Policy News
Tuesday, January 5th, 2010
A new analysis by CNT, Smart Growth America, and U.S. PIRG shows that in the first ten months of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), investments in public transportation have created twice as many jobs per dollar as investments in highways. The new report shows that by mimicking funding levels for transportation set out in ARRA, the Jobs for Main Street Act (H.R. 2847), passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in December, missed an opportunity to create additional jobs where they are needed most.
The report, “What we learned from the Stimulus”, is available here.
Read more »
Posted in Featured Portfolio News, Policy, Transportation and Community Development | No Comments »
Monday, December 21st, 2009
The U.S. House of Representatives has recognized green infrastructure’s tremendous potential for clean water, energy, jobs and community health with the introduction of the Green Infrastructure for Clean Water Act of 2009.
Reps. Donna Edwards (D-MD), Russ Carnahan (D-MO) and Steve Driehaus (D-OH) introduced federal legislation (HR 4202) on December 3 that authorizes up to $300 million annually in green infrastructure (GI) planning and implementation grants. The bill will also establish “GI centers of excellence” in planning, implementation and policy, and help states establish Green Infrastructure Portfolio Standards that would incrementally grow states use of green infrastructure stormwater management, akin to renewable energy portfolio standards.
“This is an opportunity to extend federal investment in green infrastructure’s ecologically and economically effective water conservation approaches,” said Steve Wise, CNT’s Natural Resources Director. “Green infrastructure returns rainwater from a stormwater problem back to the most critical, valuable resource we have. Green infrastructure protects and restores clean water, saves energy embedded in water treatment and pumping, and enhances communities’ health and vitality through expanded natural areas.
Read more »
Posted in Featured Portfolio News, Natural Resources, Policy | No Comments »
Thursday, December 17th, 2009
In a new analysis of ten months’ worth of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) data released last week by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, three public interest and smart growth groups found that for every billion dollars spent on public transportation projects, 16,419 job-months were created. A billion dollars spent on highway infrastructure projects created only 8,781 job-months.
CNT, Smart Growth America, and U.S. PIRG analyzed the new data released and found that stimulus money spent on public transportation projects created almost double the number of “job-months” as money spent on highway infrastructure projects.
CNT President, Scott Bernstein, put those findings into perspective in light of the new $154 billion jobs bill passed by the U.S. House on Wednesday, “In the middle of a recession, the principle for setting a priority for public spending should be to “leave no job behind”. Since the federal government’s own numbers show that dollar for dollar transit investments produced as many or more jobs as did highway investments, the new jobs bill should reflect balance in the choice between these two kinds of opportunities.”
Read more »
Posted in Featured Portfolio News, Policy, Transportation and Community Development | 4 Comments »
Tuesday, September 15th, 2009
Congressman Danny Davis kicked off a roundtable in Chicago’s Downtown Omni Hotel on Monday by providing a legislative context for the newly reinvigorated, federal commuter benefit program designed to save taxpayers millions of dollars, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The program is called “Commuter Tax Benefits”, and on Monday morning CNT and its partners hosted more than 100 business leaders and a panel of experts to discuss the “win-win-win” possibilities for employees, employers, and the environment.
Read more »
Posted in Featured Portfolio News, Policy, Transportation and Community Development | No Comments »
Monday, September 14th, 2009
Last Thursday, CNT hosted a press conference highlighting the benefits of energy efficiency provisions in the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACES), also referred to as the Waxman-Markey Bill H.R. 2454, which passed the House of Representatives in June.
Discussions of ACES often focus on the proposed cap and trade program outlined in the bill, but the report released last week by Environment Illinois and the American Council for an Energy- Efficient Economy (ACEEE) makes clear that the benefits of the energy efficiency provisions are sizable and should not be overlooked.
Read more »
Posted in Energy, Featured Portfolio News, Policy | 1 Comment »
Monday, July 13th, 2009
Today at noon, CNT’s Vice President of Policy, Jacky Grimshaw, will be at the Governor’s capital bill signing to outline how the bill provides a major opportunity to create good jobs and make our communities cleaner, greener, healthier and better positioned to profit in the energy economy of the future. Illinois Governor, Pat Quinn, will sign the long-delayed legislation, creating a huge public works program – at $29 billion – to help the Illinois economy.
Read more »
Posted in Featured Portfolio News, Policy, Transportation and Community Development | No Comments »
Thursday, July 9th, 2009
Last Friday, H.R. 2454 – the American Clean Energy & Security Act (ACES), also known as the Waxman-Markey Bill – successfully passed in the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 219 to 212. This Thursday, a Senate counterpart to the plan was officially unveiled by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).
The bill calls for an economy-wide cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, along with programs to encourage renewable energy production. This landmark legislation is the first to focus on comprehensive and direct solutions to climate change. The bill successfully targets climate change by focusing on short-term solutions like provisions for creating energy-efficient buildings—solutions that can reduce energy usage and save Americans money.
Read more »
Posted in Climate, Featured Portfolio News, Location efficiency, Policy | 1 Comment »
Thursday, June 25th, 2009
On Monday, June 22, U.S. Rep. Jim Oberstar (D-Minn.), Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, introduced a bill that would reauthorize federal surface transportation funding to the tune of $450 billion and reform how the federal government invests in transportation infrastructure. Illinois transportation advocates commend Rep. Oberstar for his leadership on renewing federal surface transportation funding, which expires within a matter of weeks. They are working actively in coalition with Transportation for America (T4America) to help shape the bill so that it goes even further to ensure federal transportation investments help the U.S. and Illinois meet broader economic, energy, climate and health goals.
Read more »
Posted in Featured Portfolio News, Location efficiency, Policy, Transportation and Community Development | No Comments »
Thursday, May 28th, 2009
On May 27, the Illinois Legislature took a significant step toward statewide sustainable water policy by passing the Green Infrastructure for Clean Water Act, SB 1489. The bill sets the state on a path toward more effective and sustainable urban stormwater management by directing the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) to consider standards that prioritize natural drainage approaches known as green infrastructure.
Read more »
Posted in Featured Portfolio News, Natural Resources, Policy | 1 Comment »
