New Governor’s Association chairman unveils infrastructure initiative
Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell has assumed the chairmanship of the Washington-based National Governors Association (NGA). One of his first acts was to announce an initiative to rebuild the nation’s infrastructure.
Former NGA chairman, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, handed Rendell the reins to the association Monday during the closing plenary session of NGA’s Centennial Meeting in Philadelphia, and Rendell then announced his initiative. “For the past two decades, state and local governments have been picking up more of the tab for infrastructure repair, now accounting for approximately 75 percent of all infrastructure work. The American Society of Civil Engineers estimates the national infrastructure needs more than $1.6 trillion over the next five years to maintain its current status,” Rendell said in a statement. “If we are to fully meet his challenge, we will need our federal partners to step up and make this a greater priority.”
As part of the initiative, NGA will work with state officials to implement strategies for more cost-effective infrastructure investments and challenge states to align those investments with efforts to fight climate change. For more information, go to www.nga.org.
