By Khalida Sarwari
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger appeared at the San Jose Water Pollution Control Plant today for a news conference emphasizing the importance of investing in California’s infrastructure.
Schwarzenegger, along with partners New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell, founded a new nonprofit coalition called Building America’s Future, which seeks to gather funding support from Congress to address the country’s infrastructure needs.
The coalition is calling on Congress and the president to create a National Infrastructure Bank, an independent entity that would help select and finance major regional and national infrastructure projects.
According to the governor, the country needs $1.6 trillion worth of infrastructure over the next five years. The country devotes only 2 percent of its gross domestic product to infrastructure building, he said.
Rebuilding California’s crumbling infrastructure will not only improve quality of life, but it will also boost the economy and create jobs, Schwarzenegger said.
Rendell said at today’s news conference, “California has made incredible investments to infrastructure and those investments will pay off.”
But the federal government’s involvement is essential to addressing infrastructure needs that go beyond transportation and include water and waste water systems.
San Jose Mayor Reed, who is a member of the coalition, said the city’s Water Pollution Control Plant is 50 years old and requires $1 billion to repair its decaying infrastructure.
Carl Guardino, president of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, said the project will not be an easy one, but it will pay off.
“We’re rebuilding our physical and human infrastructure to stay competitive,” Guardino said.