Recent Streetsblog USA posts about Economics

Shock or Yawn? Virginia’s GOP Governor Backs Highway User Fees

By Elana Schor | May 10, 2010 | 13 Comments

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R), who has won over many conservatives by reviving the state’s recognition of Confederate History Month and attempting to declare the White House health care bill invalid within its borders, today proposed to add tolls to Interstate 95 along the North Carolina border. Gov. Bob McDonnell (R-VA) (Photo: LAT) McDonnell announced […]

U.S. DOT Proposes Giving Minority-Owned Firms Greater Shot at Contracts

By Elana Schor | May 7, 2010 | 2 Comments

Women- and minority-owned companies would have an easier time winning federal transportation contracts under a new rule released by the Obama administration today, which comes in the wake of complaints from social-equity advocates that such firms had received just 2 percent of infrastructure contracts awarded under last year’s economic stimulus law. (Photo: CA DOT) The […]

DeLauro Pushes Alternative to ‘Disappointing’ White House I-Fund

By Elana Schor | May 5, 2010 | No Comments

Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) today continued her push for a National Infrastructure Bank (NIB), lamenting the Obama administration’s choice to pursue a $4 billion fund housed within the U.S. DOT rather than an independent entity focused on water, electricity, and other broader needs. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) (Photo: America 2050 via Flickr) "If it’s true […]

GAO: Economic Recovery Benefits of ‘Cash for Clunkers’ Are ‘Uncertain’

By Elana Schor | Apr 30, 2010 | 4 Comments

"Cash for clunkers," the White House’s much-touted program encouraging trade-ins for more fuel-efficient autos, had an "uncertain" impact on economic recovery, according to a new audit from the independent Government Accountability Office (GAO) — largely because it remains unclear how many of the car sales it spurred would have occurred without taxpayer subsidies. Were "clunker" […]

Obama Energy Aide: ‘We Probably Saw Peak Demand for Gas … in 2007’

By Elana Schor | Apr 19, 2010 | No Comments

The decline in American driving that began at the start of the recession, fueled by record-high gas prices, came to an end late last year. But the Obama administration believes that its transport and energy policies have ushered in a long-term shift, "changing the fuel mix in ways that will drive down gasoline demand," according […]

Feds’ Record on Transport Public-Private Partnerships Prompts Skepticism

By Elana Schor | Apr 14, 2010 | 2 Comments

When it comes to creative transportation financing in an age of rising red ink, public-private partnerships (PPPs) are one of the most popular ideas on the table in Washington. Rail planners in Denver and Dallas are exploring the strategy to speed progress on new lines, and the White House’s proposed $4 billion infrastructure fund could […]

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