Infrastructure investment is a critical job creator. Roads, highways and bridges aren’t funded or built a few months at a time. These critical projects require long-term planning. Extending a clean highway bill, as President Obama today called on Congress to do, provides America’s equipment manufacturers with the certainty they need to hire, contractors with the certainty they need to make capital investments in new equipment and employees, and the U.S economy with a badly needed growth engine. Failure to extend the highway bill would further endanger the already-tenuous economic recovery America’s manufacturers are working so hard to strengthen. Rebuilding and modernizing our public infrastructure is a safety, economic and competitiveness issue that Congress has a serious responsibility to address.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Slater: Congressional Action on Highway Bill Critical to Jobs
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Obama Looks at Construction Spending as one way to Boost Jobs
WASHINGTON (AP) — Limited in his ability to create jobs through direct spending, President Barack Obama is considering measures to encourage the private sector to free up its cash reserves and hire more workers to ease the nation's unemployment crush.
As Obama prepares to unveil a new jobs agenda next week, his aides are reviewing options that would provide tax incentives to employers who expand their payrolls. That approach is a more indirect effort to spur the economy and relies less on government intervention and massive public works projects.
Among the proposals circulating in the White House is a $33 billion tax credit that Obama first proposed early last year but that Congress whittled into a smaller one-year package.
Under one version of the plan, employers would receive a tax credit of up to $5,000, subtracted from their share of federal payroll taxes, for every net new hire. White House officials caution that the overall jobs plan is still subject to change.
The tax credit, however, is a relatively untested idea. Congress passed a version in March 2010, known as the HIRE Act, which provided $13 billion in tax credits to qualified employers who hired new workers. But there is no government data to track its success.
"The HIRE Act was very small," said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics and an occasional adviser to Democrats and Republicans. "It really didn't add to payrolls."
"It would have to be bigger," he added. "Something more along the lines that the Obama administration proposed in 2010."
While promising a major jobs package, Obama is hamstrung by budget cuts and a tight debt ceiling that he had a hand in negotiating.
As a result, economists predict that while the president's initiatives could eliminate some drag on the economy and maintain the status quo, they won't be enough to propel it to new heights
Still, Obama on Wednesday predicted his plan could push the economy to grow 1 percent to 1.5 percent faster.
"That could mean half a million to a million additional jobs," he said Tuesday in an interview with radio talk show host Tom Joyner.
Obama's jobs package is designed to supplement other proposals already in the pipeline, including free trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia and Panama and the renewal of a highway construction bill.
On Wednesday, Obama will call on Congress to pass federal highway legislation before the current law expires Sept. 30. Seeking to blunt congressional partisanship, Obama will be joined by the leaders of two occasionally warring factions — AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka and David Chavern, chief operating officer of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
At a minimum, the president's jobs plan will call on Congress to extend current payroll tax cuts and jobless benefits, spend money for new construction projects and offer incentives to businesses to hire more workers.
"We don't have magic bullets, but what we do have, I think, is the capacity to do some things right now that would make a big difference," Obama told Joyner.
The labor movement is wary.
"This is a moment that working people and quite frankly history will judge President Obama on his presidency," Trumka said last week. "Will he commit all his energy and focus on bold solutions on the job crisis or will he continue to work with the tea party to offer cuts to middle class programs like Social Security all the while pretending that the deficit is where our economic problems really lie."
Obama faces a divided Congress, where Republicans, demanding fiscal austerity, reject the notion that short-term infusions of taxpayer money into the economy can prod a sluggish recovery. Moreover, a large package even half the size of the $825 billion stimulus Congress approved in 2009 would move the government closer to its new debt ceiling before the November 2012 election, something Obama is determined to avoid.
The president is certain to call for extending a one-year payroll tax cut for workers and unemployment benefits that expire in January, at a combined cost of about $175 billion.
Obama also has promoted the creation of an "infrastructure bank," a fund that would be seeded by the government but fed by private investment to pay for major road, bridge and other public construction. Even advocates of the plan, however, say that proposal probably would not be in place to generate jobs for about two years.
"A big chunk of the loss of employment was in the construction industry," Obama said on Joyner's talk show. "Well, the fact of the matter is that although the housing market is going to take some time to recover, we've got a lot of stuff that needs to get done. There are schools all across the country that right now you could put people to work fixing up. There are roads and bridges right now that need to be improved."
Among other measures under consideration, but not yet decided:
— A major school construction initiative of up to $50 billion. Its advocates include Vice President Joe Biden's former chief economic adviser, Jared Bernstein, who monitored progress of the 2009 stimulus. Bernstein said school construction and renovation would be far more labor intensive than some of the public projects paid for by the stimulus. "We kind of thought during the recovery act that we would see 50 hard hats and 10 machines, and it ended up being the other way around at some of these sites," he said.
—Encouraging corporations to bring into the United States some of their foreign sources of income at preferential tax rates in exchange for job creation measures. Some White House officials are not too enthusiastic about this idea, however, because they believe it can be easily abused.
—Tying unemployment insurance payments to on-the-job training. Obama has applauded a program under way in Georgia in which jobless benefits go to employers who hire the unemployed as trainees.
Copyright © 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
A New Use for Masonry: Chicken Under a Brick
By John DeLucie
Ingredients
- 1 whole 3- to 4-pound chicken, trimmed of excess fat, rinsed, dried and split in two
- 1 tablespoon fresh minced rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, optional
- 1 brick
- tin foil
Preparation
Place the chicken on a cutting board, skin side down, and using your hands, press down hard to make it as flat as possible. Mix together the rosemary leaves, salt, pepper, garlic and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and rub this all over the chicken. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for up to a day (even 20 minutes of marinating boosts the flavor).
When you are ready to cook, preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Preheat an ovenproof 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Press rosemary sprigs, if using, into the skin side of the chicken. Put remaining olive oil in the pan and wait about 30 seconds for it to heat up.
Place the chicken in the skillet, skin side down, along with any remaining pieces of rosemary and weight it with another skillet or with one or two bricks, wrapped in aluminum foil. The idea is to flatten the chicken by applying weight evenly over its surface.
Cook over medium-high to high heat for 5 minutes, then transfer to the oven. Roast for 15 minutes more. Remove from the oven and remove the weights; roast 10 minutes more, or until done (large chickens may take an additional 5 minutes or so).
Nissan Forklift '12 Engines Receive CARB Certification
The CARB-tested Nissan Forklift engines for compliance with California environmental standards. These engines were rigorously tested and monitored for low-emission level performance within the guidelines set by the Air Resources Board.
The Nissan Forklift Platinum II and GO4 series, with capacities from 3,000 to 11,000 pounds, offer CARB certified LPG or dual-fuel (gasoline/LPG) engines. The CARB certification on these engines provides confidence that the forklifts produce low emissions to help protect the environment. Environmental certifications such as CARB, help employers provide cleaner working environments for their employees.
The California Air Resources Board is a part of the California Environmental Protection Agency, an organization which reports directly to the Governor’s Office in the Executive Branch of California State Government. CARB’s goal is to promote and protect public health, welfare and ecological resources through the effective and efficient reduction of air pollutants while recognizing and considering the effects on the economy of the state.
Taking the Heat
Here in the South, we are experiencing our normal, 90-degree-plus temperatures. Extreme heat and humidity are typical to our summers. But for many of you around the country, record-setting heat has plagued your already-sweltering days on the jobsites. It sounds like a no-brainer, but staying cool and hydrated isn’t only a way to be more comfortable; it’s a way to stay alive.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) refers to these almost unbearable high-temperature environments as “heat stress” situations. The administration addressed heat stress in its Protecting Workers from Heat Illness document.
The document says that factors contributing to heat stress can include high temperatures and humidity; direct sun or heat; limited air movement; physical exertion; poor physical condition; some medicines; insufficient hydration; and an inadequate tolerance for hot workplaces.
You should be aware of the major factors that can lead to heat stress, especially dehydration. Hydration is a “continuous process for the body and should be done consistently and continuously throughout the day.”
Remember that alcohol can dehydrate you, and food does not equal water (even fruits). Sodas and juices also do not equal water. Only water can do the job of replenishing lost moisture from your body.
SUBHEAD: Symptoms
Heat exhaustion symptoms include headaches, dizziness, lightheadedness or fainting, along with muscle cramps or pain; paleness, weakness and moist skin; mood changes such as irritability or confusion; and upset stomach or vomiting.
Heat stroke symptoms include flushed, dry, hot skin with no sweating; mental confusion, dizziness or loss of consciousness; and seizures or convulsions.
Preventing heat stress begins with knowing the signs/symptoms of heat-related illnesses, and monitoring yourself and your coworkers. Block or stay out of direct sunlight or other heat sources, use cooling fans or air-conditioning, and rest regularly. Of course, drink lots of water – one cup every 15 minutes. Wear lightweight, light colored, loose-fitting clothes, and avoid alcohol, caffeinated drinks, or heavy meals.
To address a heat-related illness, OSHA says to call 911 (or your local emergency number) at once, and then move the worker to a cool, shaded area. Loosen or remove heavy clothing, provide cool drinking water, and fan and mist the person with water.
You can learn more about surviving the heat on the jobsite by visiting www.osha.gov/Publications/osha3154.pdf. Stay cool and hydrated, and enjoy the rest of your summer!
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
CalStar Adds Oversized Brick to Offerings
CalStar Products has introduced an oversized facing unit to complement its line of sustainably manufactured masonry. The facing unit can be used as a design element for base courses at grade and for contrast bands. The units contribute to multiple LEED credits on applicable projects.
CalStar says it uses proprietary technology to produce bricks that offer unique environmental benefits. The process incorporates 40 percent post-industrial recycled material as the binder, and avoids the energy-intensive kiln firing required for clay bricks. The manufacturing process uses 85 percent less energy and generates 85 percent less CO2, compared to traditional fired brick.
The oversized facing unit is 4 X 8 X 24 inches in size, and is equivalent to a nine-brick soldier course, resulting in time-saving, simple installation. For more information, visit www.calstarproducts.com.
Court Dismisses Lawsuit Against USGBC
The Court dismissed the federal false advertising claims "with prejudice," meaning that the Court's dismissal of those claims is final and that plaintiffs are barred from filing a new suit based on those claims. The Court's ruling simultaneously dismissed plaintiffs' state law false advertising claims.
"This successful outcome is a testament to our process and to our commitment to do what is right," says Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair, USGBC. "Thousands of people around the world use LEED because it's a proven tool for achieving our mission of transforming the built environment. We're grateful that the Court found in our favor so we can give our full attention to the important work before us."