We Don’t Need An Infrastructure Week. We Need An Infrastructure Term.
Month after month, year after year, Americans waited to hear the promised infrastructure plans of the Trump administration.
“It’s a great plan. So many jobs will be created. Best plan in history. We’ll be looking at it soon. You’ll love it.”
This is what we heard over and over and over, so much that it became a running joke in the waning days of the outgoing administration. “With 5 days left in the Trump presidency, perhaps we’ll finally get that infrastructure plan,” was quipped by more than a few political pundits and late night hosts.
The real problems that America faces with the state of its infrastructure is no laughing matter, however.
We need look no further than the recent power outages throughout the country after a severe cold snap caused power lines and equipment to fail. While Texas’ power grid is separate and privatized, other regions outside of the state still experienced outages in the public energy grid due to lack of winterizing.
Weather is not the only concern for America’s power grids, with the threat of an electromagnetic pulse disabling the high voltage transformers necessary for long-distance power becoming a real possibility. Detonation of a nuclear device over America by an enemy force would release an EMP wave that would cripple unshielded energy components. Given that these components have not been retrofitted with EMP shielding, a few well-placed detonations would essentially wipe out the entire nation’s power capabilities and leave it vulnerable.
Energy is not the only area that America is failing in ensuring its infrastructure is up to the task.
On August 1, 2007 the I-35W Mississippi River bridge in Minnesota collapsed, claiming the lives of 13 people. A bridge at Florida International University collapsed on March 15, 2018, killing six. The I-35W bridge had been deemed “structurally deficient” by federal inspectors in 1990 and the Florida Department of Transportation was repeatedly warned that the FIU bridge was extremely cracked and on the verge of collapse.
The simple fact is that infrastructure in America has been long ignored, with deeply concerning issues continuously kicked down the road for the next administration to handle. Not since the days of FDR and Eisenhower have we had the federal government devote a large amount resources to infrastructure projects that had tangible effects on the lives of a significant number of Americans.
President Joe Biden is looking to buck that trend with his $2 trillion infrastructure plan focused heavily on green energy, with plans to create more than 10 million new jobs and provide Americans with renewable, clean sources of energy. There is obviously nuance and fine print that goes along with proposals like this one, but it seems to be a step in the right direction.
That’s all it is though, a step. One small step that needs to lead to another and then another. While President Biden’s initial plan tackles energy, other critical infrastructure sectors are in dire need of addressing like transportation, communications, agriculture, and more. If reports are true that Biden’s intent is to leave a legacy like FDR, then the continual rollout of public works programs focusing on the much maligned infrastructure of the nation will be important for cementing his place in history.
With more vaccines becoming available to combat the Covid-19 pandemic and the nation on the verge of opening back up and getting back to business, it’s more important now than ever to ensure that people who have been affected negatively by lockdowns and layoffs are given job opportunities to return to. Infrastructure jobs are just the kind that many would easily be able to transition into.
According to Brookings, there were over 17.2 million jobs in the largest 15 infrastructure positions in 2019. Of those that held jobs in infrastructure, over 53% only had a high school diploma or less while making on average between $3–4 an hour more than other occupations. Infrastructure provides millions of well-paying jobs for Americans who don’t necessarily need a college degree.
Over 10 million people are currently unemployed according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with an overall unemployment rate of 6.2%. Those without a high school diploma and with only a high school diploma are unemployed at even higher rates, 10.1% and 7.2% respectively. They would be the ones who would most immediately benefit from a wave of infrastructure jobs becoming available.
While there have been initial struggles to get some legislation going by the Biden administration, see the Covid relief plan, giving people a job rather than a “handout” is popular with just about everyone. Bringing less educated Americans into the workforce en masse would help revitalize the middle class and bring financial security to millions of Americans while making the country safer.
President Biden needs to keep his foot on the throttle and roll out a series of public works programs that put Americans to work. While many conservatives will groan about rampant government spending, their constituents will be able to make a good wage while pumping tax money back into the federal coffers.
The worst thing the Biden administration could do is be complacent with their small victories and ride off into the sunset on poorly maintained roads.
