Calling all Construction Professionals (or even those that just want to rant)

8 Responses to Calling all Construction Professionals (or even those that just want to rant)

1. Christopher,
   I would encourage you to post the first paragraph of your article at http://www.constructionexchange.com Then link back to the full article on your blog. The post will be broadcast to people following http://twitter.com/ConstructionEx (@ConstructionEx). Thought this would be helpful.
   -Arsen Yeremin

2. That is a great Idea, thanks Arsen

3. Hello, I am a green builder in Southern California. My current project has been stalled for a year now because of the mortgage meltdown. Only gotten worse lately. I keep hearing about investors looking for green projects to invest in. I am building the greenest home in my state and cant find the funding to finish. I am looking for a partner more then an investor. I would entertain any great ideas anyone might have. Where in the hell is the green money.Anyone who would like to hear more about my project please email or call reese 951-453-3899 gonestraw@yahoo.com

4. Infrastructure Stimulus Package:

   President Elect Obama’s economic stimulus package is expected to include hundreds of billions of dollars of federal cash for infrastructure construction. His speeches have already mentioned roads, bridges and schools as likely recipients of this federal spending.

   In order to succeed in jump starting the American construction industry, and with it the American economy, legislation authorizing such massive appropriations should include methods for accelerating the typical 18 to 24 month process for launching public construction projects, as well as ways to make labor union work rules more efficient, and “creative” revisions to Davis Bacon to maximize the reach of the federal dollars devoted to these projects, and equalize the impact of this spending across the 50 states.

   If the drafting of this legislation is left to the economic experts alone, many unintended consequences are likely to spring up from provisions which haven’t been vetted by construction industry representatives of labor and management who can better forsee what the impacts of statutory provisions will be on industry best practices, safety measures and cash flows.

   Join our network, and let your input become part of the discussion, and part of the solution, rather than having your unheard voices be part of the problem.

   http://www.brightfuse.com/Groups/construction-law-network

5. Talk of an infrastructure stimulus package has been pushed into the background this week because of all the news coverage surrounding Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, and possible connections to the Obama staff over an appointment to fill Obama’s vacated Senate seat. Nevertheless, the contractors, suppliers and service providers who want to be best positioned to participate in stimulus construction funding must not lose sight of the fact that staff is still working on the issue, and come January 21, those organizations who are in a position to move ahead promptly will get the most out of their preparedness.

   What this means is that your company or firm needs to start prepating now to team up with partners who are also equipped to implement design/build and other fast track construction delivery methods. Whatever stimulus program is ultimately enacted will of course be designed to get the most dollars into the hands of construction industry employees in the quickest possible manner. Dust off those design/build front end documents and the cost plus contracts you haven’t been able to use on public projects in the past and make sure you understand how they work. Talk to your lenders and surety company and figure out what the impact of this economic crisis has been on the availability of working capital and bonding capacity, and make sure you ask the same questions of your prospective parthers in building your team. The last thing you want to have happen is to be awarded a contract you can’t complete because of financial limitations.

   This is no time for sitting back and waiting to see what happens in Washington. Sot down now with your professional advosirs and plan what sort of team you will need to be in a position to be first out of the starting gate next month. Identify the partners you would like to work with, and initiate those contacts now to put yourself into position to be more prapared than your competitors. Put yourself in contact with a legal advisor who is prepared to track developing stimulus legislation and help your organization and your team stay abreast of everything you will need to launch your bids in these projects as soon as they are released into the market. Let us know how we can help.

   James G. McConnell
   Attorney At Law
   32 Birchwood Drive
   Palos Park, Illinois 60464
   Phone: (708) 923-9934
   Fax: (708) 923-9936
   Worldwide Mobile: (312) 287-1343
   Website: James G. McConnell – Home

6. Thanks for all of the comments, I appreciate them.

7. Stimulus Package Debate Heats Up

   As the job creation goal of the Obama team’s stimulus package escalates from 2.5 million to 3 million new jobs, and the price tag escalates from $600 billion towards $850 billion or even $1.3 trillion, the first unofficial outline of a breakdown of all that spending, released Friday afternoon, has the daggers and derringers coming out among various interest groups lobbying for a bigger slice of the pie. The informal breakdown released last week gives $200 million for middle class tax cuts, another $200 billion for Medicaid relief and public education costs, and a tentative $350 billion for infrastructure improvements, energy tax credits, food stamps, and Obama’s pet project, computerised medical records nationwide. Congressional leaders and the Obama transition team hope to have draft legislation ready when Congress convenes January 6, 2009, with plans to pass legislation for Obama’s signature a day or two after his inauguration January 20.

   Minnesota Representative James Oberstar breaks out the $350 billion pie slice as including only about $85 billion in hard construction dollars. This piece of the puzzle has produced heated debate over whether “shovel ready” projects, or “clean, green” projects should get funding priority. Oberstar’s prpopsal includes $30.2 billion for highway and bridge construction, $12 billion for local mass transit projects, and $14.3 billion for “environmental infrastructure,” which is largely to be devoted to clean water projects. This allocation of the money has the smart power grid lobby fuming, as it leaves nothing for them to use in building transmission facilities to bring wind and solar power from the rural areas where it is generated to urban areas where it will be used.

   So it looks like the great depression all over again – funding the TVA or funding the Interstate Highway System. If your company works on power transmission projects, highway and bridge construction, water purification facilities, or local light rail, push out your rail barrell and catch the deluge of falling dollars. If not, send your lobbyist to Washington and see how much cash you can shift over to projects more suited for your area of expertise. Watch this space for more interpretation of the smoke signals as the debate heats up in Washington after the Christmas break.

   James G. McConnell
   Attorney At Law
   32 Birchwood Drive
   Palos Park, Illinois 60464
   Phone: (708) 923-9934
   Fax: (708) 923-9936
   Worldwide Mobile: (312) 287-1343
   Website: James G. McConnell – Home

8. Thanks James. I appreciate the continued interest and updates. Let me know if you want a non-comment space for a guest post to put it all together.

   Thanks again and have a great holiday!

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