Joining Studley in the forum was the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association’s Mike Nystrom, newly named the organization’s executive vice president. “Toll roads are just one component that should be part of a comprehensive plan to invest at a more appropriate level here in Michigan,” wrote Nystrom. “(It’s) very challenging to take our current interstate that has been paid for with significant federal dollars and turn it into a state-owned toll system.

Nystrom doesn’t foresee toll booths in the state for at least five if not 10 years, “but the concept should be considered for our future.” v

McCain – Feingold…

AGAIN

Hey look, two senators from opposite sides, working together on something worthwhile. And they have a track record. It’s McCain-Feingold II

You’ll remember the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002. These two senators were chief sponsors of the 2002 law that that amended the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 that regulates the financing of political campaigns. Now they’re head-hunting for employees the administration appoints, but, according to these two gunslingers, doesn’t need.

Russ Feingold (D-Wis) and John McCain (R-Az) are reintroducing an effort to cut down on wasteful spending and reduce government bureaucracy by cutting the number of Executive Branch political appointees. Feingold and McCain have previously introduced the legislation to cut thousands of unnecessary political positions, doing so in both the Clinton and Bush administrations.

“Unnecessary bureaucratic positions not only waste taxpayer dollars, but also make government less effective and less responsive to the people it represents. In the face of record deficits, this bill offers a good way to save while improving the way government works,” said Feingold.

“In this time of economic crisis, we must do everything possible to eliminate waste and make the federal government smaller and more efficient,” said McCain. “This bill is simple – it will save money and result in a more streamlined executive branch.”

Exports: A “lifeline” for the construction equipment industry

U.S. construction equipment exports dropped more than 38 percent in 2009 compared to the previous year for a total $12.8 billion worth of machinery shipped to other nations, with declines of between nearly 30 to 50 percent for major world regions.

The good news is that overall, quarter-to-quarter declines steadily improved, ending with a fourth-quarter 2009 gain of 26 percent over the third quarter, according to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), which consolidates U.S. Commerce Department data for off-road equipment with other sources into quarterly export trend reports.

“Exports have literally been a lifeline for the construction equipment industry, which saw U.S. business plummet more than 40 percent last year and unemployment soar to more than double the national average,” stated AEM President Dennis Slater. “Global trade has been a significant source of industry expansion in recent years, and many economies are now rebounding faster than the U.S.”

Slater said it was “essential” that federal government policies make it easier for American companies to pursue international business, and for international buyers to come to America.