Infrastructure stimulus pushed
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WASHINGTON -- In his frequent travels and news media appearances, Gov. Ed Rendell has been one of the most vociferous backers of last year's stimulus bill, a topic most Democrats strive to avoid.
On Monday morning he huddled at the White House with President Barack Obama, Cabinet secretaries and other governors and mayors from around the country to hone a strategy of how to pass -- and sell -- another pricey investment, this one directed entirely to American infrastructure.
Mr. Obama first proposed a six-year, $500 billion program to rebuild the nation's roads, railways, bridges, airports and electrical grids in a Labor Day speech, and the White House intends to push for its passage during a post-election "lame duck" congressional session.
But that effort is complicated by the continuing debate over the effectiveness of the stimulus bill.
As ever, Mr. Rendell emerged from the State Dining room meeting armed with statistics describing the benefits (12,200 construction jobs as of June 30) and effectiveness (99 percent of the projects are under way) of the stimulus spending in Pennsylvania, and preaching its necessity.
"This is the single best job creation we can do for this country," Mr. Rendell said. "It puts people back to work."
The $814 billion stimulus bill has been labeled a bust by much of the electorate, as the economy continues to sputter and unemployment figures have not approached the administration's optimistic projections. Democrats on the campaign trail are avoiding the topic, but Mr. Rendell insisted Monday that he'd be just as bullish on the bill if he were running for office -- instead of cruising to the end of his second term in January.
"I think the Democrats made a big mistake," he said. "They just gave in to the spin that took place at the beginning and never fought back."
The new plan was cast by Mr. Obama, in a Rose Garden speech, as a crucial step to create jobs and keep America competitive internationally.
First Published October 12, 2010 12:00 am
