Tag: politics: Page 8

Business

White House, transportation leaders push Congress to find a long-term highway funding solution sooner rather than later

The White House, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and several industry associations are urging Congress to find a highway funding solution before the primary source of money, the Highway Trust Fund (HTF), becomes insolvent. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) projects that insolvency to occur by the end of August. White House press secretary Josh Earnest […]

July 9, 2014

Business

If you don’t know how to build a house, how can you build a country?

Last week the New York Times ran a story lamenting the loss of quality and craftsmanship in houses built today. The author also linked that questionable observation (with cringe-worthy logic) to the declining quality of our infrastructure. It’s not a new complaint. But the ignorance of the writer and the editors on what constitutes a […]

July 2, 2014

Business

Senate committee approves bill to bypass Obama, clear the way for Keystone XL pipeline construction

A bill that would temporarily bypass President Barack Obama and approve construction of the controversial Keystone XL pipeline passed a U.S. Senate committee Wednesday receiving bipartisan support. The Energy and Natural Resources committee voted 12-10 Wednesday to approve the bill. All Republicans in the committee supported the bill and were joined by Democrats Joe Manchin of […]

June 19, 2014

Business

What World Cup host Brazil can teach the U.S. about ignoring infrastructure needs

In the search for morality tales about the consequences of inadequate investment in infrastructure, it would be hard to top the quagmire of Sao Paulo, Brazil’s largest city. In a recent article for the BBC, journalist Katia Moskvitch noted that the city’s traffic management agency described a rush hour traffic jam last May as a […]

June 16, 2014

Business

Obama signs water projects reauthorization bill into law

President Barack Obama signed the $12.3 billion Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA) into law on Tuesday, marking the first water projects reauthorization in seven years. The House and Senate both passed the bill last month. Known as the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA), the bill authorizes funding for water infrastructure projects. It […]

June 11, 2014

Business

Can cutting Postal Service spending save highway construction funding? House GOP moves forward with controversial plan

House Republican leaders are moving forward with a plan to fund the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) with savings from cutting certain U.S. Postal Service programs. House GOP leaders released a memo on Friday outlining the plan, which includes changes such as ceasing Saturday operations, which Republicans say will save $10.7 billion over a decade, Politico reports. A […]

June 4, 2014

Business

42,000 construction jobs lost for a lie: Billionaire green activist flashes cash, democrats put off Keystone decision until 2016

Funny how good people with good intentions wind up doing bad things when they enlist politicians to their cause. In February, the New York Times featured a profile of billionaire Tom Steyer’s bid to raise $100 million to defeat the Keystone pipeline project and promote the democratic party’s green agenda. After endless backpedaling, the State […]

May 23, 2014

Home

Senate follows House, OKs $12.3 billion water infrastructure bill

The Senate on Thursday passed a $12.3 billion water infrastructure bill, The Hill reports. The bill, known as the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA), authorizes funding for water infrastructure projects. The House voted to pass the measure earlier this week. It has been in the works since late 2013. The bill cuts $18 billion in […]

May 23, 2014

Home

House passes $12.3 billion water infrastructure projects bill

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a $12.3 billion water infrastructure reauthorization bill on Tuesday, The Hill reports. The conference version of the bill, dubbed the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA) of 2014, would authorize funding for waterway projects, including construction and maintenance. If the Senate passes the bill, it will be the first water […]

May 21, 2014

Business

President Obama, VP Biden treat 4 construction workers to burgers and fries

The President and Vice President took their lunch outside the White House on Friday and treated four construction workers to burgers and fries as part of the Obama administration’s push to increase highway construction funding. President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden ate at a Shake Shack restaurant a few blocks away from the […]

May 21, 2014

Business

Global warming: There is no solution…as long as we look to Washington to provide it

There was panic all around this week with reports of ice sheets breaking up in Antarctica and usually dependable journalists like Robert Sameulson declaring that there is no solution to global warming. No solution? Nonsense. Of course there’s a solution. What’s holding everything back is that most of the media and nearly all of our […]

May 16, 2014

Business

Earth Day is dead: the EPA’s fall from a scientific organization to a manipulable political tool

I don’t see why people feel compelled to celebrate Earth Day—which was yesterday if you were fortunate enough to avoid the phony phenomena of a day of brainless, bumper-sticker sentiments. For one, Earth Day isn’t real news. It’s what Daniel Boorstin years ago called a manufactured news event. They wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for […]

April 23, 2014