Before we spend $2 trillion, report recommends a ‘Blueprint for Tomorrow’

For all of us who rely on our roads and public transit, and our water, sewage and power systems, the agreement reached by President Trump and Democratic congressional leaders in May to commit $2 trillion to infrastructure should be good news.

For all of us who rely on our roads and public transit, and our water, sewage and power systems, the agreement reached by President Trump and Democratic congressional leaders in May to commit $2 trillion to infrastructure should be good news.

But, as a May 14 report from U.S. PIRG Education Fund, Environment America Research & Policy Center and Frontier Group cautions, before allocating that money, our elected officials should determine which investments will best address climate change, pollution and threats to public safety.

“Deciding how much to spend before deciding what to spend it on puts the cart before the horse,” said U.S. PIRG Chief Operating Officer Andre Delattre.

“Any infrastructure package must move us closer to a society that avoids wasting energy and powers itself with clean, renewable energy,” said Rob Sargent, senior director of Environment America Research & Policy Center’s Clean Energy Program. “We should only build things that guarantee a healthier future.”

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Photo: A Recycling facility in Long Beach, Calif. Photo Credit: City of Long Beach, CC0