Thursday, October 13, 2011

A Bipartisan Plan to Rebuild Old Schools and Create Jobs

A Bipartisan Plan to Rebuild Old Schools and Create Jobs

This week, I introduced legislation to provide a tax credit for public-private partnerships to rebuild decaying schools across the country and create thousands of jobs in the process. This commonsense legislation was cosponsored by Democratic Senator Mark Warner and supported by Republican Governor Bob McDonnell and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, in what the Washington Post called “a relatively rare outbreak of bipartisanship” in Virginia.

In 2009, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) gave America’s public school facilities a grade of “D.”  It noted that there is ample evidence that local communities are struggling to meet their responsibility for school infrastructure. According to the organization Fix America’s Schools Today, our schools need an estimated $500 billion in repairs and construction. They also estimate that such repair projects generally create 9,000-10,000 jobs for every one billion dollars spent. In addition, good local schools and well-maintained public facilities are key indicators of where businesses may locate, spurring economic growth.

In the past, schools such as the Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School in Richmond have had to navigate a cumbersome process to qualify for the Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credit, which has discouraged local governments from taking advantage of it. The Rehabilitation of Historic Schools Act of 2011 makes changes to current law to encourage the tax credit to be used to modernize dilapidated school buildings.

This legislation will strengthen our communities and create jobs by empowering both the public and private sectors. Rebuilding our nation’s older schools can brings leaders from both parties together, drive revitalization in some of our most economically vulnerable neighborhoods, and provide our students safe, modern learning environments.

To read the Richmond Times-Dispatch article on my bill, click here.
 


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