Proposed $200 billion federal investment meant to be catalyst for additional local, private funds Infrastructure week has finally arrived. Today, President Trump released his long-awaited infrastructure plan, a key priority and core part of his stump speech that nonetheless took a back seat to health care and a tax bill during his first year in office.
The newly introduced plan, which follows the broad contours of previously floated proposals, aims to levy federal incentives and investments to spur additional private and local funding, creating a $1.5 trillion pool over the next decade to invest in repairs and new construction.
But the size of the plan actually isn?t the biggest news being generated by Trump?s proposal. By changing funding mechanisms and challenging expectations of federal support, the proposal may upend decades of infrastructure spending protocol. Transportation officials have reacted strongly to the shift toward local funding, as well as the proposed defunding of existing transit programs. NACTO, the National Association of City Transit Officials, just released a statement condemning the plan, noting: The White House released a ?1.5 trillion? plan that is largely smoke and mirrors?funding a minuscule 13% of the stated need, with funds taken from some of our country?s most successful infrastructure programs, New Starts and TIGER.

This will be a big week for Infrastructure. After so stupidly spending $7 trillion in the Middle East, it is now time...