Terry O’Sullivan, general president of the Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA), spoke with America’s Work Force on May 13 about infrastructure improvements across the United States.
O’Sullivan spoke about a recent highway bill, passed in 2015, that put $305 billion towards infrastructure improvements and repairs over five years, and how it was not nearly enough money. After President Trump and congress labeled infrastructure improvements a top priority, O’Sullivan would still like to see more action by the president to prove these claims, such as allocating more money for infrastructure. He then addressed re-authorizing the highway bill in 2020 to keep pushing to improve the status of America’s failing infrastructure. O’Sullivan also talked about the need to address climate change and realistic and efficient forms of renewable energy.
Dan Doron, public affairs director with the Ohio Consumers Counsel spoke about First Energy Solutions asking for a bailout or they will be forced to shut down their power plants. If they have to shut down their plants, they claim that it will cost people more money because it will be expensive to have to transition to a different source of power, when in fact in the long run, it would be cheaper for the taxpayer. Doron also talks about utility line warranties and how some utility companies base warranties off of current condition of power lines in the neighborhood, how often they go down, and the environment surrounding the lines. He said that consumers need to do their research before selecting a warranty plan because some warranties do not cover pre-existing issues in the neighborhood.
AWF host Ed “Flash” Ferenc spoke about the tariffs on aluminum and steel in the United States and how President Trump is saying that they are advantageous for the U.S.
