02.12.2018

WASHINGTON, DC -- In response to the release of a long-awaited infrastructure plan from the Trump administration, the Center for Popular Democracy, a national association of community organizations, released the following statement from Co-Executive Director Brian Kettenring:

“Don’t be fooled by the flash or the big figures: Trump’s infrastructure plan is as much of a fraud as the rest of his Presidency. It is the work of a con artist developer who promises to build big and ends up sticking the tab onto others. Our communities in New York and elsewhere know that figure well and won't be fooled by this scam.

This plan wouldn’t provide the trillions in direct investment our country needs. Instead, it would shift the burden for financing infrastructure away from the federal government and onto cash-strapped cities and states, almost guaranteeing that Americans would be socked with new tolls for their highways and higher bills for their water and power. It would exacerbate inequality, funnel even more money to Trump’s donors, and do virtually nothing to improve the state of our infrastructure. All rational lawmakers interested in promoting the continued health of their communities must reject this plan.

America deserves a real plan for infrastructure, one that would invest federal dollars into highways and roads, the electric grid and clean water, while providing good jobs to millions of Americans. Our communities are fighting for that kind of plan, and we will continue to fight with them for an investment that truly supports a better future for our country.”

The Center for Popular Democracy’s affiliates in multiple states will be holding actions throughout the week to highlight the dangers of the Trump plan’s approach to infrastructure. More than a dozen protests, rallies, and press conferences will spotlight infrastructure projects that have derailed after privatization, as well as pressing infrastructure needs such as climate change resiliency that were left out of Trump’s plan.

###

Media Contact:

Asya Pikovsky, apikovsky@populardemocracy.org, 207-522-2442