Tifia increases solve the aff—make infrastructure projects easier to fund
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- FREIGHT Act solves – it does everything NIB would do for freight rail
- FREIGHT Act creates performance measuring
- Private Investment Solves
- The private sector is sufficient on its own
- Coal Causes Global Warming
- Grain - Alt Cause – Ports
Freight RailStatus Quo Solves – Private SectorPrivate sector interest and investment in freight rail nowAssociation of American Railroads, railroad policy, research, and technology organization, 12 (Association of American Railroads, 1-30-12, "Freight Railroads Expect to Spend a Record $13 Billion on Capital Expenditures, Hire More than 15,000 in 2012," http://www.aar.org/NewsAndEvents/Press-Releases/2012/01/30-Investment-And-Hiring.aspx, accessed 6-27-12, CNM) Washington, D.C.—Jan. 30, 2012— The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today announced that the nation’s major freight railroads are projected to invest a record $13 billion in capital expenditures in 2012 to expand, upgrade, and enhance the nation’s freight rail network. The freight railroads also expect to hire more than 15,000 employees this year, replacing retiring workers and adding new positions nationwide. “Unlike trucks, barges or airlines, America’s freight railroads operate on infrastructure they own, build and maintain themselves so taxpayers don’t have to. And this year they are investing at a record rate to meet the demands of the recovering economy,” said Edward R. Hamberger, AAR President and CEO. “These investments help businesses get their goods to market more efficiently and affordably, so they too can innovate, invest and hire. That’s how freight rail spurs the American economy and supports jobs all across the country.” With hundreds of infrastructure projects underway nationwide, privately owned freight rail networks are maintained through continued investments that have reached record levels in the past three years. These investments include expenditures such as intermodal terminals that facilitate truck to train freight transport; new track, bridges and tunnels; modernized safety equipment; new locomotives and rail cars, and other components that ensure the U.S. freight rail network remains the best in the world. In recent years, railroads have been spending roughly 17 percent of their annual revenue on capital expenditures, compared with the average U.S. manufacturer that spends roughly 3 percent of revenue on capital expenditures. “As the demand to move more freight by rail increases and a significant percentage of the rail workforce hits retirement age, freight railroads are continuing to add and fill jobs nationwide,” said Hamberger. “These jobs are well paying, highly skilled careers that cannot be offshored.” Rail employee compensation averages roughly $100,000 per year, with jobs ranging from engineers and dispatchers, to law enforcement, to information technology and industrial development. Freight railroads have roughly 175,000 employees nationwide, many of whom are veterans and reservists. In fact, one in five of recent new railroad hires are veterans. FREIGHT Act SolvesFREIGHT Act solves – it does everything NIB would do for freight railHigashide, Tri State Transportation Campaign’s Federal Advocate, 11 (Steven, 12/13/11, Mobilizing the Region, " Federal Transportation Bill Could Mean Big Changes for Freight — Or Not," http://blog.tstc.org/2011/12/13/federal-transportation-bill-could-mean-big-changes-for-freight-or-not/, accessed 6-30-12, CNM) The second is the FREIGHT Act (S327/HR1338), which was sponsored by Sen. Lautenberg and Rep. Albio Sires. It would expand MAP-21′s freight provisions by: Establishing performance-based criteria to evaluate freight projects, so that federal policy incentivizes projects that improve shipping delays and safety, and reduce air, water, and noise pollution. Creating a competitive grant program for freight projects. (Read more about the FREIGHT Act on MTR and T4America’s blog.) The Senate’s Commerce Committee, which handles freight issues, will meet Wednesday and is likely to debate the inclusion of the FREIGHT Act’s provisions in MAP-21. FREIGHT Act creates performance measuringDavis, Transportation for America Deputy Communications Director, 11 (Stephen Lee, 12-14-12, Transportation for America, "Senate committee takes positive steps for freight, multimodalism, performance and safer streets," http://t4america.org/blog/2011/12/14/senate-committee-takes-positive-steps-for-freight-multimodalism-performance-and-safer-streets/, accessed 6-30-12, CNM) Many components of Senator Lautenberg’s FREIGHT Act, which we’ve been supporting since its introduction in 2010, were passed out of committee as a part of S. 1950 today. It would create a coordinated national policy for freight and ports across the country. The FREIGHT Act was combined with a separate bill about performance goals and objectives to become the Surface Transportation and Freight Policy Act. These two proposals both had language on measuring performance – one focused on the freight system and the other on the entire surface transportation network.. The combined bill melds performance goals and objectives from both bills to see if we’re really spending money wisely across our whole system, not just freight. Solves congestionDavis, Transportation for America Deputy Communications Director, 11 (Stephen Lee, 12-14-12, Transportation for America, "Senate committee takes positive steps for freight, multimodalism, performance and safer streets," http://t4america.org/blog/2011/12/14/senate-committee-takes-positive-steps-for-freight-multimodalism-performance-and-safer-streets/, accessed 6-30-12, CNM) There’s also a multimodal grant program for freight infrastructure projects focused on bottlenecks, areas of congestion and other key freight needs. The projects are selected by criteria that support many of the same goals and objectives listed above. Private Investment SolvesStatus quo private investment solvesOrski, Innovation Briefs Publisher and Editor, 8 (C. Kenneth, 6-1-08, Heartlander, "Freight Rail in Unprecedented Expansion, While High-Cost Urban Rail Transit Lags," http://news.heartland.org/newspaper-article/2008/06/01/freight-rail-unprecedented-expansion-while-high-cost-urban-rail-transit, accessed 6-30-12, CNM) In the meantime another rail sector--the freight railroads--is experiencing unprecedented expansion. "For the first time in nearly a century railroads are making large investments in their networks," wrote Daniel Machalaba in a well-documented front page article in The Wall Street Journal ("New Era for Rail Building," February 13, 2008). "Their campaign is altering the corridors of American commerce, more so than any other development since interstate highways spread to the interior," Machalaba noted. Since 2000, freight railroads have spent $10 billion to expand track, build freight yards, and buy rolling stock, and they have $12 billion more in upgrades planned. "It's been a century since railroads embarked on a similar spate of capital investment," Machalaba observed.
(C. Kenneth, 6-1-08, "Freight Rail in Unprecedented Expansion, While High-Cost Urban Rail Transit Lags," http://news.heartland.org/newspaper-article/2008/06/01/freight-rail-unprecedented-expansion-while-high-cost-urban-rail-transit, accessed 6-30-12, CNM) What is remarkable is that this massive expansion and modernization of freight rail infrastructure has been accomplished without the help of any public funds. From 1980, when the Staggers Rail Act partially deregulated railroads, through 2006, railroads have invested some $400 billion of private capital in their systems, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR). Currently, railroad companies are investing 18 percent of their revenue in new infrastructure, more than any other industry, says AAR. They are able to do so because dramatic increases in freight volume due to booming international trade have led to record earnings. Forecasts are for continued profitability, with railroads prepared to continue funding internally the vast majority of their planned rail infrastructure investment. Coal Causes Global WarmingCoal is a large contributor to global warmingMacalister, Guardian energy editor, 6-13 (Terry, 6-13-12, Guardian, "Coal's resurgence undermines fight against global warming," http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/jun/13/coal-resurgence-global-warming, accessed 6-30-12, CNM) Christof Ruhl, BP's chief economist presenting the figures in London on Wednesday said industrialisation of developing countries and cheap prices were driving coal demand which had "profound implications" for CO2 output. The increased use of coal and a continued heavy use of other fossil fuels such as oil and gas led to a 3% increase in world carbon emissions from energy in 2011, a lower rate than in 2010, the statistics show. Ruhl said concerns about climate change seemed to have been parked to one side as a "sense of frustration" had set in over the difficulties of finding a quick and easy solution to global warming. Grain - Alt Cause – PortsAlt cause – ports are ineffectiveAgrimoney, Agriculture news source, 11 (2-14-11, "'Ageing' infrastructure hurting US grain exports," http://www.agrimoney.com/news/ageing-infrastructure-hurting-us-grain-exports--2818.html, accessed 6-30-12, CNM) However, a USGC meeting heard that the US was not even going to be able to exploit upgrades to the Panama Canal to accommodate 1,200-foot vessels, compared with a maximum of 965 feet today, "Unless the US does a better job of maintaining its navigation channels… our channel dimensions will not keep pace with larger ships," Kurt Nagle, chief executive of the American Association of Port Authorities, which represents facilities in both North and South America, told the USGC session. "[The US] will not realise the full advantage of the export opportunities the expanded Panama Canal will bring. "A nation is judged by its infrastructure, and the US is getting worse by the year, if not the day," he added. Ken Eriksen, senior vice president at analysis group Informa Economics, said the US needs a "wake-up call" on infrastructure, with its spending on logistical improvements below that of the likes of Brazil, Europe, Japan and Singapore on a per capita basis. [Note – USGC = US Grains Council] 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 0.66 Mb. Share with your friends:
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