Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center

Infrastructure spending: Which state is falling apart the worst?

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In the Donald Trump era, the United States appears to be more politically divided than it has been in decades. Still, there are matters of public policy that most Americans can agree on — chief among them is investment in infrastructure. According to a recent non-partisan Gallup poll, three out of four Americans support the president’s plan of spending more federal money on infrastructure.

The president proposed a $1 trillion plan to improve aging roads, bridges, and tunnels across the country. While funding the project has proven to be a political challenge, broad public support for the plan is rooted in necessity.

About seven out of every 100 miles of roadway nationwide are in poor condition; 9 percent of bridges nationwide are structurally deficient, meaning that they are in need of some repair; and 17 percent of dams in the country have a high hazard potential — meaning a functional failure would result in the loss of life.

Keep reading this article at: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/economy/2018/08/13/infrastructure-spending-states-that-are-falling-apart/37270513/

Infrastructure projects should include more minority- and women-owned contractors

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The need to rebuild, repair, operate and maintain our country’s infrastructure is, and always will be, an ongoing endeavor. The problem is that minorities, women, veterans and other groups are seldom the contractors or high-wage earners on infrastructure projects.

Historically, the primary funding source for the U.S. Dept. of Transportation and its infrastructure projects is an 18.4¢-per-gallon gasoline tax and a 24.4¢-per-gallon tax on diesel fuel that millions of consumers pay at the pump. These taxes account for nearly $200 billion annually. In addition to the federal tax, states collect gasoline taxes that often are much higher, with some state rates adding as much as 57¢ per gallon to a fuel purchase. Couple these taxes with airport fees, tolls and so on, and we see that much of America’s infrastructure is supported by consumers—people who should have the right to participate in rebuilding it. The inclusion of all Americans must be a top priority for local, state and federal representatives and the companies awarded these contracts.

As financial models for these projects become more creative, including the wider use of public-private partnerships (P3s), we need to ensure that funds are being used for their intended purpose—to rebuild infrastructure—and that all Americans benefit from this funding.

Keep reading this article at: https://www.enr.com/articles/44181-infrastructure-projects-should-include-more-minority–and-women-owned-contractors

An infrastructure deal should be easy, but isn’t

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The stars should be aligned for a big infrastructure deal.

The lingering devastation from the hurricanes that crippled Houston and Florida underscored the national problems of crumbling roads and bridges, inadequate transportation systems and aging electrical grids. President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats both want Washington to spend billions on repairs and construction.

The need is critical. The American Society of Civil Engineers recently gave the country’s infrastructure a D-plus grade and estimated that its deficiencies will cost the economy $4 trillion over the next decade. As Floridians go days, stretching into weeks, without power, and with old people dying in nursing homes, the urgency is clear.

Keep reading this article at: https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-09-17/an-infrastructure-deal-should-be-easy-but-isn-t

Contractors are confident amid uncertain political environment

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These days, change and uncertainty seem to be the one constant in the world of government and business.

As we move into the middle of the year, it’s hard not to be affected by the constant reminders of risk and uncertainty all around us with a slow-growing economy, political gridlock, skepticism in government and heightened tensions around the world. But as we measured the collective “mood” of government contractors in our recent survey of contractor sales expectations, a very different perspective emerged.

Contractors, vendors and suppliers are betting that the economy will continue to grow, agency budgets and spending will continue to improve, and that the “wait and see” type of caution that characterized many government contracting decisions prior to the November elections will transition to an “invest and grow” mentality in vital areas like infrastructure and technology.

In short, rather than limping along in a defensive posture, the government contracting marketplace is expected to be on its front foot in the coming year – a bright spot on the landscape.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.routefifty.com/finance/2017/07/contractors-remain-confident-amid-uncertain-political-environment/139341/

The federal work ‘trade-off’: What contractors need to know about the public sector

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One of the most popular elements of President Donald Trump’s campaign was his $1 trillion plan to boost the U.S. construction industry and revamp the nation’s highways, bridges, ports and other public assets. That proposal has sparked industry excitement as evidenced by spikes in construction-related stock prices the day after Trump won the election and whenever he hints at the possibility of advancing his infrastructure agenda.

However, the highway to riches has been paved with uncertainty thus far, with the administration largely focused on other issues like the repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act, tax reform, an increasingly volatile foreign policy landscape and a Supreme Court nomination.

Trump’s proposed 2018 budget seemed to confirm that infrastructure was no longer a priority, as it eliminated funding for many popular transportation-related programs. Then came word at the end of March that Trump might introduce an infrastructure spending bill along with tax reform, but that fell flat as the proposed measure did not earmark any of the new tax revenue that would be gathered under the bill for public works construction.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.constructiondive.com/news/the-federal-work-trade-off-what-contractors-need-to-know-about-the-publi/441894/

Tech companies prep for Trump’s infrastructure plan — even without details

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For the past few years, French entrepreneur Fabrice Brassart has been building what he thinks will be the backbone of the city of the future: a network of app-summoned self-driving cars that seamlessly navigate roads on a rubber pad lined with radio frequency identification tags.

It’s an ambitious project that’s still in the conceptual stage, at least a year from pilot deployment and four years from commercialization. Brassart is still raising funds in Europe for his Nice-based startup, REVA2, and already aims to use French cities Cagnes-sur-Mer and Rennes as testbeds—they have already expressed interest, he said. But he’s found a reason to pursue entering the American market as well: President Donald Trump’s campaign promise for a $1 trillion infrastructure spending plan, meted out over 10 years.

“We will harness technology and make smarter decisions on how we build and utilize our infrastructure,” Trump’s transition team wrote in a brief description of his plans. “Our roads, bridges, airports, transit systems and ports will be the envy of the world and enhance the lives of all Americans.”

Keep reading this article at: http://www.nextgov.com/emerging-tech/2017/02/tech-companies-prep-trumps-infrastructure-planeven-without-details/135431

Update on government contracts ramifications of the Trump administration

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In December 2016, Jones Day issued “ Government Contracts Ramifications of the Trump Election,” a Commentary in which we discussed several likely impacts of the Trump Administration in the government contracts arena. Specifically, we discussed that the new Administration would:

  • Seek repeal of numerous Executive Orders affecting government contractors.
  • Reject some Obama Administration procurement policies, such as: the preference for fixed-price type contracts; the preference for lowest-price technically acceptable (“LPTA”) evaluation schemes; and the preference against outsourcing government jobs to private companies.
  • Embrace Commercial Item contracting.
  • Increase government spending for defense, cybersecurity, infrastructure, and immigration-related activities.
  • Decrease spending by many agencies, including the Department of Education, Environmental Protection Agency, and Internal Revenue Service.
  • Focus on compliance issues such as rooting out fraud, waste, and abuse, and ensuring compliance with the Buy American Act and Trade Agreements Act.
  • Withdraw from, or renegotiate America’s participation in, certain trade relationships, which could affect companies’ supply chains.
  • Decrease the federal workforce, which could result in understaffing and undertraining within the acquisition workforce.
  • Appoint the members of the FAR Council, including the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (“OFPP”) Administrator, Secretary of Defense, Administrator of National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the Administrator of General Services Administration.

Since the issuance of our earlier Commentary, President Trump has taken several actions that provide additional insight into the impact his Administration will have on government contractors.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.mondaq.com/unitedstates/x/564798/Government+Contracts+Procurement+PPP/Update+On+Government+Contracts+Ramifications+Of+The+Trump+Administration

Government contracts under the Trump administration

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President-elect Donald Trump will usher in a new era for government contractors, much like Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton before him.

What impact will the new president and administration have on the field of government contracts?

Click on this link to read about the 10 areas to watch: https://www.law360.com/articles/881546/government-contracts-under-the-trump-administration

New administration’s infrastructure list could mean billions of dollars in government contract opportunities

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The Trump Administration has compiled a list of about 50 infrastructure projects nationwide — totaling more than $137 billion, which could represent the core of major of domestic spending in coming years.

The White House’s proposed investment priorities are outlined in documents obtained by McClatchy’s Kansas City Star and The News Tribune, published on jan. 24, 2017.

The list is entitled “Emergency & National Security Projects,” and was reportedly shared with the National Governors Association in December requesting further suggestions.  The letter from the Presidential Transition Team states that it is “looking for 3 to 5 project suggestions from each state that they would vet for inclusion in a new program.”

One project in Georgia currently appears on the list of proposed projects — acceleration of the Savannah Harbor Expansion project.

To see the full list of proposed projects, click on this link: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3409546-Emergency-NatSec50Projects-121416-1-Reduced.html

Savannah Harbor Expansion Project Acceleration
The acceleration of the expansion of Savannah Harbor appears as #19 on a list of 50 national infrastructure projects proposed by the Trump transition team to the National Governors Association.

Report: Private sector key to nation’s infrastructure, but hurdles remain

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Amid congressional gridlock, business leaders and transportation officials are turning to the private sector to help fix the nation’s crumbling infrastructure.

But a new report from the Bipartisan Policy Center says the effort is going to require an investment model that encourages more transparency and less regulatory hurdles.

The Bipartisan Policy Center’s executive council on infrastructure unveiled a set of recommendations last week outlining how the country can fill an estimated $1.4 trillion infrastructure shortfall between now and 2025.

Bipartisan Policy Center 05.2016

Lawmakers have repeatedly struggled to come up with a long-term funding solution for the country’s infrastructure, despite a growing number of congested roads and deficient bridges. The federal gasoline tax, which finances the Highway Trust Fund, has not been raised in over two decades.

Keep reading this article at: http://thehill.com/policy/transportation/280070-report-private-sector-key-to-nations-infrastructure-but-hurdles-remain

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