Both the Democrats and the Republicans are addressing the infrastructure issue as we head into the final two months of the presidential campaign.


In his acceptance speech Aug. 28, Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama highlighted the federal government's role in transportation, saying, "Our is a promise that says government cannot solve all our problems, but what it should do is that which we cannot do for ourselves -- protect us from harm and provide every child a decent education; keep our water clean and our toys safe; invest in new schools and new roads and science and technology."

In its weekly member newsletter, the American Road and Transportation Builders Association reported that a draft Republican platform pledges a "business-like, cost-effective" approach to infrastructure investment. "The American people can have safer roads and bridges, better airports and more efficient harbors, as long as we straighten out the government's spending priorities. The politics of pork distorts the allocation of resources for modernizing the nation's infrastructure."