Release: New Partnership on Infrastructure Seeks to Shape COVID-19 Economic Recovery Legislation
For Immediate Release
Yusef Robb, 323-384-1789
yusef@acceleratorforamerica.org
NEW PARTNERSHIP ON INFRASTRUCTURE SEEKS TO SHAPE COVID-19 ECONOMIC RECOVERY LEGISLATION
Partnership Will Deliver Specific, Actionable Recommendations to Overhaul Infrastructure Funding in U.S. to Improve Recovery for Workers, Underserved Communities
April 3, 2020 — To maximize the return on investment for American workers and underserved communities through federal stimulus legislation, Accelerator for America — together with WSP USA, The U.S. Conference of Mayors, Meridiam NA, Mastercard’s City Possible team, ACEC Research Institute, and HNTB — announced today that it is retooling and accelerating the recently-launched New Partnership on Infrastructure to shape the upcoming stimulus packages. Following virtual convenings, policy research and case study identification, the Partnership will deliver specific and actionable recommendations through an Infrastructure Playbook, a living document serving to improve how infrastructure is funded and delivered to the public.
Each $1 billion of investment in infrastructure creates more than 22,000 jobs — typically well paid and typically union jobs — that provide long-lasting careers and support strong local economies. For the stimulus to be most effective, we must align local government needs with broader federal macroeconomic stability goals. We must overhaul how we fund infrastructure in our country and move toward a system that incentivizes aligned local, state, and federal investment. By empowering local governments — which are most attuned to local needs and priorities — with more autonomy, infrastructure investments can be developed alongside national policy objectives.
"Too many Americans were already cut off from the American Dream and, now, we are only seeing the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the economic consequences of the pandemic," said Accelerator CEO and Co-Founder Rick Jacobs. "By strategically incorporating infrastructure investment into the national economic recovery plan, we can rebound from this crisis faster and create a stronger economy than we had before by rebuilding our middle class and upgrading the infrastructure on which our economy operates. These investments will also help to improve safety and mobility, combat climate change, improve access to clean drinking water, and provide transportation options to connect people with good-paying jobs."
“No one knows better than mayors the challenges facing American cities and the potential impact that repairing and building anew our national infrastructure system could have on creating jobs, promoting lasting resilience and boosting regional economies. This coalition will provide an incredible framework for our federal partners to use as part of the stimulus package that will be needed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mayors stand ready to do what they always do—to roll up their sleeves and get to work on improving the lives of all Americans,” said Tom Cochran, CEO and Executive Director of the United States Conference of Mayors.
Throughout April and May, the New Partnership on Infrastructure will release a series of highly actionable policy briefs and use case studies from local leaders across the country to shape legislative action. These briefs, as illustrations of the current local-state-federal disconnect, will inform the Playbook which will detail a broader framework for how a local perspective should shape economic recovery efforts.
The revamp of the National Partnership on Infrastructure was announced at yesterday’s virtual Advisory Council Meeting of Accelerator for America, which had been scheduled to take place in Louisville, KY, this week hosted by Accelerator for America partner and incoming President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Mayor Greg Fischer.
The Partnership was originally announced in February, as presidential candidates came together at a forum in Las Vegas, NV to present their infrastructure visions for the country (see this article written by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt). Since then, the world has changed. Now, the New Partnership on Infrastructure is leveraging its vast network of mayors, transportation and infrastructure sector leaders, and business and community development partners to draw upon local expertise and source successful local case studies to directly inform the stimulus package planned in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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ACCELERATOR FOR AMERICA finds and develops solutions to economic insecurity and shares them with cities to create national change from the ground up. It was co-founded by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Rick Jacobs in 2017 around the idea that, while Washington is broken and has, in fact, been broken for some time, change is still needed and can be made at the local level. The Accelerator has since developed community wealth-building tools that are being used by more than 60 cities nationwide, and it has helped local communities generate $22 billion in funding for transit and transportation infrastructure through local ballot initiatives, with more than $150 billion targeted in 2020. www.acceleratorforamerica.org