Opinion

Hultgren a champion for strong infrastructure

Posted July 13, 2013 5:00 am

I want to applaud U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren and his fellow members of Congress for expressing their concern for infrastructure investment in a letter to Speaker John Boehner and Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi last week.

By defending the tax-exempt status of municipal bonds, Rep. Hultgren and others took steps to protect the countless projects these bonds finance, including transit projects. As they highlight in their letter, over 6,600 tax-exempt bonds financed more than $179 billion in infrastructure spending. Their initiative demonstrates the concern for the state of infrastructure affecting public transit and riders across the country that many of us share.

This important national matter will affect economic growth and jobs here in the Chicago area and across the country. It’s critical that our members of Congress engage in constructive dialogue and work to find solutions to the challenges and needs of mass transit agencies and the commuters we serve.

Joe Costello

Executive director

Regional Transportation Authority

Chicago

Article Comments

Article Categories
Letters to the Editor Opinion

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.