June 18, 2014

Transportation Then & Now: Transportation for a Competitive America

The following speech was given by then-AASHTO President and Iowa Department of Transportation Director Darrel Rensink at the AASHTO 82nd Annual Meeting, held in Buffalo, N.Y., in 1996. Rensink rang in his year as AASHTO President by stressing the importance of transportation investment in continuing to grow the economy. At the time, the economy was faring quite well, but transportation infrastructure investment was not at the level Rensink said it should be, which he said limited even broader economic opportunities. Today, transportation advocates make the same argument, though in tougher economic times: Strong transportation investment is vital in growing the economy and providing opportunities for citizens across the country and make us more competitive. Check out an excerpt of Rensink’s remarks.

I think most of you would agree when I say that the overall economy of the United States is in really good condition. In fact, most economic indicators suggest that the economy may be in its best shape in decades.

Growth and inflation are both around two percent. Nearly 8.5 million new jobs have been added to our economy and we now have the lowest combined rate of unemployment and inflation since 1968.

This is the first time in 50 years, when we have had three years in a row with a declining deficit. We have seen stock prices hit all-time highs, with growth in the market at its strongest rate since World War II.

This country is witnessing the strongest industrial production growth in decades. Production has grown almost 4 percent annually. Business investment has grown almost 11 percent annually. Mortgage rates have hit some of the lowest rates in 30 years.

In 1994, the United States achieved a milestone when we surpassed Japan as the world leader in automobile manufacturing. The last time the United States was number one was back in 1979.

Construction growth is the strongest since Harry Truman was President, with the creation of almost 900,000 new construction jobs.

As transportation officials, we know that transportation has played a major role in these successes. As a nation we have a lot to brag about; but at the same time, I would point out WE CAN DO BETTER.

I see a nation standing at the edge of a new millennium, one that offers us extraordinary possibilities. I see a vision of a country that can grow at a rate well beyond two percent.

However, to help make this vision a reality, our country must be freed from the shackles that are tugging at its ankles, keeping us from achieving higher growth. These shackles are stifling the real potential for growth in this country.

One of those shackles, which is clamped tightly onto the ankles of our economy, is the lack of investment in our transportation infrastructure. The lack of investments necessary to maintain and to improve our transportation infrastructure are limiting the economic opportunities for all Americans.

As a country we need to make investments that liberate the American dream and remove the barriers that prevent upward social and economic mobility. Americans need a foundation from which they can build a better life for themselves and their families.

The author John Garner once wrote, “There occurs at breathtaking moments in history an exhilarating burst of energy and motivation, of hope and zest imagination, and a severing of bonds that normally hold in check the full release of human possibilities. A door is opened, and the caged eagle soars.” It is time we help sever the bonds, open the door and help set this nation free.

As your President, I see it as my personal responsibility to serve as a catalyst—a catalyst that stimulates debate on the national level about a pro-economic growth agenda and investments needed in our transportation infrastructure to support that agenda. It is also my hope that the dialogue created at the national level triggers conversations around kitchen tables, water coolers, and in town hall meetings across this country.

Although we are in an era of scare resources and narrower slices of the pie, I believe that AASHTO and the entire transportation industry can find common ground to be part of the solution that creates economic growth and opportunity for all Americans.

We are facing a time in this country when holding out our tin-cup to Congress and begging for funding is SIMPLY NOT GOING TO WORK. The days of standing in the Congressional budget line pleading, “Me too,” “We need,” “We want,” “We’ve got to have it or else,” or “We’re entitled to this or that” is simply not going to do it.

We have reached a point where it is more essential than ever that the public speaks out about how important taxpayer investments in our transportation infrastructure have been to this country. Congress needs to hear from the public that transportation should be a priority for this country. Otherwise, we can anticipate an even thinner slice of the pie this round of reauthorization.

I stand before you today with a challenge—a challenge to all members of this distinguished organization. I challenge you to make a commitment to actively reach out to the people in your state to convince them how valuable our transportation infrastructure is to our nation’s economy and continued prosperity.

We must work together toward this common goal by demonstrating to the public on our commitment as an organization to a course of action that is going to lead to a better America—a better America for our children and grandchildren.

Personally, I would have never accepted the position of President of AASHTO if I wasn’t entirely convinced that we can do better. I would not have proposed this challenge to our membership, if I did not believe in the possibility of real progress.

While economic growth is not the sole measure of success in a society, a strong and sustained economy helps in many ways. Economic growth can yield unparalleled expansion in jobs, productivity, innovation and prosperity. A strong economy can also produce additional revenues for balancing the budget and reducing the federal budget.

This country needs an economy that provides employment for everyone willing and able to work and an opportunity for a higher standard of living for those who are employed.

I believe that the only way we can realize this goal is with strong private sector growth that will come from higher levels of investment in transportation and public services for all levels—federal, state and local governments and the private sector.

We need investments for more, improved and well-maintained highways, bridges, rail systems, waterways, harbors, ports, airports and transit.

These investments in our transportation infrastructure will help the private sector become more productive and efficient which is essential to a strong position in our increasingly competitive global marketplace.

In summation, my aim as President is simple: I want to stress the best attributes of the American character, play into our nation’s strengths, speak to our hopes, and promote a vision of continued economic growth through investments in our transportation infrastructure.

To achieve my goal, I plan to share my vision with the American people. As Abraham Lincoln remarked in his first debate with Stephen Douglas, and I quote, “…with public sentiment, nothing can fail; without it nothing can succeed.” With public support, we can do better.