Ali+&+Ben




 * Plan: The United States federal government should substantially increase its merit-based national infrastructure bank transportation infrastructure investment in the United States. **


 * Contention 1 is the Advantage --- **

As Obama and Congress … challenge, we are.
 * Declining transportation infrastructure is undermining the __foundation__ of the U.S. economy --- investment alone will create __millions__ of jobs in the short-term **
 * Donohue, 11 ** --- president and chief executive officer of the US Chamber of Commerce (9/8/2011, Thomas J., Christian Science Monitor, “The highway to jobs - via better infrastructure,” Factiva, JMP)

__The massive network … and its consequences. __
 * This negatively influences the __entire economy__ --- prevents a __resilient__ supply chain **
 * Little, 11 ** --- Director, Keston Institute for Public Finance and Infrastructure Policy (4/5/2011, Richard, “Infrastructure Investment and U.S. Competitiveness,” [], JMP)

__FOR decades, we … if we possess modern infrastructure. __
 * Infrastructure deficiencies put a __ceiling__ on growth --- investment is necessary to break the cycle **
 * Likosky, 11 ** --- senior fellow at the Institute for Public Knowledge at NYU (7/12/2011, Michael B., “Banking on the Future,” [], JMP)


 * Growth eliminates the only rational incentives for war **
 * <span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Gartzke 11 **<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 8pt;"> – associate Professor of political science at the University of California, San Diego PhD from Iowa and B.A. from UCSF Erik, "SECURITY IN AN INSECURE WORLD" <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 8pt;">[|www.cato-unbound.org/2011/02/09/erik-gartzke/security-in-an-insecure-world/]

<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 8pt;">Almost as informative as the … __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">a durable anachronism. __


 * <span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Slow growth makes the US uncooperative and desperate – leads to hegemonic wars **
 * <span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Goldstein 7 ** <span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 8pt;">- Professor of Global Politics and International Relations @ University of Pennsylvania, Avery Goldstein, “Power transitions, institutions, and China's rise in East Asia: Theoretical expectations and evidence,” [|Journal of Strategic Studies], Volume[|30], Issue [|4 & 5]August 2007, pages 639 – 682

<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 8pt;">Two closely related, though … __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">prior to the possible crossover ____<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">. __<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 8pt;">19 pg. 647-650


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Economy is weakening **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">AP 6/28 **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 8pt;">(“US economy grew at modest 1.9 percent rate”, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, 6/28/12, [])//MC

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 8pt;">WASHINGTON (AP) — __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">The U.S. ____<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> … previous 2.7 percent estimate. __

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Now is key for the plan <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Callahan 7/9 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 7pt;">– co-founder of the think tank Demos, a public policy group based in New York City, where he is currently a Senior Fellow. (David, “Put Hardhats to Work With New Infrastructure Spending”, Huffington Post, 7/9/2012, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-callahan/infrastructure-spending-construction-jobs_b_1654556.html, Callahan)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 7pt;">But <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">there is an obvious … //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">decline //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> by the United States.

**<span style="background-color: aqua; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Skidelsky & Martin 11 ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 8pt;">-*Emeritus Professor of Economics @ the University of Warwick, Fellow of the British Academy, Chairmen of the Governors of Brighton College, **PhD in Economics @ Oxford, Senior Investment Analyst @ Thames River Capital, Writes for the Institute for New Economic Thinking [Robert, “For a National Investment Bank,” 3/30/2011, [], DKP]**
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Confidence is collapsing and destroying investment---NIB is key **


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 7pt;">But could a National Investment … __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">attractive assets ____<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> for pension funds and other long-term investors. __**

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">NIB is the most efficient form of economic stimulus <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Tyson et al. 10 **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 8pt;">-* Professor @ the Haas School of Business of UC-Berkeley, PhD in Economics @ MIT, former Chair of the US President’s Council of Economic Advisers, served as the Director of the National Economic Council, **Phillips, former President of Oracle, MBA @ Hampton University, member of the Economic Recovery Advisory Board, ***Wolf, CEO and Chairman of UBS Americas, member of the Economic Recovery Advisor Board, BS in Economics @ Wharton [Laura, Charles, Robert, The Wall Street Journal, “The U.S. Needs and Infrastructure Bank,” January 15, 2010, [], DKP]**


 * __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Our nation's investment in … __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 8pt;">and investment returns. **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Will __immediately__ boost employment and growth <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Zakaria, 11 **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 8pt;">(6/13/2011, Fareed, “Zakaria: U.S. needs an infrastructure bank,” [], JMP) **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 8pt;">President Obama has proposed a … actually be the biggest payoff of all. **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Economic collapse causes global nuclear war __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">With the ____<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> global financial … __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 8pt;">of disengagement and the stiff price tag of continued American leadership.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Freidberg & Schonfeld, 8 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"> --- *Professor of Politics and IR at Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School, AND **senior editor of Commentary and a visiting scholar at the Witherspoon Institute in Princeton (10/21/2008, Aaron and Gabriel, “The Dangers of a Diminished America”, Wall Street Journal, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122455074012352571.html?mod=googlenews_wsj)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">It also is important = … meet those standards.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Additionally, transportation infrastructure solves hegemony and trade **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">AGC, 11 **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"> (5/19/2011, The Associated General Contractors of America, “THE CASE FOR INFRASTRUCTURE & REFORM: Why and How the Federal Government Should Continue to Fund Vital Infrastructure in the New Age of Public Austerity,” [], JMP)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Thomasson 11 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 7pt;">--- Director of Public Policy, Progressive Policy Institute (10/12/2011, Scott, Congressional Documents and Publications, House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Highways and Transit Hearing - "National Infrastructure Bank: More Bureaucracy and More Red Tape," Factiva) // NK
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">NIB is key to boost infrastructure that increases competitiveness – the US is falling behind **

<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 7pt;">The National Infrastructure Bank: Separating Myths from Realities <span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 7pt;">Executive Summary <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Building and maintaining <span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 7pt;"> … infrastructure spending and investment.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 8pt;">Recently, I returned from a trip … __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">less about the ____<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">U __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 8pt;">nited __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">S __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 8pt;">tates.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Lack of federal leadership to improve transportation infrastructure will erode U.S. competitiveness and global leadership **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Buchanan, 9 **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"> --- Associate Professor at The George Washington University Law School, and a former economics professor (11/19/09, Neil H., “Why the U.S. Government Must Invest in Infrastructure Now, Or Pay A Steep Cost, [], JMP)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Khalilzad 11 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 8pt;">[Zalmay Khalilzad <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 8pt;"> was the United States ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq, and the United Nations during the presidency of George W. Bush and the director of policy planning at the Defense Department from 1990 to 1992, “ The Economy and National Security”, 2-8-11, []] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 8pt;">Today, **__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">economic __**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 8pt;"> and fiscal **__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> … dangerous era of multi-polarity __****<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 8pt;">. **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Competitiveness prevents great power nuclear war **

Owen 11 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 8pt;">John M. Owen Prof <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 8pt;">essor of Politics at <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 8pt;"> University of Virginia <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 8pt;">PhD from Harvard "DON’T DISCOUNT HEGEMONY" Feb 11 www.cato-unbound.org/2011/02/11/john-owen/dont-discount-hegemony/ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 8pt;">Andrew **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Mack and his … for liberal democracy remains strong. **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Primacy solves conflict **


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Contention 2 is Solvency --- **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Here’s a description of the plan **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Rohatyn & Slater 12 **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 8pt;">--- special adviser to the chairman and CEO of Lazard, AND **former US transportation secretary (2/20/2012, Felix Rohatyn and Rodney Slater, “America needs its own infrastructure bank,” [], JMP)**


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 8pt;">America needs to invest in infrastructure. __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> … the bank to be self-financing. __**

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">A national bank devoted just to transportation will generate trillions to revitalize U.S. infrastructure --- it will be easy on the budget and politically palatable <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Lovaa, 11 **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"> --- Federal Transportation Policy Director for NRDC (6/28/2011, Deron, “An Infrastructure Bank for Transportation,” [], JMP) **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 8pt;">Another creative funding idea … __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">funds to vastly improve the status quo. __**

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">A national bank will overcome failures endemic to the current system of funding transportation infrastructure --- lack of cooperation and insufficient resources make federal action necessary for __large-scale__ projects <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 8pt;">America’s economic future will … **__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">enduring infrastructure investments. __**
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">McConaghy & Kessler, 11 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 8pt;">--- * Director of the Third Way Economic Program, AND **Vice President for Policy at Third Way (January 2011, Ryan McConaghy and Jim Kessler, “A National Infrastructure Bank,” [], JMP)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Thomasson 11 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 7pt;">--- Director of Public Policy, Progressive Policy Institute (10/12/2011, Scott, Congressional Documents and Publications, House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Highways and Transit Hearing - "National Infrastructure Bank: More Bureaucracy and More Red Tape," Factiva) //NK//
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Federal action is superior --- better evaluation, finance, and reduced borrowing costs **

//<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 7pt;">Myth #6: We don't need a … <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">of state banks is //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">entirely misplaced //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Plan is key to public-private partnerships <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Puentes 12 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 7pt;"> --- Senior Fellow, Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings (7/16/2012, Robert, “What Would an Infrastructure Bank Really Do?” <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 7pt;">[] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 7pt;">, JMP)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 7pt;">Third is that <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">the … partnership market.

**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Plan is non-inflationary ** **<span style="background-color: aqua; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Spring 12 ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 8pt;">(Ian Spring—economist/manufacturing general manager who is a proponent for further planning of infrastructure solutions, The National Forum, ON Line Opinion, “We must borrow and build infrastructure,” 19 June 2012, [] <span class="Underline" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 8pt;">, MH)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 8pt;">Fear that extra borrowing … <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">interest servicing costs during building.