Martin O'Malley Makes Infrastucture Bid: “New Agenda for American Cities and Communities”
from Next City:
____You can now throw former Maryland Governor and Mayor of Baltimore Martin O’Malley into the mix of candidates who think the American infrastructure mess and other urban issues need as much attention as how many refugees the country takes in. With his “New Agenda for American Cities and Communities” — which he plans to roll out officially in the next week or so in New Hampshire — O’Malley goes further than Clinton and Sanders, and is more holistic, noting that investment in mass transit and affordable housing and investment tax credit are all intertwined.
“Our metropolitan areas are engines of innovation and leaders in sustainability,” O’Malley said in a statement about the agenda. “They foster competition, inclusiveness and creativity that allow communities to flourish. As a result, American cities from Pittsburgh to Los Angeles are building strong, resilient local economies — breaking down cycles of poverty, laying the foundations of a clean energy future, and restoring investments in our common good.”
O’Malley breaks his urban improvement plan into three parts: rebuilding our nation’s urban infrastructure; spurring investments in economic development and our clean energy economy; and ensuring safe, healthy and equitable communities for all.
O’Malley focuses on transportation improvements as key, but does not just say that more asphalt to fill potholes solves the problems. His approach is to restore the Highway Trust Fund, move from gas taxes to mileage-based user fees, and double federal funding for regional and locally directed transit projects.
“Mobility is central to the American Dream,” O’Malley said. “But today, an over-reliance on one mode of transportation — the car — and an underinvestment basic infrastructure have eroded our freedom and ability to move, to get to work and to connect. The next president must empower Americans to choose the mode of transportation that meets their needs and preferences. By building safe, modern, and integrated transportation systems, we can provide better access to economic opportunities, create jobs, lay the groundwork for a clean energy economy, and improve the quality of life for all Americans.”
O’Malley says a reversal is in order. “The block grants empower mayors in communities of all sizes to meet their own unique development needs — from building affordable housing and infrastructure, to expanding social services, to fostering economic opportunity,” O’Malley said. “Yet funding for the program has been cut substantially — by nearly a third since 2010, and down to only 22 percent of the program’s peak.”
“Today, our cities’ biggest challenge is ensuring that everyone — in every neighborhood — can enjoy the benefits of the good things happening in our metro areas,” he said in the New Agenda for American Cities and Communities announcement. “Our country needs new leadership that is eager to empower mayors and local officials, giving them the tools and flexibility they need to make nation-leading progress.”
read: https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/omalley-unveil-new-agenda-for-american-cities-and-communities-plan
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And he's absolutely right. America's big (liberal) cities are its economic engine:
