NATIONAL NEWS

Washington Post: Enough with the economic recovery: It's time to pay up
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/10/AR2010061004971.html?hpid=topnews
...At this point, neither the politics nor the economics support the idea of spending large sums, directly or through tax breaks, just to shave a percentage point off this year's unemployment rate. But with plenty of slack in the economy and interest rates at historic lows, this is the ideal time to borrow and invest heavily in public infrastructure that has been badly neglected over the past 30 years. I'm referring not only to roads and bridges but also to airports and air traffic control systems, urban transit, high-speed rail, schools and university facilities, national laboratories, national parks, "smart" electric grids, broadband networks, green generating plants, and health information networks.

STATE NEWS

Finance and Commerce: State contractors struggle amid uncertainty over federal transportation spending
http://www.finance-commerce.com/article.cfm/2010/06/11/State-contractors-struggle-amid-uncertainty-over-federal-transportation-spending
...McReynolds’ experience is consistent with results of a survey of 1,200 construction firms from across the country. The survey was released Thursday by the Associated General Contractors, whose membership includes highway and building contractors and suppliers. Nearly 60 percent of Minnesota companies that responded to the survey said traffic congestion and shipping reliability has had a “significant” or “frequent” impact on their operations. More than two of three Minnesota respondents – 67 –percent – said they are purchasing less construction equipment due to the lack of a six-year highway bill, and 78 percent said they are hiring fewer people as a result.