The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

Letter to editor: Solving infrastructure, regulatory issues

Letter+to+editor%3A+Solving+infrastructure%2C+regulatory+issues

It is incomprehensible that the U.S. infrastructure received a D-minus report card from the American Society for Civil Engineers. And America’s regulatory system is too complex where compliance costs are about $20,000 per employee (National Association of Manufacturers).

In March of 2016, more than 3,000 Americans (1,000 Democrats, 1,000 Republicans, and 1,000 no-party independents) offered three solutions to solve our infrastructure problem and five suggestions to clean up our inefficient regulatory system (Cohen Research Group). Our upcoming 45th president and 115th Congress should be held accountable to resolve these two problem areas.

America’s infrastructure includes roads, bridges, and highways, to name a few. It is estimated we are $4.7 trillion behind in infrastructure repair. More than 63,000 bridges and one-third of our major roads are in poor or mediocre condition.

On average, highway projects take eight years to get regulatory approval. Seventy-five percent of the public feel the federal government must designate infrastructure czars and hold them accountable to streamline the regulatory process for infrastructure projects with our roads, bridges, and highways.

Second, when people are apprised that the Federal Highway Trust Fund has an annual funding deficit of $13 billion, believe it or not, 63 percent of Americans think we should increase the federal gas tax and split the revenues in three equal proportions to: 1) reduce personal income taxes, 2) reduce the federal deficit, and 3) provide additional funding for the Highway Trust Fund.

Many people feel we have too much government in our lives. But, due to citizens realizing how bad our infrastructure system is in need of repair, about two-thirds of Americans want to create an infrastructure bank that relies on public-private partnerships to design, build, and finance, operate and maintain public infrastructure.

Switching the topic to the U.S. regulatory system, today’s code of federal regulations exceeds 170,000 pages. Who can keep up with our increasingly complex and incomprehensible rules and regulations? Common sense needs to intervene to protect citizens, preserve our environment, and promote public safety.

The first of five solutions has the support of 70 percent of Americans and it is simple: Whenever a department or agency proposes a new regulation, it is required to propose eliminating an existing regulation with comparable cost impact.

Second, 70 percent of Americans want all regulations to “sunset” 15 years from the date of implementation unless Congress explicitly acts to keep a particular regulation on the books.

Third, more than 80 percent of citizens want to give judges more responsibility and authority to dismiss unreasonable lawsuit claims.

Seventy-five percent of Democrats, 77 percent of independents, and 91 percent of Republicans want the next president to review all major federal programs to determine if any aspect of the programs would be more efficiently and effectively handled by state or local government.

Finally, 72 percent of Americans want a bipartisan commission established to review and report within one year what existing federal regulations can be reduced by 25 percent.

Very simply, the three recommended infrastructure solutions would provide incentives to increase economic growth. And the five governmental regulation suggestions would remove barriers to economic growth.

Ask the average American citizen for ideas to resolve our infrastructure and regulation problems, and they will agree, regardless of their political preference, with commonsense solutions. Now, if our elected representatives could agree to be more bipartisan and use common sense, wouldn’t that be novel?

—Steve Corbin

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