While it may be difficult to find Republican support and votes in Congress for the Biden/Harris Administration American Jobs Plan that takes monumental steps to upgrade and modernize the nation’s infrastructure (Come on Moscow Mitch! What is wrong with investing in electric cars and charging stations and paying for it with taxes on rich corporations,) it will not be hard to uncover bipartisan support among the nation’s mayors who have the most direct responsibility to ensure the roads are paved, bridges do not collapse, and the power stays on.
This is true in Arizona where Tucson, Mesa, and Tempe Mayors Regina Romero, John Giles, and Corey Woods expressed support for the goals of the American Rescue Plan.
Mayor Romero commented:
“I am excited to work with the Biden-Harris Administration to bring new federal investments to Tucson that will invest in green infrastructure and generate good-paying, union jobs.”
Mayor Giles, commenting in an article in the New York Times, said the “president’s proposal was “a very good thing” for his city. With the money, Mesa could upgrade a 1970s-era airport tower, widen roads, extend broadband and expand a regional light rail network. He said he was disappointed by the Republican opposition in Congress.”
“It was only a few months ago that we all agreed that infrastructure was a bipartisan issue. That attitude shouldn’t shift just because there’s a new administration in the White House.”
Mayor Woods, who participated in a presser with State Senator Kirsten Engel on April 1, 2021, said that the American Jobs Plan is an “opportunity to create jobs in a just and equitable way” that would build on sustainability policies Tempe put in place in 2019.
Mr. Woods also said that Arizona, being one of the Solar Capitols of the country, could become “at the forefront of the clean energy revolution” which would result in “good-paying union jobs, modernizing the electric grid, and save people money” that would “ensure healthier and cleaner air for all Arizonans.”
No matter the political party they belong to, Mayors understand the need to modernize and rebuild the country’s infrastructure.
They see a nation that is thirteenth in the world in infrastructure where ten of the nation’s most important bridges need repair.
They see a national infrastructure that the American Society of Engineers gives a C- with the need to rebuild 20,000 of the nation’s roads.
They see children still getting their drinking water delivered via lead pipes.
They see all the good-paying jobs that will be created in clean energy infrastructure projects.
Why can not the Republicans in Congress see it?
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