Jobs will be Lost, Prices will Rise

The American Society of Civil Engineers have released another report on the American Infrastructure needs. To often ignored or pushed down the road and lately held hostage by those who ran on 'jobs' 'jobs' 'jobs' and are doing so once again, yet have obstructed job growth, from the top down to the states especially with rove special interest groups ads running on jobs and the economy with no mention of who's policies caused the collapse.

As I worked in construction, carpenter by trade but multi tradesman, the construction total collapse happened while the bush was still in office and started down long before the residential mortgage fiasco which just plain caused more damage across the whole industry, commercial construction was already having huge problems.

Report: Lack of spending on infrastructure will cost jobs, raise prices

October 15, 2012 - A new report by the American Society of Civil Engineers concludes that unless U.S. infrastructure improvements are made, transporting goods will cost more, prices will increase, and the country will become less competitive globally. The report adds that as a result, employment, personal income and the GDP will fall, reports The Savannah Morning News.

Aging infrastructure at marine ports, inland waterways and airports is a threat to more than 1 million American jobs, the organization says. read more>>>

The above is just a shorter version about one published in the Savannah Morning News.

October 14, 2012 - Aging infrastructure at marine ports, inland waterways and airports threatens more than 1 million U.S. jobs, according to a new report from the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Between now and 2020, investment needs in the nation’s marine ports and inland waterways sector total $30 billion, while planned expenditures are about $14 billion, leaving a total investment gap of nearly $16 billion. Similarly, the investment need at U.S. airports totals close to $114 billion, with anticipated spending of $95 billion by 2020.

The report concludes that unless America’s infrastructure investment gaps are filled, transporting goods will become costlier, prices will rise and the United States will become less competitive in the global market. As a result, employment, personal income and GDP will all fall. read more>>>

Which gives the link to the new reprt Failure to Act Economic Studies.

ASCE has launched a new series of economic reports that take a closer look at the economic opportunity that is linked to infrastructure investment. These Failure to Act studies clearly show the economic consequences if we fail to act, and the economic gains that could be made by 2020 and 2040 to GDP, personal income, and jobs if we choose as a country to invest in our communities.

The first two Failure to Act studies on surface transportation and water and wastewater were released in 2012, and the third report on electricity infrastructure was released in early 2012. Our latest report focuses on airports, inland waterways, and marine ports, and the critical role they play in international commerce and our nation’s economy. Additionally, an overall Failure to Act summary report that looks at infrastructure overall will be released this winter. rest with report links here>>>

Just one of the ASCE graphics from one report

We're already adding to the problems, Mother Nature, as the Mississippi river barges have been caught in standstills due to the low levels from the long lasting drought that continues. If ya can't ship on the waier ways, especially rivers like the Mississippi, you need to take what the barges carried overland with many trucks thus adding to the problems or potential for on the roads and bridges, costs will rise to repair faster deterioration as well as costs to consumers for that mode of transportation already.

Are those running for political office, like Romney who made some $20 million on investments last year, not a stitch of actual work perfrormed and says it's OK to pay less then half in taxes than those who actually do the mental and physical trade work to maintain, replace or build new. He says something about that's a good thing to build the economy, "encourage economic growth" by his hoarding his riches in tax sheltered offshore accounts, has anyone seen any rapid building especially the past decade under his reagan capitalism thinking. How about the Koch brothers, and all the rest, who need the infrastructure for their varied stable of businesses as well as their investments.

We could have already been out of this stagnation and with lower unemployment rates, these jobs would have created many many more for each one in many area's of the economy, long ago. And without the almost total obstruction, not only in the Congress but in many State Legislatures, no jobs policies except more tax cuts, false voter fraud claims, going after public workers, going after women and on and on, along with the states investing more of the recovery funds into infrastructure needs, instead of pushing those once again down the road, states wouldn't be still in tight fiscal problems.

The Senate GOP recently blocked the veterans jobs bill, 'jobs' 'jobs' 'jobs', that would have placed this new generation of war veterans, and those not sent into these theaters, into service for their communities as policemen, firefighters and first responders. They could have also easily been hired to work on the much needed infrastructure projects, more then roads and bridges, as construction is much like the military, you do projects as a team, and they've already developed further their needs in critical thought so it would be easier to train any who never worked in the construction trades. They would pick up what the needs are, working with experienced trades persons, and like the military watching each others backs on the safety needs in what can often be a dangerous industry.