SPEAK OUT!
Add Your Voice to the Jobs Bill Discussion
As you know, the nation’s economic crisis has prompted numerous conversations about what
can and should be done to remedy the situation. Currently, a new jobs bill is being discussed by
legislators in Washington and a large focus of the debate surrounds infrastructure investment as
a way to create and support jobs.
Help us spread the message of infrastructure investment’s merits to your community by placing
an op-ed in your local newspaper. ASCE has prepared a draft op-ed that you can customize for
use in your local media.
Tips for placing the op-ed are listed below, and if you need further assistance you can contact
Karen Albers, ASCE’s Manager of State Public Relations at (703) 295-6404 or
kalbers@asce.org.
Placing Op-eds
When used to make a point on a major, newsworthy issue, an op-ed (short for “opposite editorial”)
piece provides you with the chance to promote the value of the civil engineering profession. Op-eds
can be submitted to an editorial page editor by anyone, you need not be a journalist. Your op-ed
should offer a personal opinion on a specific issue. Op-eds are often used to persuade an audience to
side with a specific viewpoint on a given topic.
Many newspapers post the guidelines for submitting op-eds, including maximum length, on their Web
sites. Do not send the same op-ed piece to more than one newspaper. It is better to craft an individual
proposal that takes into account a publication's specific needs.
Here are five steps for preparing an op-ed:
1. Review publications in your region to determine which ones accept op-eds and their preferred
formats.
2. Prepare a draft. The average op-ed should run about 750 words (approximately three doublespaced, typed pages), and the byline should include the author's current professional title.
Identify the author as a civil engineer, if appropriate. Use the attached draft as a guideline for
your op-ed, adding localized information in the spaces indicated.
3. Submit the op-ed. Remember to follow established guidelines of the newspaper. If the first
editor declines the piece, start the process again with a new outlet. Persistence is the key.
Some large papers require that an op-ed be submitted on an exclusive basis, meaning no other
publication can simultaneously print the piece. With smaller papers, there is a general acceptance of
multiple submissions, as long as your op-ed is not published by other papers in the same city. Check
each publication’s editorial policy to be sure. Coordinate with your local Section or Branch leaders to
avoid multiple submissions.
Word count: 658
Creating jobs and improving the economy is of concern to all of us these days, and many of us worry how
we’ll weather the storm. While the unemployment rate continues to hover at record highs, legislators in
Washington are searching for ways to create jobs and stimulate the economy. Currently, a new jobs bill is
being discussed and a large focus of the debate surrounds using infrastructure investment as a way to
both create and support jobs.
Strong infrastructure creates a foundation for economic stability and infrastructure investment has a
proven track record of creating and sustaining jobs. Not only would this type of investment create jobs,
but if done right, it would also provide tangible benefits to the American people, such as reduced traffic
congestion, improved air quality, clean and abundant water supplies and protection against natural
hazards.
Decades of underfunding and inattention have jeopardized the ability of our nation’s infrastructure to
support our economy and facilitate our way of life. For the safety and security of our families, we can no
longer afford to ignore the congested roads, aging dams, broken water mains and deficient bridges we
face every day. [Insert state statistic here, i.e., number of structurally deficient bridges or dams. See
www.infrastructurereportcard.org/states for sources.] The costs to each of us are real in terms of lost time
and productivity, wasted fuel and wear and tear on our cars, not to mention the very real dangers to our
health and safety. We don’t need to look back too far to remember the [Insert local example, i.e. water
main break, blackout, bridge closing, etc.]. Whether it’s sitting in traffic every morning or having a water
main break disrupt the water supply to your home, no matter where you live in this country, failing
infrastructure has an impact on your checkbook and quality of life.
In its 2009 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
graded the nation’s infrastructure a “D” and outlined a five-year investment need of $2.2 trillion. Since the
last Report Card in 2005 – which also assigned our nation’s infrastructure a “D” – we’ve seen congestion
continue to increase and funding for necessary repairs and improvements dry up. We’ve been hitting the
snooze button on this issue for far too long.
The funding provided by any potential jobs bill, similar to the funding provided by the American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act of 2009, is not a cure-all for the infrastructure crisis, but could help lay the
foundation for improvement.
The benefits of strategic investment in infrastructure are clear. According to the U.S. Department of
Transportation, every dollar invested in the nation’s highway system yields $5.40 in economic benefit
from reduced delays, improved safety and lower vehicle operating costs. In addition, every billion dollars
in federal highway construction spending supports more than 30,000 jobs annually.
Infrastructure investments can provide significant and lasting benefits for the public, but only if projects
are selected wisely and on a basis that retains jobs, not just creates them. Officials who allocate the
funding would be wise to weigh potential projects against a set of principles that will ensure the greatest
long-term benefit to the public. ASCE believes those principles must include: delivering measurable
improvements in public health, safety and quality of life; providing substantial, broad-based economic
benefit; being designed and built in a sustainable and cost-effective manner, giving proper consideration
to life-cycle costs; and providing a significant environmental benefit, such as improved air quality through
reduced congestion.
[Insert local example here: i.e., Those of us who spend hours on the capital beltway know all too well the
need for improved roadways and the opportunities presented by better capacity.] However, the short-term
commitment envisioned as part of the potential jobs bill is only one piece of the puzzle. If a long-term plan
isn’t put into place – one that includes sufficient funding levels and a dedicated revenue source – it could
amount to nothing more than a band-aid.