APWA Advocates

Protect Municipal Bonds - A Vital Funding Source for Public Works!  

Contact your Member of the House of Representatives TODAY!  Urge your Member to sign onto a Dear Colleague letter to House Leadership that urges them to preserve the tax-exemption for municipal bonds. 
 
To send your message, visit the APWA Legislative Action center at http://capwiz.com/apwa/home/ . Click on the ‘take action’ button, fill in your contact information and click ‘send’ to e-mail a prepared message, which you may customize.

Tax- exempt municipal bonds are vital to public works. They remain the primary method used by states and local governments to finance public capital improvements and public infrastructure projects that are essential to creating jobs, sustaining economic growth and improving the quality of life for Americans in every corner of this country. Limiting or eliminating the tax exemption on municipal bonds will  have devastating effects on funding needed local infrastructure projects because they will make municipal bonds less appealing and increase the borrowing costs for state and local governments that use the bonds to finance infrastructure projects. 

Click here to read the Dear Colleague letter.

Protect municipal bonds and contact your Congress member today!

Protect the Environment and Public Health!
Urge Senator Sherrod Brown to Introduce the Wet Weather Community Sustainability Act Today!
 

During extreme wet weather, wastewater can overflow  and enter the environment before it has been cleaned and treated, putting public health at risk.  This can be a major problem in Ohio and other regions in the US where severe thunderstorms are common. The Wet Weather Community Sustainability Act adds a framework to the Clean Water Act (CWA) that gives municipalities the tools to  manage wastewater flows during extreme weather events, improving water quality and protecting the environment.   If you're an Ohio constituent, contact Senator Sherrod Brown and urge him to introduce this legislation! Visit the APWA Legislative Action center at  http://capwiz.com/apwa/home/,  click on the ‘take action’ button, fill in your contact information and click ‘send’ to e-mail them a prepared message, which you may customize. 

Click here to view a fact sheet to learn more about the Wet Weather Act.

Click here to view the proposed legislation. 

Senate Passes Resolution Honoring National Public Works Week

On May 20, the US Senate passed  a resolution (S. Res. 149) designating the week of May 19-25, 2013  National Public Works Week  (NPWW) in recognition of the important contributions public works professionals make every day to improve the nation’s public infrastructure and the communities they serve. Sponsored by Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairwoman Barbara Boxer of California and cosponsored by Committee Ranking Member David Vitter of Louisiana and Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee Chairman Max Baucus of Montana and Subcommittee Ranking Member John Barrasso of Wyoming, the resolution highlights the dedicated efforts of public works professionals and draws attention to the role that public infrastructure plays in protecting the environment, improving public health and safety, contributing to economic vitality and enhancing the quality of every community of the United States.   

Click here to view a copy of the Senate Resolution.

 

APWA Submits Testimony for hearing on MAP-21 Implementation

On April 25, the Highways and Transit Subcommitte of the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastrucutre held a hearing titled Implementing MAP-21: The State & Local Perspective.  The hearing focused on the state and local perpective of the progress of the US Department of Transportation (DOT) implementing programmatic reforms and meeting deadlines imposed by MAP-21.  Several advocacy organizations representing state and local interests testifed in front of the Committee, while APWA submitted written testimony.

Click this link to read the testimony that APWA submitted to the Highways and Transit Subcommittee.  

ASCE Report Card Assigns Nation’s Infrastructure a D+. Contact Your Congressional Representatives Today and Urge Them to Make Investment in Infrastructure a Top Priority!

On March 19, the  American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) released its 2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure. The nation’s infrastructure earned an overall grade of D+.

Contact your House and Senate members today to inform them of the release of the Report Card and its findings. Tell them that the condition of our public infrastructure is rated poor and at risk, and we need to make investment in our public infrastructure a top priority. Visit the APWA Legislative Action Center at http://capwiz.com/apwa/home, click on the ‘take action’ button, fill in your contact information and click ‘send’ to e-mail them a prepared message, which you may customize.

Such a low grade indicates that the state of our national infrastructure is mostly below standard, with many elements approaching the end of their service life. The Report Card estimates a funding shortfall of $1.6 trillion by 2020 based on current funding levels.

The Report Card graded the nation’s infrastructure in 16 different categories including, but not limited to, bridges, dams, drinking water, energy, levees, roads, solid waste, and waste water. To learn more about the Report Card, visit http://www.infrastructurereportcard.org/  where you can read press release and download the official Report Card app for your mobile device. To read APWA’s statement, visit www.apwa.net.
 

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Don't know what district you live in or who your representative is? Visit the APWA Legislative Action Center and enter your zipcode to find out!