From the White House Press Office:**MEDIA ADVISORY**Vice President Joe Biden to Discuss Need for Investment in Transportation Infrastructure to Build a 21st Century EconomyWashington, DC – Vice President Joe Biden, along with Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD) and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, will discuss the need to invest in transportation infrastructure in order to build a 21st century economy on THURSDAY at 10 AM EDT at the Laurel, Maryland MARC Train Station.The American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan which the Senate is debating this week is a nationwide effort to create jobs, jumpstart growth and transform our economy. It also includes the largest investment increase in our nation’s mass transit systems, roads, and bridges since the creation of the national highway system over 50 years ago.
This is the first administration event I've seen focusing on a specific piece of the bill. It must be very important to them to "invest in transportation infrastructure in order to build a 21st century economy."But then...why does transit get barely a third what highways are being offered? Why isn't there direct money to ease pressure on the 50 mass transit agencies cutting services and raising prices? Why did the Senate just insert an $11.5 billion tax break for car purchases? Why does the breakdown of transportation spending look like the graph on the right? Why aren't these programs being funded? If this is so important -- and it is -- then why aren't we emphasizing it? Historic investments in a 21st century transportation infrastructure don't mean much if you're making even more historic investments in your 20th century transportation infrastructure. The two, on some level, are in competition with one another, and spending more on the roads means disadvantaging the rails.
