Tifia increases solve the aff—make infrastructure projects easier to fund



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State Infrastructure Banks CP

State Infrastructure Banks Solve

States infrastructure banks solve


Corson, deputy policy director of the Office of the Manhattan Borough; and Saltonstall, policy director of the same; 2011

(Stephen, David, 3/14/2011, Steven L. Newman Real Estate Institute, “Banking on the Future: A New Paradigm for Rebuilding Our Nation’s Infrastructure,” http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/realestate/pdf/H7656_BaruchBankingFutureWhtPaper.pdf, accessed 10/19/2016, p. 3, bs)


At the same time, a dozen states have already established their own infrastructure banks, and it may be that this state-level approach represents the best path forward for New York.10 The models and best practices of these twelve states can provide a useful road map for any state looking to establish or expand its own infrastructure bank. One relevant example is the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank (I-Bank). Established in 1994, the California I-Bank has broad powers to issue bonds, make loans, and provide credit enhancements for a wide variety of infrastructure and economic development projects.11 The I-Bank’s operations are funded solely by fees, interest earnings, and loan repayments and it supports infrastructure projects in sixteen eligible categories, including transportation, water and wastewater.12 The California I-Bank also incorporates strict criteria to ensure that the projects that it funds help promote equity, strengthen the economy, protect the environment, and promote health and safety.13

States solve infrastructure banking


Mallet, Specialist in Transportation Policy, and Maguire, Specialist in Public Finance, and Kosar, Analyst in American National Government, ’11

(William J., and Steven, and Kevin R., 12/14/11, Congressional Research Service, “National Infrastructure Bank: Overview and Current Legislation,” pg. 3, http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R42115.pdf, A.D. 6/24/12, JTF)


Many state governments have established infrastructure banks to support projects in surface transportation. Most of these were created in response to a federal state infrastructure bank (SIB) program originally established in surface transportation law in 1995 (P.L. 104-59). According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), 32 states and Puerto Rico had established federally authorized SIBs by December 2008. 10 No more recent data are available. At least four states, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, and Ohio, also have SIBs that are unconnected to the federal program. 11 As part of the federal transportation program, a state can use its allocation of federal surface transportation funds to capitalize an SIB. There are some requirements in federal law for SIBs connected with the federal program (23 U.S.C. 610), but for the most part their structure and administration are determined at the state level. Most SIBs are housed within a state department of transportation, but at least one (Missouri) was set up as a nonprofit corporation and another (South Carolina) is a separate state entity. 12 A number of SIBs also provide assistance to nontransportation projects. Most SIBs function as revolving loan funds, in which money is directly loaned to project sponsors and its repayment with interest provides funds to make more loans. 13 Some SIBs, such as those in Florida and South Carolina, have the authority to use their initial capital as security for issuing bonds to raise further capital as a source of loans. This is known as a leveraged SIB, and repayment of its loans is used to repay bondholders. 14 SIBs also typically offer project sponsors other types of credit assistance, such as letters of credit, lines of credit, and loan guarantees.

Expert consensus proves current SIB’s solve better by eliminating federal red tape


Brown Executive Director California Construction Trucking Association 11

(Lee Brown, September 16, 2011 “A National Infrastructure Bank — Do We Need It & Would It Help?,” http://www.cdtoa.org/news/executive-director/1057-september-2011/1659-a-national-infrastructure-bank--do-we-need-it-a-would-it-help accessed 6-26-12 BC)


Some also believe the federal government might be wise to move to bolster existing and already successful state infrastructure banks instead of creating a national one. That’s the way that U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman John Mica has said he would like to go. “A National Infrastructure bank run by Washington bureaucrats requiring Washington approval and Washington red tape is moving in the wrong direction,” Mica said in a statement after the President’s speech. “A better plan to improve infrastructure is to empower our states, 33 of which already have state infrastructure banks.”

State Compacts CP

Compacts Solve

Congress can enable inter-state compacts – Solves transit infrastructure.


I-95 Corridor Coalition, 9

(Partnership of state departments of transportation, regional and local transportation agencies, toll authorities, and related organizations, including public safety, port, transit and rail organizations, from Maine to Florida, with affiliate members in Canada, “Federal Support for Freight Infrastructure: Policy Issues & Program Design,” I-95 Corridor Coalition, January 2009, pg. 12, http://i95coalition.org/i95/Portals/0/Public_Files/pm/reports/I-95%20Freight%20Infra%20Financing%20Paper%202009_01.pdf, A.D 6/27/12, JTF)


Having a multi-state entity as the project sponsor would demonstrate important regional cooperation and commitment to a nationally significant freight investment. Congress could adopt legislation making it easier for states to enter into multi-state compacts without specific Congressional approval. In this way, each project could form its own multi-state sponsor and draw upon its own set of revenue streams for the non-federal share. Establishing these project-specific entities could be a useful selection feature for critical corridor improvements.



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