Transportation Infrastructure Implications of the Research Paper

Many industry professionals like Mr. Greenstein (2009) also agree that building a broadband network would have huge economic and employment payoffs.

This network is also another excellent example of a potential user fee generator. Once the network is established and jobs are being saved and created, the entire system will be relatively self-supportive based upon user fees collected from people wishing to use the broadband network. The construction of a "smart grid" electricity delivery network could also help to maximize the efficiency of the delivery of the nation's power. Currently, nearly 40% of the nation's generated electricity is either wasted in grid inefficiencies or used to help deliver said electricity (Cajina, et. al., 2009). This number is higher in some parts of the country where the power grid has not been touched for nearly 50 years. This "smart grid" will also help to compliment other infrastructure projects, specifically the development of a national broadband network.

Whether or not the stimulus funds go to big cities or small rural areas, the money will be used to patch up roads and highways as well as to create new green energy and transport jobs. Certainly these actions will have far reaching implications for many Americans, but whether or not the money, as it has been divided up among legislators' pet projects will be spend wisely is another matter. The U.S. government needs to prioritize the existing infrastructure projects that are reliant upon the plan's funds. The first priority should go to projects and ideas that will create the biggest positive impact on the infrastructure with the least amount of funds used. Next in line should be the projects that will generate user fees. These projects can sustain themselves once they are completed. And finally, the last priority in divvying out the stimulus money should be legislators trying to bring jobs to their home areas, whether it's a bridge to nowhere or a highway project that helps open up additional lanes in a busy city. As long as petty politics are left out of the stimulus bill's equation, it will ultimately be effective in its goal of generating jobs right now and in the future as well as stimulating the economy.

References

Baker, Dean. (2009). "Issues in Trade and Protectionism." Center for Economic and Policy

Research Study.

Cajina, Ana; Hess Pace, Kate; Patterson, Anika; and C.J. Randall. (2009). "How Local Policies

Can Support Development of Green Jobs." Working Papers: Economic Development. Dec. 28, 2009.

Cooper, Michael and Palmer, Griff. (2009). "Cities Lose Out on Road Funds from Federal

Stimulus." The New York Times. July 9, 2009.

Greenstein, Shane. (2009). "Building Brodband as Economic Stimulus." IEEE Computer Society

Magazine. Vol. 3 No. 2. Pp. 2-4.

Katz, Raul and Suter, Stephan. (2009). "Estimating the Economic Impact of the Broadband

Stimulus Plan." Columbia Business School Presentation. Feb. 2009.

MacGillis, Alec. (2009). "Tracking Stimulus Spending May Not Be as Easy as Promised."

Washington Post. May 21, 2009.

O'Toole, Randal. (2009). "Rules for Infrastructure Stimulus." The Washington Times. Feb. 16,

2009.

Small, Stacy L. (2009). "An Ecological Stimulus." Bioscience. Vol. 59, No. 4. Pp. 278-279.

Swenson, David A. (2009). "Misunderstanding Economic Stimulus Multipliers." Iowa State

Williams, Roberton. (2009). "President-Elect Obama's Tax and Stimulus Plan." Tax Policy…