, Columnist
An Infrastructure Bill? Great Idea, 7 Years Too Late
Construction labor is tight already, and housing scarce. A surge in demand for workers would wreak havoc.
Even if the government sets aside money ... who would do the work?
Photographer: Brent Lewin/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Just about everyone agrees that the U.S. has huge infrastructure needs.1477593504102 The consensus is so broad that there's hope that regardless of who wins the election, we may finally get a bill out of Washington that addresses it. The problem is that 2017 appears to be the worst time in a generation for an infrastructure bill.
As with most things pertaining to construction these days, the challenge begins with labor. On Hillary Clinton's campaign website, she pledges that in her first 100 days she'd seek an infrastructure bill that would create "tens of thousands of jobs." This would be a disaster.