Fixing America’s Transportation Infrastructure

The transportation and infrastructure sector is one of the most important sectors of society as it connects places and makes trade and commerce more effective. An airport for example significantly reduces the time it takes for goods to be transported to other places. It also opens up tourism which also translates to money. A high-speed freight rail is also equally important as it delivers large quantities of goods and stimulates effective trading among business entities. In the U.S., the infrastructure sector is struggling with the lack of funding and support from the government.

For the past couple of years, America has not conducted any significant research which will stimulate developments in the nation’s infrastructure. America’s transportation infrastructure is rotting and the government keeps on ignoring it. Amazingly, President Obama recently announced a plan to allocate $50 billion to a stimulus fund which will focus on U.S. infrastructure development. The act comes where the nation’s unemployment levels are at a record high. Currently, the nation’s unemployment rate stood at 9.6% with a possibility to increase further if the government doesn’t do anything to stop it.

The economic recession has made people more paranoid about jobs. With thousands of people in danger of being axed from their jobs every week, it is no doubt that jobs are the talk of the town. And since Obama strongly believes that job creation is every important in stimulating economic growth, he gladly saw the relevance of the construction industry as a means to generate more jobs. The additional funds will most likely rebuild and improve the transportation infrastructure of the U.S. to be able to catch up with other foreign competitors.

Investments in high-speed rail and next-generation air traffic control will benefit the economy in the long run. These are considered smart investments which will help promote productivity and sustainability. The act will benefit not only the people who will be getting their jobs back but also the whole nation who will be taking advantage of the much improved infrastructure. At a time where jobs are scarce, it is certainly helpful to invest in things that will address the very problem of unemployment instead of wasting useless money for defense.

Despite of the good intentions of Pres. Obama, various politicians have strongly opposed the act stating that it is not enough or that it will only add up to the already huge budget deficit that the nation is currently facing. Add also the fact that the November midterm elections are fast approaching and Obama is likely trying to win back the support of the voting sector in order to preserve the Democratic influence in Congress. Regardless of the real intention, the result of this act will only be likable if there is enough political will and if the administration is really concerned about the economy.