With the impending threat of the transportation trust fund raids this past legislative session, we in this industry felt a dark cloud over our heads. Even now with Governor Crist’s final veto of the raids, the feeling that thousands of Floridians jobs could again fall victim to such thievery is not easily shaken.
Florida history has shown a thriving transportation industry gives way to the growth and strengthening of the state’s economy. As many of you know, for every $1 billion invested by state governments on highway construction and improvements approximately 28,000 jobs are created and for every $1 spent on road construction, $7 is returned to the economy. These facts simply cannot be ignored – and thankfully, there are four, important people that feel the same way.
A highlight of the 2010 FTBA Annual Convention was a chance to heed words of support from current governor and candidate for U.S. Senate, Charlie Crist, and gubernatorial candidates Attorney General Bill McCollum, CFO Alex Sink and Rick Scott. FTBA members were elated to hear all candidates promised to keep the transportation trust fund intact.
As I said at the Convention, we can take a moment to breathe knowing we just heard from the next governor of Florida, and no matter whom she or he is, our industry will be protected. And, with budget shortfalls slated to be worse than ever next year, it is a relief for now at least that our industry will not be in the crosshairs.
One good thing that came out of this legislative session for the transportation industry, besides the veto, was the elevated discussion about the importance of transportation projects on the state’s economy. Resulting from the grassroots and media outreach conducted to bring awareness to the issue, more Floridians know the value of a strong transportation infrastructure system. FTBA is thankful to those who vocalized their concerns and support. Refer to my last blog for ways you can help rally for our industry nationally, or visit http://bit.ly/c7zqfs.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Your Help is Needed Nationally: Federal Action NOW on Highway Bill
During the 2010 legislative session, we saw just how pivotal our voice is in creating the political pressure necessary to get lawmakers to take action. Now our help is needed on a national level!
The American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA - http://bit.ly/16OcPD) is working to pass a multi-year, robustly-funded highway and transit investment bill after more than 9 months of extensions and delays by Congress. To move this measure along - which concurrently would allow for more federal transportation dollars to come to Florida - ARTBA is launching a grassroots initiative to pass this transportation funding bill. FTBA members are asked to help ARTBA make every effort to convince members of Congress that the transportation construction industry needs this bill passed immediately.
What Would a Volunteer Do?
Many FTBA members in urban areas may have several members of Congress to visit. As a result, FTBA is looking for multiple volunteers in each district.
Volunteers for this effort would:
- Secure face-to-face meetings with U.S. Representatives and Senators within their local congressional district
- Share their personal story with lawmakers concerning federal transportation funding and how it benefits their community and supports jobs
- Ask their Congressmen to make this legislation a 2010 PRIORITY. Lawmakers should also be asked to commit that they will REPEATEDLY ask party leadership in the House and Senate to pass the overdue highway and transit investment bill
- Provide information to FTBA about the details of each lawmaker meeting such as when the meeting occurred, what was discussed and the resulting outcomes
I Want to Volunteer - What are the Next Steps?
For more information, the newly-developed ARTBA Mobilize Grassroots Action Guide (http://bit.ly/aWABWL) provides a potential volunteer with all the information they need to conduct successful meetings.
If you are willing to volunteer, please e-mail me at bburleson@ftba.com and we will provide you with additional information and details. Thank you for your consideration.
The American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA - http://bit.ly/16OcPD) is working to pass a multi-year, robustly-funded highway and transit investment bill after more than 9 months of extensions and delays by Congress. To move this measure along - which concurrently would allow for more federal transportation dollars to come to Florida - ARTBA is launching a grassroots initiative to pass this transportation funding bill. FTBA members are asked to help ARTBA make every effort to convince members of Congress that the transportation construction industry needs this bill passed immediately.
What Would a Volunteer Do?
Many FTBA members in urban areas may have several members of Congress to visit. As a result, FTBA is looking for multiple volunteers in each district.
Volunteers for this effort would:
- Secure face-to-face meetings with U.S. Representatives and Senators within their local congressional district
- Share their personal story with lawmakers concerning federal transportation funding and how it benefits their community and supports jobs
- Ask their Congressmen to make this legislation a 2010 PRIORITY. Lawmakers should also be asked to commit that they will REPEATEDLY ask party leadership in the House and Senate to pass the overdue highway and transit investment bill
- Provide information to FTBA about the details of each lawmaker meeting such as when the meeting occurred, what was discussed and the resulting outcomes
I Want to Volunteer - What are the Next Steps?
For more information, the newly-developed ARTBA Mobilize Grassroots Action Guide (http://bit.ly/aWABWL) provides a potential volunteer with all the information they need to conduct successful meetings.
If you are willing to volunteer, please e-mail me at bburleson@ftba.com and we will provide you with additional information and details. Thank you for your consideration.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
2010 FTBA Annual Convention – An Epic Success!
Still energized from the excitement of this year’s Convention, I look on to our future endeavors with a true sense of how vital the transportation industry is to our state. An ongoing theme this year – and it comes as no surprise to us in the field – is how major a role our industry plays on Florida’s job market, its citizen’s daily operations, and its overall economic success. A closer look into its significance and you begin to see just how much our work touches the lives of Floridians everyday. Speakers at our convention echoed this sentiment.
FTBA is grateful to Governor Charlie Crist - candidate for U.S. Senate, Attorney General Bill McCollum, CFO, Alex Sink and Rick Scott – three gubernatorial candidates, for sharing their proposed plans to strengthen Florida’s transportation industry with attendees at the Convention this past week. At their campaign’s request we have shared the specifics of AG McCollum’s plan (http://bit.ly/bb4wDk) with you in the last blog post, and you will find CFO Sink’s plan and FTBA’s commendation of it by visiting http://bit.ly/a05q4j. Both vow to protect transportation jobs and funding, correct the Florida “donor state” status to bring more federal dollars to our state, as well as halt any raids on the transportation trust fund.
We would also like to thank Executive Director Sally Patrenos for the Florida Transportation Commission update, Secretary Stephanie Kopelousos, Assistant Secretary Ananth Prasad, Chief Engineer Brian Blanchard, and Director of Construction David Sadler from FDOT for a FDOT Work Program update and for leading the discussion of industry issues.
FTBA would also like to congratulate all of the award winners, along with the following scholarship winners: Jimena Calleja – recipient of the Philip Buenaventura Scholarship; Ernest Duffoo – recipient of a FTBA Scholarship; Shelby Frantz – recipient of the Bob’s Barricades Scholarship; Alex Hart – recipient of the G. Paul Turner Scholarship; Rebehak Havanec – recipient of the Bonn-J Contracting Scholarship; Josh Herrera – recipient of the Robert Nolen Memorial Scholarship; Latanya Linton – recipient of a FTBA Scholarship and Rana Riad- recipient of the Bob Burleson Presidential Scholarship.
In addition, FTBA members had great time learning about social media from Cordell Parvin, of Cordell Parvin, LLC and participating in a wine tasting with Jay Burleson. Appreciation also goes out to country music stars, Billy Dean and Travis Tritt, for livening up the party – and our wonderful sponsors below for making it all happen!
Don’t forget to save the date for the 2011 Annual Convention August 4 – 7, 2011 at the Marriot Marco Island Beach Resort.
2010 FTBA Annual Convention Sponsors: 3M Company, ADS / Hancor, Advanced Contracting Specialties, LLC, Ajax Paving Industries of Florida, LLC, APAC-Southeast, Inc., Bonn-J Contracting, Inc. of Florida, C.W. Roberts Contracting, Inc., Cemex, Cemex, Rinker Materials Concrete Pipe Division, CMC Rebar Florida, Community Asphalt Corp., Cone & Graham, Inc., Construction Career Days, D.A.B. Constructors, Inc., Flagler Construction Equipment, LLC, General Asphalt Co., Inc., Gerdau Ameristeel US Inc., Hanson Pipe & Precast, HeistProof LLC., Hertz Equipment Rental, Highway Safety Devices, Inc., Highway Technologies, Hubbard Construction Company, InSource, Inc., InsulFoam, J. Mori Painting, Inc., J.B. Coxwell Contracting, Inc., Johnson Bros., Kelly Tractor Company, Leware Construction Company, Linder Industrial Machinery Co., M.E. Wilson Co., Inc., Martin Marietta Materials, Inc., Nortrax Equipment Co., S.E., PAW Materials Demolition, Inc., PB Americas, Inc., PCL Civil Constructors, Inc., Ranger Construction Industries, Inc., Reliance Supply, Ring Power Corporation, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, Inc., RoadSafe Traffic Systems, Inc., RoadTEC,Inc., Russell Engineering, Inc., Siboney Contracting Company, Tampa Steel Erecting Company, The Middlesex Corporation, The Reinforced Earth Co., Thompson Tractor Company, Inc., Tractor & Equipment Company, Trinity Highway Products, LLC, Vezina, Lawrence & Piscitelli, P.A., Vulcan Materials Co. Florida Rock Division, Weekley Asphalt Paving, Co., White Rock Quarries, WRSCompass
FTBA is grateful to Governor Charlie Crist - candidate for U.S. Senate, Attorney General Bill McCollum, CFO, Alex Sink and Rick Scott – three gubernatorial candidates, for sharing their proposed plans to strengthen Florida’s transportation industry with attendees at the Convention this past week. At their campaign’s request we have shared the specifics of AG McCollum’s plan (http://bit.ly/bb4wDk) with you in the last blog post, and you will find CFO Sink’s plan and FTBA’s commendation of it by visiting http://bit.ly/a05q4j. Both vow to protect transportation jobs and funding, correct the Florida “donor state” status to bring more federal dollars to our state, as well as halt any raids on the transportation trust fund.
We would also like to thank Executive Director Sally Patrenos for the Florida Transportation Commission update, Secretary Stephanie Kopelousos, Assistant Secretary Ananth Prasad, Chief Engineer Brian Blanchard, and Director of Construction David Sadler from FDOT for a FDOT Work Program update and for leading the discussion of industry issues.
FTBA would also like to congratulate all of the award winners, along with the following scholarship winners: Jimena Calleja – recipient of the Philip Buenaventura Scholarship; Ernest Duffoo – recipient of a FTBA Scholarship; Shelby Frantz – recipient of the Bob’s Barricades Scholarship; Alex Hart – recipient of the G. Paul Turner Scholarship; Rebehak Havanec – recipient of the Bonn-J Contracting Scholarship; Josh Herrera – recipient of the Robert Nolen Memorial Scholarship; Latanya Linton – recipient of a FTBA Scholarship and Rana Riad- recipient of the Bob Burleson Presidential Scholarship.
In addition, FTBA members had great time learning about social media from Cordell Parvin, of Cordell Parvin, LLC and participating in a wine tasting with Jay Burleson. Appreciation also goes out to country music stars, Billy Dean and Travis Tritt, for livening up the party – and our wonderful sponsors below for making it all happen!
Don’t forget to save the date for the 2011 Annual Convention August 4 – 7, 2011 at the Marriot Marco Island Beach Resort.
2010 FTBA Annual Convention Sponsors: 3M Company, ADS / Hancor, Advanced Contracting Specialties, LLC, Ajax Paving Industries of Florida, LLC, APAC-Southeast, Inc., Bonn-J Contracting, Inc. of Florida, C.W. Roberts Contracting, Inc., Cemex, Cemex, Rinker Materials Concrete Pipe Division, CMC Rebar Florida, Community Asphalt Corp., Cone & Graham, Inc., Construction Career Days, D.A.B. Constructors, Inc., Flagler Construction Equipment, LLC, General Asphalt Co., Inc., Gerdau Ameristeel US Inc., Hanson Pipe & Precast, HeistProof LLC., Hertz Equipment Rental, Highway Safety Devices, Inc., Highway Technologies, Hubbard Construction Company, InSource, Inc., InsulFoam, J. Mori Painting, Inc., J.B. Coxwell Contracting, Inc., Johnson Bros., Kelly Tractor Company, Leware Construction Company, Linder Industrial Machinery Co., M.E. Wilson Co., Inc., Martin Marietta Materials, Inc., Nortrax Equipment Co., S.E., PAW Materials Demolition, Inc., PB Americas, Inc., PCL Civil Constructors, Inc., Ranger Construction Industries, Inc., Reliance Supply, Ring Power Corporation, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, Inc., RoadSafe Traffic Systems, Inc., RoadTEC,Inc., Russell Engineering, Inc., Siboney Contracting Company, Tampa Steel Erecting Company, The Middlesex Corporation, The Reinforced Earth Co., Thompson Tractor Company, Inc., Tractor & Equipment Company, Trinity Highway Products, LLC, Vezina, Lawrence & Piscitelli, P.A., Vulcan Materials Co. Florida Rock Division, Weekley Asphalt Paving, Co., White Rock Quarries, WRSCompass
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