Last year during the 2006 US Conference of Mayors in Las Vegas, NV, I introduced a resolution requesting an increased Federal role in the assessment, development, and financing of critical national infrastructure (Resolution PDF). After contemplating our nation’s financial priorities and juxtaposing that with a comprehensive report card for America’s infrastructure developed by the American Society of Civil Engineers (www.asce.org), I was determined to bring this issue to the table for Mayors from all across the country to consider. Not only was the average grade a “D,” or poor, for all the nation’s infrastructure including aviation, bridges, dams, drinking water, energy, hazardous waste, navigable waterways, public parks and recreation, rail, roads, schools, security, solid waste, transit and wastewater (click here for Arkansas summary report), but the estimates for maintaining that “D” average (not improving, just maintaining) exceed existing revenue streams at all levels of government. Moreover, the Federal government continues to hand down mandates related to maintaining and expanding infrastructure but fail to provide the funding necessary to successfully respond to those mandates. This is creating a squeeze on local government budgets, and we’ve been feeling that squeeze for some time in Fayetteville.
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