Jobs and Deficit Reduction Top Obama's Agenda

 

The infusions proposed by the House are to reimburse the Highway Trust Fund from interest it has not collected since 1998. - Photo Courtesy of Recovery San Francisco

When President Barack Obama delivered his first State of the Union address, jobs and the economy topped the agenda. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said the primary focus will be on creating jobs. With unemployment hovering around 10 percent, anything that could provide jobs would be welcome news for both the landscape and construction industries.

A ready vehicle for job creation is the $174 billion package (HR 2847) passed by the House in December, which awaits action in the Senate. The bill not only includes $37.3 billion for transportation projects, it also would extend the current authorization for federal highway and transit programs through the end of the fiscal year, funding some $53.3 billion for highways, transit and traffic safety. ?EUR??,,????'?????<