James Corless, director of Transportation for America, issued this statement in response to President Obama's speech on his proposed American Jobs Act:
"From the perspective of infrastructure investments, the President's proposal is both ambitious and pragmatic. He called for immediate investments in the kind of transportation projects that create near-term jobs while providing long-term benefits to Americans and the economy. But he also laid the foundation for a national infrastructure bank that will help to leverage private investment and provide stable funding in the future. His plan would expand the successful TIGER program, which has made carefully targeted investments in those projects that compete best in sparking economic development, connecting people to jobs and daily needs, improving safety and affordability, and strengthening energy and economic security.
"The President was right to call on Congress again to break the gridlock and increase investment in infrastructure. To get America back on track, we need to set clear priorities to avoid misspending our precious dollars. Those priorities should include holding states and localities accountable for executing smart investment strategies, rebuilding our decaying infrastructure, and expanding the network to provide more convenient, safe and affordable travel options for all Americans. The alternative is lingering unemployment, gridlocked cities, stranded rural residents, hampered freight delivery and continued over-reliance on contested oil supplies."
