PARIS?
>> BRANDIS, THE LONG DEBATED
HISTORIC $1 TRILLION
INFRASTRUCTURE BILL SITS ON
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN'S DESK AFTER
THE HOUSE PASSIONED THE MEASURE.
IT PROVIDES INVESTMENTS IN
ROADS, BRIDGES, RAILWAYS AND
BROADBAND INTERNET ACCORDING TO
SEAN CAT 10 THE STATE WILL SEE
BILLIONS FROM THE PLAN INCLUDING
149 MILLION TO EXPAND THE
ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING
NETWORK.
A MINIMUM OF 100 MILLION FOR
BROADBAND COVERAGE.
27 MILLION TO PROTECT AGAINST
CLIMATE RELATED EVENTS.
10 BILLION FOR HIGHWAYS.
1.4 BILLION FOR BRIDGE REPAIR.
1.7 BILLION TO IMPROVE WATER
INFRASTRUCTURE AKA LEAD PIPE
REPLACEMENT AND 600 MILLION TO
DEVELOP AIRPORT INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND JOINING US ARE REVEREND
LARRY BULLOCK PRESIDENT AND
C.E.O. OF THE U.S. MINORITY
CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION AND
MICHAEL STURINO PRESIDENT AND
C.E.O. OF THE ILLINOIS ROAD AND
TRANSPORTATION BUILDERS
ASSOCIATION.
WELCOME BOTH OF YOU BACK TO
"CHICAGO TONIGHT."
MICHAEL STURINO, WHAT ARE THE
BIG PROJECTS IN CHICAGO AND
ILLINOIS THAT WILL GET A BOOST
FROM THE BILL?
>> IT'S GREAT TO BE HERE AND
THANKS FOR INVITING BOTH OF US.
WE HAVE A GREAT RELATIONSHIP AND
LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THE
FEDERAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM
MAKE THAT EVEN STRONGER.
THERE ARE SO MANY PROMISINGS ON
THE WAITING LIST.
I CAN GO ON FOR HOURS BUT I KNOW
TIME IS LIMITED.
JUST TOMORROW THERE WILL BE A
BIG PRESS EVENT WHERE PRESIDENT
HARMON AND SPEAKER WELCH WILL
CALL FOR ACTION ON 290 TO
IMPROVE THE NATION'S MOST
CONGESTED HIGHWAY AND RECONNECT
NEIGHBORHOODS TO IMPROVE THE
AGING TRANSIT SYSTEM.
LAKE SHORE DRIVE IS A GREAT
PROJECT THAT NEEDS TO BE
ADDRESSED AND HARDENED UP.
THERE IS A BIG CHUNK OF MONEY
FOR RESILIENCY TO IMPROVE OUR
INFRASTRUCTURE TO WITHSTAND SOME
OF THE SEVERE EXTREME WEATHER
EVENTS THAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING
AND LIKELY WILL EXPERIENCE.
I80 IS MOVING AND THANKS TO
GOVERNOR J.B. PRITZKER AND
REBUILD ILLINOIS, BUT IT CAN
CERTAINLY USE AN INFUSION OF
MONEY TO MAKE THAT PROJECT GO
QUICKER SO THE TRUCK TRAFFIC CAN
GET TO AND FRO.
>> I WAS ON 290 YESTERDAY.
THAT HAS BEEN ON THE MINDS OF
PUBLIC OFFICIALS FOR A LONGTIME.
REVEREND WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR
JOBS ESPECIALLY FOR UNION LABOR
IN ILLINOIS?
>> WELL, THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN
PARIS FOR HAVING US AS MIKE
INDICATED WE LOOK FORWARD TO
THESE GETTING THE BAND BACK
TOGETHER AGAIN.
PRIOR TO THE BILL PASSING AND
CERTAINLY HAD OUR PERSPECTIVES
FROM OUR CONSTITUENTS.
MY MAIN CONCERN HAS AND
CONTINUES TO BE THE ISSUE OF HOW
THE FUNDS ARE SPENT AND IF THEY
ARE SPENT EQUITABLY AND IF
THERE'S DIVERSITY AND EQUITY
INVOLVED IN THE EXPENDITURES.
ESPECIALLY IN THE MAJOR URBAN
AREAS.
SUCH AS THE CITY OF CHICAGO.
THE GREATER NAPERVILLE AREA AND
PLACES LIKE THAT.
BUT WE ALSO REPRESENT AS I KNOW,
ACROSS THE UNITED STATES, WE'RE
IN 16 STATES SO WE HAVE AN
INTEREST BEYOND ILLINOIS.
HERE IN ILLINOIS I SAID THE LAST
TIME WE WERE ON, WE'VE GOT TO
MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE DEAL WITH
THE ISSUE OF WASTEWATER
MANAGEMENT AND WASTEWATER
TREATMENT.
BECAUSE THOSE THINGS AFFECT THE
QUALITY OF LIFE FOR SO MANY
PEOPLE ESPECIALLY IN THE URBAN
AREAS.
>> IS THERE MONEY FOR THIS?
IS THERE SIGNIFICANT MONIES FOR
THAT?
>> YES.
NOT ENOUGH.
BUT WE ARE ON ONCE BEFORE AND WE
TALKED ABOUT THE SOCIETY OF
CIVIL ENGINEERS AND THE ILLINOIS
SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS SAID
TO US THAT WE ARE ABOUT 20 YEARS
BEHIND IN ADEQUATELY FUNDING OUR
INFRASTRUCTURE PARTICULARLY
DEALING WITH WASTEWATER
MANAGEMENT AND DEALING WITH
DRINKING WATER, LEAD PIPES AND
THINGS LIKE THAT.
THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT AFFECT
PERSON'S LIVES DIRECTLY ON A
DAILY BASIS.
CAN YOU NOT LIVE LONG WITHOUT
WATER AND WE HAVE SO MANY
COMMUNITIES LIKE THE SITUATION
IN HARVEY AND ROBINS, NOT JUST
UP IN FRINT MICHIGAN.
SO I'M GLAD TO SEE THE FUNDS AND
I WAS LISTENING TO FORMER
GOVERNOR NOW SECRETARY TALKING
ABOUT THIS BILL AND HOW CLEAN
ENERGY AND THE JOBS FROM THE
CLEAN ENERGY ARE GOING TO BE
JOBS THAT WE CANNOT EXPORT.
THAT TO ME IS IMPORTANT.
I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE BRIDGES
AND THE HIGHWAYS BUT I'M
CONCERNED ABOUT THE CLEAN ENERGY
AND DEALING WITH WASTEWATER
TREATMENT.
>> MICHAEL STURINO SPEAKING OF
CLEAN ENERGY THERE IS MONEY FOR
ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING
STATIONS AND GOVERNOR PRITZKER
TALKED ABOUT WANTING TO IMPROVE
ILLINOIS' INFRASTRUCTURE IN THAT
REGARD.
WHAT WILL COME OUT OF THE BILL
AS IT RELATES TO EV'S?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW IT IS A VERY
EXCITING TIME IN THE ELECTRIC
VEHICLE WORLD.
ILLINOIS HAS THE RIVIAN PLANT
AND THE MORE WE CAN MOVE TOWARDS
ELECTRIC VEHICLES WE CAN SUPPORT
ONE OF OUR OWN MANUFACTURERS.
WHAT IS INTERESTING ABOUT
ELECTRIC VEHICLES WE ARE NOT AT
THE TEMPERATURE WHERE PEOPLE ARE
OVER THE RANGE ANXIETY AND NOT
AT THE POINT WHERE IT'S
AFFORDABLE TO MOST FOLKS IN
ILLINOIS.
THE BILL IS LOOKING AT
ADDRESSING THOSE TWO ISSUES.
IN FACT THERE'S NEW TECHNOLOGY
BEING DEPROID IN OTHER
COUNTRIES --
DEPLOYED IN OTHER COUNTRIES
WHERE YOU CAN INTEGRATE ELECTRIC
CHARGE RIGHT INTO THE HIGHWAY
AND YOU CAN HAVE CARS RIDE OVER
IT WIRELESS CHARGING OF
VEHICLES.
WE CAN BE A WORLD LEADER IN
ELECTRIC VEHICLES AND MAKE OUR
ENVIRONMENT CLEANER AND ECONOMY
STRONGER.
>> NORTHERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES
DENMARK HAVE BEEN DOING THAT.
I WANT TO POINT TO A COMMENT
THAT THE TRANSPORTATION
SECRETARY MADE TODAY ABOUT
RACISM THAT WAS INHERITED IN
PLANNING DECISIONS IN URBAN
AREAS IN THE PAST.
LET'S LOOK AT THAT.
>> I'M STILL SURPRISED THAT SOME
WERE SURPRISED WHEN I POINTED TO
THE FACT THAT IF A HIGHWAY WAS
BUILT FOR DIVIDING A WHITE AND
BLACK NEIGHBORHOOD OR UNDERPASS
WAS CONSTRUCTED SUCH THAT A BUS
CARRYING BLACK AND PUERTO RICAN
KIDS IN NEW YORK WAS DESIGNED
TOO LOW FOR IT TO PASS BY THAT
OBVIOUSLY REFLECTS RACISM THAT
WENT INTO THE DESIGN CHOICES.
I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANYTHING
TO LOSE BY CONFRONTING THAT
REALITY.
>> THIS IS THE KIND OF THING
DISCUSSED IN CHICAGO WITH
RESPECT TO PLANNING OVER THE
LAST 50 YEARS.
SO HOW DO TRANSPORTATION AND
INFRASTRUCTURE DECISIONS HAVE TO
BE MADE HERE TO GUARD AGAINST
THAT?
>> WELL, AS YOU KNOW, SYSTEMIC
RACISM EXISTS IN AMERICA AND IT
HAS SINCE 1619.
WE ARE UNDER NO ILLUSIONS THAT
SYSTEMIC RACISM WAS NOT INVOLVED
WE KNOW IT'S TRUE.
AND THEY HAVE HAD EVIDENCE TO
VERIFY THAT.
AND SOME WOULD SAY THAT WE NEED
TO BREAKDOWN THE BARRIERS THAT
HAVE BEEN CONSTRUCTED
STRUCTURALLY IN TERMS OF ACTUAL
INFRASTRUCTURE CONSTRUCTION TO
EASE THE ACCESS OF THESE
COMMUNITIES BACK INTO THE
GREATER ECONOMY.
NOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT SOME OF
THIS IN TEXAS.
AND SOME OF THIS DOWN IN 10.
AND CERTAINLY WE HAVE SITUATIONS
HERE IN THE CITY OF CHICAGO THAT
THE EXPRESSION THAT YOU LIVE ON
THE WONG SIDE OF THE TRACKS THAT
IS A FACT THAT WE CREATE
COMMUNITIES BASED ON SIZE OF
THE --
SIDES OF THE TRACKS.
IF YOU REMOVE THOSE VISIBLE
STRUCTURES YOU GO A LONG WAY TO
BRINGING ABOUT GREATER DIVERSITY
AND SOLUTION IN ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT.
FOR EXAMPLE, WE KNOW THAT THE
DAN RYAN WENT DOWN THE MIDDLE OF
A COMMUNITY AND FOR YEARS IN MY
DISTRICT IF YOU ARE ON THE WEST
SIDE YOU ARE IN BRIDGEPORT AND
EASTSIDE THE HOUSING PROJECT.
SO WE KNOW AND I AGREE WITH
SECRETARY BUTTIGIEG THAT THIS IS
A GREAT TIME IF WE ARE GOING TO
REBUILD THE STRUCTURES TO
ELIMINATE THAT BARRIERS THAT
HAVE EXISTED SINCE THE COUNTRY
WAS FOUNDED.
>> HE SAID THERE IS FUNDING TO
UNDERTAKE THOSE EFFORTS.
THERE'S SO MUCH IN THE BILL AND
WE'VE GOTTEN STARTED DISCUSSING