipeline

In a letter addressed to Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California, the Associated Equipment Distributers and 17 other construction industry associations and unions called for the House of Representatives to approve a bill that would negate the need for President Barack Obama to sign off on the […]

May 22, 2013

Business

A history of American infrastructure funding and how to go about establishing new financing tools

Just about anyone with knowledge on the subject of infrastructure and transportation funding in the U.S. that you talk to will tell you that big changes need to be made in order to remain competitive with the rest of the world. The truth is, our infrastructure is falling apart. The former Transportation Secretary has said […]

May 15, 2013

Business

Obama taps Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx as Transportation Secretary

According to a report from our sister site Better Roads, President Barack Obama has tapped Charlotte, North Carolina Mayor Anthony Foxx as the next Transportation Secretary. Should the Senate approve of the nomination, Foxx will replace Ray LaHood, who decided to step down from his position near the end of January. LaHood decided to stay […]

April 30, 2013

Business

Two-thirds of Americans likely to say “no” to gas tax as transportation funding

According to a report from our sister site Better Roads citing a recent Gallup poll, two-thirds of Americans would oppose a 20-cent-per-gallon gas tax that would provide funding for transportation and infrastructure repairs. The poll was conducted April 9-10 shortly after Maryland passed its first gas tax increase in 20 years. The tax’s 13- to […]

April 24, 2013

Business

Construction, other industries speak out against guest worker deal

Just when it looked like the final hurdle to immigration reform had been cleared, dozens of business groups, including half a dozen representing construction professionals, have called into question a new guest worker program agreed to by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the AFL-CIO. As we recently reported, the new guest worker program, called […]

April 12, 2013

Equipment

Obama budget slashes funding for DERA’s emissions reduction program

Let’s see…Solyndra gets $535 million in government cheese, goes belly up without ever producing a single product or service.  Al Gore-connected Fiskars gets half a billion government  dollars to build $97,000 electric cars in Finland, only 40 of which are being produced. Only movie stars can afford these, and even the New York Times says […]

April 12, 2013

Business

Obama’s 2014 budget includes $50B for infrastructure, “full support” for MAP-21

President Barack Obama has submitted his 2014 Fiscal Year Budget to Congress and a great deal of money has been set aside for construction projects. According to a report from our sister site Better Roads, Obama’s $3.8 trillion budget includes $50 billion for infrastructure repairs. Of that amount, $40 billion will go directly to Obama’s […]

April 12, 2013