Rock Products is the aggregates industry's leading source for market analysis and technology solutions, delivering critical content focusing on aggregates-processing equipment; operational efficiencies; management best practices; comprehensive market
Issue link: https://rock.epubxp.com/i/945171
4 • ROCK products • March 2018 www.rockproducts.com With appropriate fanfare, President Donald Trump released his long- awaited infrastructure plan. Except it wasn't much of a plan, per se, it was more of an outline of principles, which frankly were mostly quite agreeable. Trump's plan, as reported in the run-up to the official announcement, calls for $200 billion in federal funds to spur at least $1.5 trillion in infrastructure investment with partners at the state, local, tribal and private level. Other core principles of the plan call for new investments in rural Amer- ica; decision-making authority returned to state and local governments; the removal of regulatory barriers; streamlined permitting; and an emphasis on the American worker. Conspicuously missing is a specific plan to fund the $200 billion and there is long list of questions attached to how that $1.5 trillion will mate- rialize. I am reminded of the alchemists of days long ago, who believed they could turn base metals into gold. We cannot turn strong words and huge ideas into new roads and bridges. I wrote last month of the need to raise the gas tax and fix the Highway Trust Fund. That would be a major first step, but unfortunately no such suggestion was forthcoming in the plan. There is also the significant hurdle of our congressional representatives, who may be wary of another big spending measure on the heels of a tax cut and the new budget agreement to fund the government. Industry association leaders were measured in their response, with the common theme that the Trump plan is only the beginning. • National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association President Michael John- son called the plan, "a very welcome and necessary way to start a very overdue conversation on infrastructure investment." • Associated Equipment Distributors President Brian P. McGuire echoed Johnson, saying, "The administration's proposal is just the start of the conversation. It's now Congress' responsibility to pass legislation that incorporates many of the principles." • Association of Equipment Manufacturers President Dennis Slater stated, "It should serve as an important starting point for serious debate in Congress." In the 1960s and 1970s, Firestone had a very popular commercial on TV that featured the tagline, "Where the rubber meets the road." When it comes to infrastructure spending, adequate funding is indeed where the rubber meets the road. I like just about everything I read in the new Trump plan. But as Cuba Gooding Jr.'s character said in the movie "Jerry McGuire": "Show me the money." Mark S. Kuhar, editor mkuhar@rockproducts.com (330) 722 - 4081 Twitter: @editormarkkuhar SEMCO PUBLISHING CORPORATE OFFICE 8751 East Hampden Avenue, Suite B-1 Denver, Colorado 80231 U.S.A. P: +1.303.283.0640 F: +1.303.283.0641 PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER Peter Johnson, pjohnson@semcopublishing.com EDITOR Mark Kuhar, mkuhar@rockproducts.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Josephine Patterson, jpatterson@semcopublishing.com PRODUCTION MANAGER Dan Fitts, dfitts@semcopublishing.com GRAPHIC DESIGNER Michael Florman, mflorman@semcopublishing.com PROJECT MANAGER Tanna Holzer, tholzer@semcopublishing.com CIRCULATION Juanita Walters, jwalters@semcopublishing.com SALES U.S., CANADA SALES Sean Carr, scarr@rockproducts.com Tel +1 216 409 9026 and Kyle Nichol, knichol@rockproducts.com Tel +1 330 819-3470 GERMANY SALES Gerd Strasmann, strasmannmedia@t-online.de Tel +49 2191 93 1497 SCANDINAVIA, UNITED KINGDOM AND WESTERN EUROPE SALES Jeff Draycott, jeff.draycott@womp-int.com Tel +44 (0) 786 6922148 Colm Barry, colm.barry@telia.com Tel +46 (0) 736 334670 JAPAN SALES Masao Ishiguro, ma.ishiguro@w9.dion.ne.jp Tel +81 (3) 3719 0775 AUSTRALIA/ASIA SALES Lanita Idrus, lidrus@asiaminer.com Tel +61 3 9006 1742 Rock Products, Volume 121, Issue 3, (ISSN 0035 - 7464) is published monthly by Mining Media Inc., dba Semco Publishing, 10 Sedgwick Drive, Englewood, Colorado 80113. Periodicals postage paid at Englewood Colorado, and additional mailing offices. Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 40845540. Canada return address: Station A, PO Box 54, Windsor ON N9A 6J5, Current and back issues and additional resources, including subscription request forms and an editorial calander, are available online at www.rockproducts.com. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Free and controlled circulation to qualified subscribers. Non-qualified persons may subscribe at the following rates: USA and Canada, 1 year $72.00, 2 year $119.00, 3 year $161.00. For subscriber services or to order single copies, write to Rock Products, 8751 East Hampden Avenue, Suite B1, Denver, Colorado 80231 USA; call +1.303.283.0640 ext. 207 (USA) or visit www.rockproducts.com ARCHIVES AND MICROFORM: This magazine is available for research and retrieval of selected archived articles from leading electronic databases and online search services, including Factiva, LexisNexis, and ProQuest. For microform availability, contact ProQuest at 800-521-0600 or +1.734-761-4700, or search the Serials in Microform listings at www.proquest.com. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Rock Products, PO Box 828, Northbrook, IL 60065-0828. REPRINTS: Rock Products, 8751 East Hampden Avenue, Suite B1, Denver, CO 80231 USA; P: +1.303.283.0640 ext. 207, F: 1+303.283.0641, www.rockproducts.com PHOTOCOPIES: Authorization to photocopy articles for internal corporate, personal, or instructional use may be obtained from the Copyright Clearance Center (CCC) at +1.978.750.8400. To obtain further information, visit www.copyright.com COPYRIGHT 2018: Rock Products ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Circuation audited by Official Media Partner Member of Trump's Infrastructure Alchemy