Political Quotes

“I rise to speak also on the Rebuild America Jobs Act. Our Nation's infrastructure is in a state of disrepair. We see it in the potholes in our streets, in the congested highways of public transit that lack the capacity to safely and efficiently get Americans where they need to go. The American Society of Civil Engineers gives our Nation's infrastructure a D grade. One in four bridges in the United States is structurally deficient. Our deteriorating infrastructure has negative impacts on commerce and our economy. We no longer have an infrastructure system that is the envy of the world. When you invest in public infrastructure, you have two results: You create immediate construction jobs and you lay the foundation, the groundwork, to improve communities and facilitate commerce. That was certainly my experience when I was mayor of Anchorage. I became mayor in 2003 at a time of economic slowdown--not quite as bad as the national recession we face today, but we inherited huge budget deficits and a dramatic slowdown in our economy. Our answer to turn Anchorage around was to invest in our basic system of roads and water and sewer and power--basic infrastructure. One of the best examples of the public infrastructure investment was a small community in the northern part of Anchorage called Mountain View. We knew there was great potential for economic turnaround in this community. We knew it because the community was interested.…”