Issue Position: Economic Plan: A New Direction - Rebuild Our Roads, Schools and Other Critical Infrastructure, Not Iraq's

Issue Position

Highways, roads, bridges, schools and other critical infrastructure in New Hampshire and across America are deteriorating, yet Washington is still spending $10 billion a year on Iraq reconstruction.

Investment in infrastructure not only is necessary to facilitate trade and commerce, it creates jobs both directly and indirectly. Construction is a major source of good-paying jobs, providing employment to 7.5 million employees making on average over $20 per hour, 20 percent higher than the average private industry wages.

As Governor, Jeanne Shaheen boosted state investment in highways, roads, bridges and public schools. She fought for a new kindergarten construction program that has built new kindergartens and rebuilt existing ones across the state. She pushed for the largest capital investment in the University System in state history. And when our economy slowed after the September 11th attacks, one of the first things Governor Shaheen did was expedite infrastructure projects that were in the pipeline.

In the Senate, Jeanne Shaheen will push to rebuild New Hampshire and America and create good construction jobs by:

* Redirecting the $10 billion a year we are spending on Iraq reconstruction to rebuilding our highways, roads, bridges, and other critical infrastructure.
* Strengthening the Highway Trust Fund so that fuel tax exemptions and refunds are paid for by general funds not the highway trust fund and cracking down on fuel tax evasion.

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