Investing in infrastructure creates jobs and aids economy

There’s a simpleway to create jobs and get our much-improved economy to shift into high gear.

Whatwould help the economy here in Florida and throughout America? Not throwing public resources at private industry to get them to hop from state to state. Not shutting downgovernment or government spending. Not privatizing all government functions or subsidizing private industry.

Whatwould help is using tax dollars wisely by prioritizing spending on building and maintaining our infrastructure. Government leaders have turned to infrastructure projects many times to give the economy a needed boost or to put people towork. Now there’s another reason— our infrastructure is old, outdated and, in some cases, unsafe.

While unemployment is low— 4.9 percent nationally and in Florida— underemployment is high andwage growth is stagnant.

Instead of government picking winners and losers— through subsidies, incentives, corporatewelfare, sweetheart deals and no-bid contracts— why not create opportunity through major infrastructure projects and let local small businesses compete for various portions of the job? Newbusinesses would form and existing businesses could growwhen opportunities are open to everyone.

Unfortunately, political partisanship has prevented investment in infrastructure to the degree President Obama has been pushing. It’s disappointing— improving our infrastructure has typically been a bipartisan effort.

Can you imagine life without an Interstate highway system? We can thank President Dwight Eisenhower, who recognized the roadswould be necessary for commerce and travel— aswell as national defense, by providing routes formoving military supplies and deploying troops.

With a vision of landing a man on the moon, President JohnKennedy announced a $7 billion expansion of the space programin 1961.

Whether through necessity or a forward vision, our infrastructure projects have defined us as a nation.

Isn’t this part of the discourse of the current presidential campaign in both parties?

For DonaldTrump, his “Make America GreatAgain”— while primarily disparaging current leadership— speaks to our crumbling infrastructure. Trump has frequently mentioned the embarrassing state of disrepair of some of our major airports, comparing them to a third-world country. Oh, and hewants to build awall. For Bernie Sanders, who talks about a rigged system that benefits billionaires and leaves out the disappearing middle class, investing in infrastructure provides opportunities forworkers. Therewould be a need for skilled labor— plumbers, welders, road builders, well drillers, bricklayers, electricians and surveyors— aswell as educators to provide skills.

This helpsMain Street without hurting Wall Street.

John Kasich talks about building communities and Hillary Clinton shares the president’s vision of a national high-speed rail system.

Despite opposition to Obama’s stimulus spending, very few stateswere willing to turn downinfrastructure dollars during the midst of the GreatRecession.

The decision to turn down$2.2 billion in federal transportation funds for high-speed rail ranks as one of Gov. Rick Scott’s biggest mistakes. Consider the consequences— the loss of jobs and the failure to ease congestion along Interstate 4. We lost not only the initial construction jobs, the related manufacturing jobs and the ongoing operations and maintenance jobs, butwe also lost the potential associated development thatwould have spurred future job opportunities and investment in the state.

There are other infrastructure needs in Florida outside the transportation arena.

There is no shortage of repairs, improvements and upgrades needed in ourwater, sewer andwastewater treatment plants.

Our schools, colleges, universities, prisons, government office buildings and parks have a growing backlog of maintenance needs.

In Florida, we throwtens of millions of dollars at corporations to relocate or expand here— a questionable endeavor with questionable success. We should spend that money to improve our infrastructure and thus create jobs and opportunities for individuals and businesses.

Instead of throwing money at senseless wars, foreign aid and rebuilding infrastructure elsewhere, why don’twe invest in our own country?

Paula Dockery is a syndicated columnistwho served in the Florida Legislature for 16 years as aRepublican fromLakeland. pbdockery@gmail.com.