Biden, Foxx Talk Transportation in Charlotte
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CHARLOTTE, NC —Β A massive transportation plan, costing tax payers hundreds of billions of dollars. Β The Obama administration says the Grow America proposal is essential for the country’s economic future.
Vice President Joe Biden and Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx were in Charlotte Thursday, pitching the plan to improve the country’s infrastructure.
Biden teamed with the former Charlotte mayor on the Grow America Express,Β pushing a six-year, $478 billion Obama administration plan to take on America’s infrastructure issues.Β
“You know we rank 28th in the world, 28th in the world, in terms of modern infrastructure for transportation,” said Vice President Biden. “We shouldn’t rank 28th in the world in anything.”
They stopped in Charlotte to highlight the Queen City’s efforts to boost economic development with our light rail system, creating jobs and increasing access to Uptown. Β
“Now is the time to do it,” says Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “Do it before you get that tsunami of population growth, so that you can have the mobility choices you need in the future.”
Grow America is certainly an ambitious plan, and Secretary Foxx is going to need bipartisan support to make it work.
Congress has passed stop-gap measures with flat funding. The Vice President talked about transportation and infrastructure having no party affiliation. A sentiment echoed by Foxx.
“I feel like there is a bipartisan commitment to try and figure out a path forward. But as the Vice President said, the question is: how do you pay for it?” says Secretary Foxx.
That’s the catch.
Exploding population centers. Crumbling roads and bridges. Insufficient transportation.
The fix is expensive, and the Highway Trust Fund is running out of money. It’s going to take a major investment. One that would pay off in new jobs and economic growth.
“How can we afford not to?” says WCCB Charlotte political contributor Mary C. Curtis.Β “It’s a matter of global competitiveness in our corporate culture, and our businesses staying competitive.”
Secretary Foxx is on a four-day, five-state bus tour visiting the Carolinas, Florida, Georgia and Virginia. He is trying to convince Congress to act on a long-term transportation bill.
