The Maine Way to Heal America

I received a text over the weekend wondering why the site had gone temporarily quiet.  It turns out I’ve been working on this piece on infrastructure which has required a bit of extra research and thought.  We, as a country, need a holistic conversation about who is responsible for ensuring all Americans have access to safe, reliable infrastructure.

American infrastructure is in crisis.  The disasters that make the news (the I-35 bridge collapse and the Flint, Michigan water supply tragedy are just two examples) - are symptoms of the overall deficiency of America’s infrastructure.  And any person who aims to represent the more than 1.3 million Mainers who rely on our country’s infrastructure must be on the record with their plan to address the issue.

These five items must be at the core of any policy I will support:

1) The Right to Safe Infrastructure

Every Mainer deserves to live secure in the knowledge that the bridge they commute across every day is structurally sound.  Every Maine family deserves to live secure in the knowledge that no upstream dam poses a risk to their home. Every Maine community deserves to trust that the water coming from their tap is clean, pure, and healthy.  And every Maine family and company need reasonable access to the world and to goods that are manufactured elsewhere. That is not only the way life should be; it’s the way life must be.

Too often, politicians focus only on infrastructure projects that generate flashy headlines, and neglect projects that are needed to ensure the ongoing welfare of their citizens.  The federal government must stop this. The federal government should grant money to states based on their need to address critical infrastructure gaps. States - to be eligible to receive these grants - must submit a plan detailing their needs and how the state will allocate funding and support to supplement federal investment.

This is not designed to be an ongoing solution.  This program would be a one-time, use it or lose it opportunity for states to address current deficiencies.  As is sound policy, the ongoing maintenance of non-deficient infrastructure shall continue to be the responsibility of the states themselves.

2) The Right to Broadband Access

Electricity - few envisioned a world where electric wires would span the nation connecting even those in the most remote of areas to our nation’s electric grid at a reasonable rate.  And this had a profound impact on our public welfare as a nation.

Broadband internet access is now in a similar situation.  As the Baby Boomer generation ages and millenials look for communities to start families, the future of work will include more and more remote work opportunities.  In 2016, 43% of Americans worked remotely for at least some portion of their time. Capitalizing on this trend in rural America will both allow older generations to remain productive in the workforce for longer and will attract young families who aspire to the lifestyle of our country’s many wonderful small communities but desire the types of work often found only in our larger city centers.

The federal government must work with states to develop and fund plans designed to bring broadband internet services into every home in the country.  The future of our communities and the ongoing competitiveness of our country demand it.

3) Generate Revenue Through an Increase of the Gas Tax

In points one and two, I’ve proposed two relatively expensive infrastructure proposals.  Those of you following my website know how I feel about spending beyond our country’s means.  While I believe that infrastructure investment is one of the best uses of borrowed money (as the productivity gains from the spending outpace the cost of the debt), there are additional revenue levers that our country must contemplate to pay for our infrastructure priorities.

The gas tax brings in more than $35 billion dollars of revenue annually, and has been pegged to a nominal amount set in 1993.  The tax has not increased since that time, despite our renewed focus on the impact of CO2 emissions on climate change, the deteriorating state of our roads and bridges, or basic rates of inflation.  While it would only be a start to raising the funds needed for the plans listed above, we should increase our nation’s gas tax from $0.184 per gallon to $.304 per gallon and peg that amount to an annual inflation index.  This gas tax increase should be phased in over the course of a year at a rate of one cent a month to smooth the impact on consumers and commuters.

4) Increase the Use of Public-Private Partnerships

The Trump Administration is right on one dimension.  Burdensome government regulation standing in the way of state-level, public-private infrastructure partnerships is a drag on our country’s ability to address the needs of its citizens.  I firmly believe that environmental impact standards, property-owner rights, workplace safety, and user access must be dictated at a federal level to ensure the appropriate protections for both current and future generations of Americans.  However, innovation happens in the private sector, and we must allow our state governments to work with private partners to create new ways to finance and build the infrastructure demanded by our local communities. Concepts like congestion pricing - being piloted in states like California and Colorado - allow access to all citizens while creating incremental revenue from those willing to pay more for a less congested commute.

The Trump Administration’s plan to centralize federal approvals for infrastructure proposals within one department is a good idea.  Too often, promising infrastructure plans complete planning stages and get hung up in regulatory approvals. These delays often last into a new state administration with new priorities and ideas, leaving these thought-out initiatives scrapped and wasting both taxpayer and private initial investment.  Creating a fast track for these proposals through the federal bureaucracy is imperative.

5) Prioritize Remaining Projects With A Clear, Consistent Framework

Let’s imagine for a moment that we’ve accomplished the first four items of this platform.  We have reliably safe infrastructure nationwide, ubiquitous access to broadband fueling the growth of our rural economies, a gas tax that is bringing in additional billions of dollars annually to fund future investment, and a renewed focus on private sector engagement as a source of financing for future projects.  Now what?

Once we’ve solved our current infrastructure crisis, ongoing investment at the federal level should follow a clear, consistent framework.  Federal subsidies for future projects should be transferred to states that prove out that they are consistently funding maintenance of their existing infrastructure and have plans in place to finance replacements at expected end-of-life.  When that criteria is met, however, federal funds should be allocated to projects on a consistent, reliable framework. A framework that maximizes the impact to local communities, minimizes environmental impact, and stretches the federal government’s dollar through matching state, municipal, and private investment.  Breaking down the red tape and making it clear how the federal government will review and fund projects will allow for state and local leaders to more efficiently spend their time and resources on projects that will in the end receive necessary federal support.

To conclude, I believe it is critically important for us to solve the deficiencies of our current infrastructure first.  That said, it would be irresponsible to stop the discussion there. Our country must also begin developing plans to invest in infrastructure innovations to remain competitive globally in the twenty-first century, and those investments will be the topic of a future article.