If you can get past the fact that the federal government wants to borrow yet another $1 trillion — and that is hard to do — there’s no doubt that this money would work wonders on Mississippi’s infrastructure.
Michael B. Arnemann, executive director of the Mississippi Asphalt Pavement Association, sent out a press release this week that said Mississippi’s share of the $1 trillion spending plan, dubbed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, is about $4.46 billion over five years.
The pavement association’s motto is, “Asphalt — The Smooth Ride!” If this money gets to Mississippi, that phrase certainly will be appropriate.
Arnemann provided details that say Mississippi will get $3.3 billion for roads alone, or an average of $660 million per year. At that rate, it’s obvious that if this bill gets through Congress, it will keep the pavement association’s members very busy.
As passed by the U.S. Senate, the state also is in line to receive $225 million for bridge upgrades, plus $50 million for the installation of electric vehicle charging stations.
All told, the money for roads, bridges and electric vehicle charging comes to $3.6 billion. But the bill, which seems determined to treat the states like kids in a candy store, keeps on giving.
As approved by the Senate, Mississippi also would get $429 million for water infrastructure, $223 million for public transit, $100 million for broadband internet expansion and $99 million for airport improvements.
There are two final goodies that have little to do with infrastructure: $19 million for wildfire prevention and $16 million for cybersecurity.
Everybody calls this an infrastructure bill, but once you look at the details, it becomes clear that this is a 2020s version of the Marshall Plan, the famous strategy of the United States to pay for the rebuilding of Europe in the years after World War II.
Given the help this money would provide the states, it’s understandable that 19 Republican senators, including Roger Wicker of Mississippi, voted for the bill along with Democrats.
Anyone concerned about the government’s spiraling debt is right to be penny-wise about this level of spending. But at some point you can’t be pound-foolish, and the benefits are simply too great to ignore.
“From a big picture perspective, the highway construction industry consensus is that this legislation will have an immense economic impact in Mississippi for decades,” Arnemann’s press release said. “Countless jobs will be created, goods will be purchased, services will be rendered, and the safety and quality of life for our residents will increase due to this re-investment in our infrastructure system.”
The bill still has to get through the House, where Democrats are wrangling over whether to tie this bill to an even larger spending package. If it does become law, though, the benefits to Mississippi will be many and obvious.
