Infrastructure investment is key to economic recovery

Like a door opening or closing, the United States economy is at a pivoting point. What the next administration enacts will determine to a large extent whether we as a nation open that door or continue to close it.

Through a government program of rebuilding and investing in efficiencies, energy and education, the door can be opened wide onto a new day.The nation must invest in rebuilding the infrastructure. To those who question if this is the best solution and not through massive tax cuts, history shall be cited.

The union, under President Lincoln, enacted the Pacific Railway Act, which provided a stimulus to companies to connect the United States with rail. This act provided an expansion into the American interior, and provided low-cost transportation of goods and services, that benefited not only the interior states, but also the states of both coasts. Where would we as a nation be financially for the last 150 years if we did not have this service available?

Another large government project that still has vast benefits, not only financially, but to the quality of life in the United States, was the T.V.A. Act of 1933 and the Rural Electrification Act of 1936. The administration under President Franklin D. Roosevelt authorized a bill to provide flood control, irrigation and electricity to the states of the south and Midwest. We as a nation have been reaping the benefits of this large government program for close to 100 years.

President Eisenhower in 1956 signed the Interstate Highway Act. It is obvious that this act brought about a greater efficiency for moving about the United States.

President Kennedy challenged the nation by stating "I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the Earth. No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important for the long-range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish."

While the nation was in two wars, one in Vietnam and the other the cold war, Kennedy still had a long-term vision about the future of the nation. He also warned Congress that the price tag for such an endeavor could rise beyond $9 billion.

However the efficiencies gained from the push of technology has many times replaced the cost of the Apollo project.

Even President Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative, proposed in 1983, led to technological innovation and the collapse of the Soviet empire. This collapse resulted in a savings for the nation in a reduction of military spending.

President Obama should challenge the nation like the visionaries before. The United States must reinvest in solutions to alternative energies, education and efficiencies.

The rebuilding and improving of the infrastructure through rails and roads, the connecting of a high speed internet, the rebuilding of the electrical grid and the rebuilding of the ports — these will provide longtermbenefits for our nation. Continued and increased support to the educational system will also benefit our nation to the development of new and innovative products and solutions— many that have not even been conceived of yet.

The United States has always been optimistic towards the future, and with a vision and a goal, our nation can continue to push open wide the door to the future.
Kevin McCormick
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