Construction Equipment Dealer - September 2009
September 2009 Construction Equipment Distribution www.cedmag.com 23 Policy but not wanting to increase taxes during a recession, Congress decides to fund the increase with a general fund transfer to the HTF for 2010 and 2011. However, the legislation increases the gas and diesel tax highway user fees by five cents per year starting on June 1, 2011, by which time the economic recovery should be well in hand, the 2010 congressional elections will be behind us, and 2012 presidential campaign cycle won't yet be fully underway. The bill also dedicates more resources to identifying a VMT tax collection method that's mindful of civil liberties concerns and creates demonstration projects to allow states to experiment with alterna-tive methods of user fee collection. As noted above, based on everything we've seen to-date, that's the best case scenario. Thecase scenario worst is that the Obama administration gets its way, Congress kicks the ball down the field 18 months, the construction industry continues to struggle through its depression, more companies close and more workers lose their jobs, and America's infrastructure gets worse. What happens on the highway bill in 18 months is anyone's guess. A new Congress will just have been seated and it's hard to imagine lawmakers being organized enough to get a bill done in the first six months of the year. And with the looming specter of a presiden-tial election less, which at that point will be two years away, the 112 th Congress will be far more politically charged than the 111 th (if that's even possible) and Obama will be even more sensitive about issues that raise voter ire. When and if the highway bill gets done and what it looks like is anybody's guess. What Are You Going To Do About It? Whether we wind up with the first scenario, the second, or something in between isn't a matter of chance. It's a matter of getting lawmakers focused on the hard, cold facts: The nation's infrastructure is crumbling. Our long-term economic competitiveness and public safety are being jeopardized. The construction industry is mired in a depression with 18 percent unemploy-ment. And the only way Congress can make things better is by passing a long-term highway bill. Rest assured that AED is continuing and ramping up its advocacy efforts here in Washington, but your repre-sentatives and senators also have to hear from you. If you haven't already done so, visit AED's online Highway Reauthorization Action Center go to www.aednet. org, click on Government at the top, and click the link at left. The site is loaded with materials to help you understand the issues and how to weigh in on the debate we've included several draft letters for your use. They say the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Let's make the equipment indus-try squeak so loud that Congress can't ignore the highway bill any longer! n Rep. Mike McMahon (D-NY), Member, House T&I Committee: I am a strong supporter of reauthorization of the transportation bill to provide billions of dollars of new investment in our infrastructure, tens of thousands of jobs for american workers and a much-needed improvement to our overburdened roadways and transit systems. aED can be a critical partner in promoting this legislation by lobbying key members of Congress and communicating to them on how important this bill is for american businesses and american workers. danIel fIsher is AED Director of Government Affairs and Associate Counsel. chrIstIan a. kleIn is AED Vice President of Government Affairs & Washington Counsel. the highway Infrastructure taskforce (hIt) is the vehicle for AED's leadership in the current highway debate. HIT members have pledged to provide between $5,000 and $20,000 every year for three years to support AED's reauthoriza-tion efforts. HIT funds are used for economic research, to support lobbying coalitions, and to pay for advertising and other public relations activities. Thanks to the following AED members for joining the HIT: n Arnold Machinery n Bramco n Cleveland Bros. n Cowin Equipment n Kirby-Smith Machinery, Inc. n H.O. Penn Machinery n Ohio Machinery n Plasterer Equipment Company n ROMCO n Tractor & Equipment Company n Wagner Equipment Co. n Whayne Supply Co. n Wheeler Machinery n Yancey Bros. Co. To find out more about the HIT or to pledge your support, contact AED President Toby Mack (jtm@ aednet.org) or AED Vice President of Government Affairs Christian Klein (). caklein@aednet.org AED is HIT-ing Reauthorization Hard