“We have to be sure the process is open, it’s transparent, it is competitive, and it is above board.  I live not too far from the famous Big Dig in Boston that went billions of dollars over budget, and we can’t have that in an era when resources are limited and when the needs are so great.  So we have to have a process of competitive bidding that is fair, open, transparent, so that all the taxpayers understand exactly what they’re paying for and where their dollars are going.”

Vermont Governor Jim Douglas (R)

Since we ultimately pay for it, the American taxpayer deserves to have safe, efficient, affordable and modern infrastructure.

• FACT: 35% of America’s major roads are in “poor” or “mediocre” condition (The Road Information Program). Poor road conditions are responsible for one-third of all U.S. highway fatalities.
• FACT: Over 4,000 dams or levees are currently deemed “unsafe” (Source: American Society of Civil Engineers).
• FACT: 30% of America's children attend schools with overcrowded classrooms (Source: American Society of Civil Engineers) and the use of portable classrooms by public school systems continues to grow at more than 20 percent each year (Source: Modular Building Institute).

It’s time for fresh approaches to old problems – we must reform and modernize the way we invest in infrastructure. Getting it done right (with accountability and transparency) is just as important as getting it done fast.

• FACT: A near unanimous 94 percent of Americans are concerned about our nation's infrastructure, and 81 percent are willing to pay more in taxes to rebuild it. But over 60 percent say that accountability and transparency in how the funds are spent are their highest priorities (Source: Luntz, Laslansky Strategic Research).

Building America’s Future recommends that states and localities report back to Congress on how any federal funds were allocated and how many jobs were created.

Collecting this data will help Congress and the new Administration understand what return on investment we are getting for our infrastructure dollars and how we might better target those funds in the future.