Monthly Archives: August 2008
It is time to Invest in America's Infrastructure and Economic Wellbeing
Image by Getty Images via Daylife One year ago (August 1), Minneapolis’ I-35W bridge over the Mississippi River collapsed during rush hour, killing thirteen people. This tragedy is an illustration of a much larger problem—the deterioration of our nation’s infrastructure. Progressives should not be afraid to talk about spending priorities during this election. A new poll by Time magazine and the Rockefeller Foundation found that 83 percent of the public supports “increasing government spending on things like public-works projects to help create jobs.”
America’s bridges and roads need much repair. The U.S. Department of Transportation reports that nearly 25 percent of bridges in the U.S.—over 152,000 bridges—are “structurally deficient or functionally obsolete.” Nearly one in four miles of urban interstate is in only “poor” or “mediocre” condition. Read the rest of this entry
August 20 Debates: Clean Water and Clean Elections
Image via Wikipedia Alaskans Go To The Polls on August 26; Have Your Questions Answered Before You Vote
Alaska Common Ground along with AARP, the League of Women Voters and Commonwealth North presents a forum on two of the initiatives on which we will be voting on August 26.
When: August 20
7:00 to 9:30 pm
Where: Marston Theater, Loussac Library
3600 Denali Street
Anchorage
Ballot Measure 3 is known as the “Clean Elections” measure. Speaking in favor of Ballot Measure 3: Read the rest of this entry
Future State Toxic Toys Laws to Be Preempted Under Federal Consumer Protection Legislation
Consumer and safety groups are rightly applauding an agreement by House and Senate lawmakers to move forward a bill which bans lead and most phthalates — plastic chemicals that can cause developmental disorders — in most children’s products. The bill, already approved by the U.S. House, will also increase funding for the Consumer Product Safety Commission, strengthen testing standards, and enhance public access to product safety information.
Richard Fineberg: Local Energy Policy Analyst of Note
Image via WikipediaIn my humble opinion, one of the finest energy policy analysts in the state, perhaps THE finest, is Richard Fineberg. During the 1980s he was senior advisor to the Governor of Alaska on oil and gas policy, and since then he has been an intrepid independent analyst with an excellent reputation. In his own words…
At this web site [www.finebergresearch.com] you will find fact-based information about economic and environmental aspects of oil industry operations in Alaska, with special emphasis on the North Slope oil fields and the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS), which provides about one million barrels of oil per day (five percent of the nation’s total consumption) to the West Coast. Due to the oil industry’s power, political clout and media skills, much of the information you will find here is not widely reported or readily available elsewhere.
