For weeks we have heard news reports about Barack Obama’s massive stimulus package that would lead us out of a recession by creating millions of jobs. As the argument goes, this vast expenditure – we hear between $300 and $700 billion – will be money well spent, since the outcome will be an upgraded infrastructure that will help enable future growth.
Unfortunately, the infrastructure being discussed is not what will move this country in the right direction. When in those news reports did you last hear the word “transit” or “connected walkable communities?” There is a disturbing message that this money will be spent overwhelmingly on roads and bridges and a real danger that the (stimulus) plan will retard innovation and entrench us in the past.
This spending package will likely use up all the money we will have to spend on our infrastructure for decades to come. We are urging our readers and members to contact your congressional representatives and urge them to seize the moment to lead a bold new strategy that emphasizes transit, smart growth, and walkable communities. If we build such places, we will not only improve our own quality of life and physical and social health, but we can actually make massive strides in addressing Climate Change.
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