Things to add for future Impacts for addons Bio-d / Amazon rainforest impact 1ac Plan
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- Capital is required to overcome several hurdles despite bipartisan support
- Waterway investments aren’t popular --- Congress is more concerned with deficit reduction and tax cuts
- Congress more focused on deficit reduction
- --- XT: Budget Battles Make it Unpopular
1nc Politics LinkCapital will be key to overcome budget hawks in CongressBoselovic, 12 (3/18/2012, Len, “Locked and Dammed: The region's 23 locks and dams are on the brink of failure,” http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/news/environment/locked-and-dammed-the-regions-23-locks-and-dams-are-on-the-brink-of-failure-517289/?print=1, JMP) Debilitated locks and dams are part of a larger national problem: the lack of funding to repair or replace aging infrastructure that the economy depends on. In 2009, the American Society of Civil Engineers put a $2.2 trillion price tag on fixing roads, bridges, locks and other infrastructure. Because many lawmakers elected in 2010 promised to slash the federal budget deficit without increasing taxes, it is unlikely that money will be forthcoming for infrastructure improvements. "It is a function of a kind of unfortunate mentality in this country where, over time, we have become a spending nation and not an investing nation," said Michael Steenhoek of the Soy Transportation Coalition, an industry group pushing for waterways improvements. "We just need to get back to this mentality of being an investing nation. Great nations invest in themselves," he said.
Link outweighs the turn --- more powerful lobbies oppose the planBoselovic, 12 (3/18/2012, Len, “Locked and Dammed: The region's 23 locks and dams are on the brink of failure,” http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/news/environment/locked-and-dammed-the-regions-23-locks-and-dams-are-on-the-brink-of-failure-517289/?print=1, JMP) ***Michael Hennessey is chairman of the National Waterways Foundation Low water pressure The Corps and industry officials have elevated their alarms over a looming failure at a lock or dam somewhere along the 11,000 miles of river and the economic impact it would have. The federal budget deficit is only one reason their fears have gone unheeded. A more fundamental reason is that taxpayers do not ride on rivers. They exert no pressure on lawmakers to do something about the aging infrastructure. Moreover, the river transport industry is dwarfed by the trucking and rail industries, which have more clout in never-ending funding fights in Washington. People "have no idea how [river transportation] is tied into jobs and the heart and soul of economic life in this country," Mr. Hennessey said. "We don't have the political muscle in Washington, D.C., that the railroads and truckers do." Capital is required to overcome several hurdles despite bipartisan supportBoselovic, 12 (3/25/12, Len, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “LEGISLATION PROPOSED TO FUND DETERIORATING LOCKS AND DAMS,” Factiva, JMP) Despite the bipartisan support Mr. Whitfield has received, his proposal faces considerable hurdles. It comes as partisan wrangling over the federal budget deficit and the no-tax increase credo of conservative Republicans makes it difficult to fund big-ticket projects. Mr. Whitfield and his two Republican backers have signed the no tax increase pledge sponsored by Grover Norquist of the Americans for Taxpayer Reform. Industry advocates said even though they view the diesel tax as a user fee, some members of Congress hesitate supporting an increase. "Anytime something comes up, it's 'remember the pledge,' " Mr. Toohey said, adding that lawmakers tell him, "You need to go talk to Grover Norquist." There is also opposition to Mr. Whitfield's measure because it would limit use of revenue generated by the diesel tax to new locks and lock repairs costing $100 million or more. Less expensive lock repairs and all dam projects would be paid for by taxpayers. Waterway investments aren’t popular --- Congress is more concerned with deficit reduction and tax cutsScott, 12 (May 2012, Doug, “Short Take from May 2012; ASCE Tells Congress More Must Be Invested in Inland Waterways,” http://www.asce.org/ascenews/shorttakes.aspx?id=25769808619, JMP) Testifying on April 18 before the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, James A. Rossberg, P.E., M.ASCE, the Society’s managing director of engineering programs, said that efforts by the administration and Congress to address the growing investment deficit in waterways infrastructure have largely been ineffectual because of political considerations that give precedence to deficit reduction and tax cuts over the badly needed restoration of critical infrastructure. Congress more focused on deficit reductionNagle, 11 --- president and chief executive officer of the American Association of Port Authorities (December 2011, Kurt, Industry Today, “Association: American Association of Port Authorities; Port-Related Infrastructure Investments Can Reap Dividends,” vol. 14, no. 3, http://www.industrytoday.com/article_view.asp?ArticleID=F370, JMP) Meanwhile, in the United States, public funding for new navigation channel improvements has all but dried up. Lawmakers focus on reducing the deficit and eliminating appropriation “earmarks” that have traditionally funded federal navigation deepening projects. At the same time, funding for projects already approved and underway is slow, incremental and insufficient. --- XT: Budget Battles Make it UnpopularThe Herald Dispatch, 12 (5/24/2012, “Nation should invest in waterways facilities,” http://www.herald-dispatch.com/opinions/x1198917856/Nation-should-invest-in-waterways-facilities, JMP) So there are a lot of reasons to fix this problem, but with budget concerns in Washington and on the state level, it has been difficult to come up with a long-term solution. A trust fund was set up a number of years ago to provide funding for repairs, using government contributions and revenue from a fuel tax paid by barge operators. But in recent years, the rising costs of projects have depleted the fund, and now only a few can be completed each year. All the while, the cost of the projects in the pipeline mount. A lock project on the Ohio River near Olmsted, Ill., is one of the worst examples. Congress approved $775 million in 1988 to replace it, but the job ran into problems and is now estimated at $3.1 billion and will not be finished until 2020, USATODAY reported.
Allowing the inland waterway system to continue to decline is not an option. Directory: files files -> Answer True False 2 points Question 2 files -> Integer programming and game theory files -> 4 Integer Programming files -> Bpa vehicle Window Repair Scenario #1 task: Procure vehicle window relacement. Objective files -> Pop Warner History files -> North Carolina Inclusion Initiative Mapping Where Children with ieps are Being Served Purpose files -> Fall 2013 Spring 2014 Program Data: Standard 1 Exhibit 4d files -> Hanban – asia society confucius classrooms network 2010 request for proposal files -> Northern England’s set-jetting locations Download 0.97 Mb. Share with your friends:
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