THE EINSENHOWER II WHITE PAPER

A PUBLIC PRIVATE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP TO FAST TRACT SOLUTIONS TO ADDRESS

​

• INTERNET POVERTY

• SICK WATER 

• TRANSPORTING EVERYTHING 

• PROTECTING FORESTS AND RIVERS

• INNOVATION

• POVERTY ELIMINATION

• PUBLIC PRIVATE FINANCING AND MEASURING ROI

 

 

An Economic Challenge in America:

 

The Need for a National Plan to Catapult American Infrastructure to the World’s best, to Reduce Poverty and Hard to Employ Joblessness, to Regenerate American Innovation Cities and their Commercial Tax Base, and to Strengthen Global Competitiveness, Commerce and Security of the U.S. Economy

Want to add a caption to this image? Click the Settings icon.

 

Introduction

The path to economic greatness in America can be achieved in generating a futuristic new public private economic plan for the 22st Century modeled on the successful 1955 Eisenhower National Plan for Commerce and Defense. This Eisenhower 2 initiative would capture the current momentum of American growth with new financing for infrastructure, and smart technology, public engagement, best public private partnership practices and a view to America 50 years out.

SEC. 108. NATIONAL SYSTEM OF INTERSTATE AND DEFENSE HIGHWAYS.

(a) INTERSTATE SYSTEM.—It is hereby declared to be essential to the national interest to provide for the early completion of the "National System of Interstate Highways", as authorized and designated in accordance with section 7 of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1944 (58 Stat. 838). It is the intent of the Congress that the Interstate System be completed as nearly as practicable over a thirteen-year period and that the entire System in all the States be brought to simultaneous completion. Transcript of National Interstate and Defense Highways Act (1956)

 

The original, 1956 Eisenhower, national infrastructure strategy focused on national defense and commerce; the modernization of connectivity among U.S. cities to compete and act globally, as well as for safety, domestically and internationally. At that time President/General Eisenhower and Congress created the Interstate Highway System which led to the modernization of linkages among American cities and precipitated economic growth of connected population clusters, airports, seaports and multi modal transportation to all of the nation’s economic generators.

 

“Eisenhower realized that he could not fail with highways. Americans wanted more roads for their postwar cars. Construction would prime the economic pump (1950s language for "economic stimulus package") and help secure the nation's future. He signed a small highway bill in 1954 and, on June 29, 1956, the $25-billion Federal-Aid Highway Act to build a 42,000-mile interstate highway system by 1972. Ultimately the cost would escalate to more than $130 billion, and workers would not finish the roads until 1993, with the Century Freeway in Los Angeles County as the last link.” Source Wikipedia.

​

President Eisenhower also was a student of the rebuilding of Europe following WWII with the Marshall Plan. Just as the Marshall Plan revitalized Europe, the Eisenhower 2 Vision will be to create a quantum leap over global competition to insure safety, commerce, good jobs, private public investment and emergency management for defense and post disaster economic development should that occur.

 

Through the comprehensive use of American superiority in the use of economic modeling, innovative technology and public private fiscal investment partnerships and tools, E2 would modernize in tandem, comprehensive physical infrastructure and economic development, insuring a visionary and citizen and business driven sustainable future, while also creating an environmentally sound foundation for America.

 

Using interactive programming and streaming media to vet best practices, the emerging Eisenhower 2 Plan over the next ten years would focus on measurable return on investment (ROI) goals such as or including:

 

1. Performance based public private partnerships to leverage the proposed trillion public dollars with an equal amount of non-governmental dollars,

 

2. Netting new taxes generated through increased commercial growth at the improved infrastructure locations to offset bond costs nationwide over 30 years,

 

3. Generating 1 - 5 million permanent new middle and high income jobs adjacent to commercial land uses at the infrastructure hubs and corridor improvement areas,

 

4. Generating hundreds of thousands of construction industry jobs focused on the hard to employ, formerly incarcerated and populations that currently demand significant social service delivery and affordable housing costs,

 

5. Improving national and global connectivity and economics in a minimum of 100 American cities by incentivizing and documenting increases in private investment in capital dollars, significantly larger commercial tax bases, across the board job creation at all income levels, and,

 

6. Increase disposable income $6 - 8,000 in 25% of low income families each year by creating employment hubs and related STEM and entrepreneurial skilling within 1 mile of their homes, reducing auto expenses exponentially.

 

Using the Economic Scenario Planning cost benefit software “Envision Tomorrow” designed in Austin Texas with $3.6 million in public private funding, and top consultants and the University of Texas, the tool will provide national economic output and cost performance measures that will be tracked over the construction period, and for a twenty year period afterwards to forecast repayment of all public investments on a break even model.

 

 

By creating a business plan with performance based economic outcomes in advance of spending, successful revenue opportunities in the Eisenhower 2 Plan can be integrated into the investment planning in advance of the government spending. By eliminating the economic blindside of unexpected costs through early revenue and economic forecasts, the investments will be scaled and implemented sustain-ably.

 

 

To obtain citizen and business support it will be important to seek guidance from the public in creating the new plan with citizen involvement utilizing IT technology and digital media such as twitter, face book, public television, streaming and other trans media efforts to further invite ideas. Quality public private partnerships require input through various mechanisms. In a national framework this can created similar to architectural charrettes or visual preference surveys which build consensus on best practices, goal setting, and financing.

 

 

The partnership would utilize proven job and tax creating economic strategies and policies, innovation and technology, eliminate the economic blindside of major infrastructure costs versus revenues and jump start growth in cities and regions falling behind in the globalization of the world economy. Eisenhower 2 could utilize analytic super computing technology and open source software such as the Envision Tomorrow tool, pioneered at the University of Texas, with Fregonese Consultants and TACC as well as traditional IMPLAN, LOCI, and REMI economic multiplier tools to FORECAST return on investment (ROI) scenarios. These direct and indirect forecasting models will provide for business driven, economic, workforce, environmental, redevelopment, creatives (art, music, gaming, innovation) and, infrastructure insertion into the nation building.

 

Financing with new and existing public private partnership tools would be determined through professionally crafted public private partnerships, potentially a National Infrastructure Bank Bonding legislation, expanded national network of self-taxing business improvement (BIDs) and public improvement districts (PIDs) , tax incremental tax districts (TIFs), and local, county and state funding that will focus on modernizing Americas economic hubs (major cities, sea ports, air ports, and inland ports). Participating local and state governments would be the critical stakeholders on local public investment. A model to consider is the $54 billion Puget Sound Transportation Implementation Plan which includes 51 municipalities and new Oregon State Legislation for license tag pricing. Such a new and existing tool box would leverage state of the art business analytic technology to avoid viral government debt. The nationwide implementation would therefor succeed with innovations, self-help and incentivized economic best practices. Imagine a future where American commerce is faster and more secure than any global competitors, and where U.S. cities that generate that productivity are the most sustainable and prosperous on the planet."

 

 

American is at a crossroads. In global competition the next roadmap for the U.S. economy must be in creating an infrastructure and energy vehicle mix that increases U.S. business productivity significantly above global players, and simultaneously insures a balanced and sustainable future over the next five to ten years. This is achievable without abandoning existing American principles, natural resources, environmental goals or the innovative search for the technology that will guarantee the United States a next generation of economic global superiority. The original but aging Eisenhower Interstate Commerce and Defense Plan can be economically incentivized, interactive and transparent to insure community buy in.

 

National Citizen Engagement Strategies Required

This White Paper suggests potential quick steps necessary for creation of a 21st Century Citizen Engagement Plan and a resulting national referendum on the use of economic and transportation actions that will lead to selection and implementation of national policies on economic implementation “best practices.” The work plan offers the use of IT, digital media, streaming, and cable, network and public television to illustrate the return on investment options for various alternative futures that can be designed through a national competition of private sector and State sponsored ideas.

Want to add a caption to this image? Click the Settings icon.

 

 

Viewing visually the suggested modes of transportation and their economic results through interactive media could be utilized to show alternatives, financing and return on investment. The business planning process itself would seek convenient public feedback on these alternative futures. This could be through the use of videos and graphic illustrations to depict the proposals. Revenue projections as well as costs, with required soft and hard construction expenditures as details, would together bring the future into focus. The costs and revenue generating options would include a balance sheet to indicate to the public where the breakeven point exists and at what point in time. Where As discussed earlier the enormous cost would benefit from a propose national network of voluntary business improvement districts PIDs, tax incremental districts TIFs, community improvement districts CIDs, toll and private investment requirements – all presented in a fair and manner. All 100 major metropolitan regions and states would be invited to participate. The direct citizen and business appeal, the government appeal and the role of the federal administration to design the operating system would be developed and implementation begun in sequence to federal budget cycles. The federal administration would lead, and monitor progress and implementation, providing annual updates to the nation using video examples. Issues and progress and major modifications or accomplishments would be highlighted.

We are at the economic tipping point in America’s Future. The way it goes, good or badly, so goes America in the Global Marketplace. Economic development and commerce go hand in hand with transportation and infrastructure systems. This is productivity and financial and environmental sustainability. According to Newsweek Magazine, “since 1999 the average American car owner has to bear an additional $6000 annually for each auto we own. Imagine for low income houses, employment centers evolving within one mile of their homes. The result would be increased family disposable income in the range described above every year. This raise would translate into increased consumer spending locally, and potentially reduce local government costs for that important working population.

We have lost the Vision of the original Eisenhower Interstate Highway System – a national network to link the United States coast to coast for economics and commerce, for National Security, and for pleasure. The Eisenhower concept remains an unfinished Vision. Today we face a dysfunctional and aging infrastructure, its repair and replacement is piecemeal in scope.

 

The White House can lead in the establishment of an E2 new national Economic and infrastructure, transportation Plan to address the vulnerability of the U.S. to global competition, to the stress and rapid growth in many population centers of the nation, and to rural and small communities by passed by earlier efforts. Three key principles to a successful economic oriented plan are:

 

1. Expand the public private outlook to improve multimodal connectivity to air, seaports, inland ports and transit hubs; and provide space for the U.S. economy to breathe. It must enhance the vision and prosperity of the country as intended by former President Eisenhower which was for American commerce and defense.

 

2. Expand the economy through computerized logistics, enhanced productivity and reduced costs. A National Plan will safely speed up the American economy not strangle it. The plan outlined in this White Paper is based upon economic development, strategic planning, and a risk aversion program regards American economic vulnerability and opportunities for generating revenue and productivity.

 

3. Incentivize innovation and leverage technology to leapfrog the competition; these incentivized systems will fast track private investment in the required technology.

Such a strategic plan for growth and security is not academic theory or a theoretical discussion. It is an experiential model based upon existing engineering and economic development programs worldwide. Every nation on earth is competing, friendly or otherwise to better the United States of America. Our need to create an E 2 National Plan is based upon immediate economic, national security and environmental realities.

Our time of need and for action is now. American public private partnerships and U.S. businesses are ready to provide the investment, planning, engineering, construction, materials, labor, technology, management, real estate and private sector financing for America rebuilding. The security, environmental and economic benefits will be immediate. Long term benefits will continue to be generated for the next 50 years. Private business should play a major role.

The purpose of this white paper is to validate America’s economic future and its next generation potential. All leading private sector companies develop business plans with short and long term vision.

 

Potential Work Plan

Introduce the concept and conduct a first charrette using video best practices from the U.S and abroad, their cost and their revenue.

 

Schedule a December 2018 digital, social media and or televised National Public Meeting and Referendum on - Alternative Futures”. Privately finance this referendum. Present to the U.S. Public, 3 Alternative Futures and a No Action alternative. Citizens and businesses will be asked to select among or combine elements of each alternative. Commerce or DOT can facilitate nationwide. State by state polling results will be tabulated. This analysis will be augmented by connectivity and economic analysis provided by the convening agencies and third party verification. The alternatives will include regional merits of scale such as national and intercontinental (Canada and Mexico) connectivity as appropriate. The information and results will be represented to citizens on line for three months to accept additional input. The drafts will be provided to Congress and used in creating the preferred alternatives, public private financing as needed and to provide additional tax incentive legislation to validate specific multi modal funding requests.

Assemble an Infrastructure, Economic and Transportation Summit in June 2018 to vet and to implement the recommendations of the public referendum. Representatives invited by the White House would include a diverse population of stakeholders. This will be the Advisory Board for the emerging infrastructure plan on key issues. Those issues will be refined and at a minimum include costs, revenue, equity, private investment and the environment.

 

The outcomes from a Summit will be to:

 

· Generate legislative goals to finance and support implementation.

 

· Create capital improvement plans for Congressional, Agency, Private and Public review including 1 – 7 year implementation system.

 

· Solidify input from the broad Summit membership to insure the end product is validated and a consensus reached.

 

· Establish policies and incentives for public private investment to implement recommendations at the federal level. Encourage replication at the state and local elected official levels.

 

· Create continuous open dialogue with the American public and stakeholders.

 

· Present Strategic Plan and Recommendations to the Public and to Congress for legislative action

 

 

 

Draft Legislation for innovation, Infrastructure and Economic Incentives to implement the recommendations and project goals

 

 

Want to add a caption to this image? Click the Settings icon.

 

 

1. Create Performance Measures and Economic Incentives:

 

· Set economic performance standards for the legislation using Envision Tomorrow direct output in taxes, jobs increased family disposable income, direct ROI from the LOCI and multiplier economic impact from the REM computerized forecasting tools.

 

· Set levels of service goals. The legislation should establish reasonable long term logistic improvements, work force demand, increases in manufacturing, productivity increased via better transportation connectivity, total new economic prosperity multiplied from the investments, the improvements on health from clean air, the and the impact on suburban growth and commercial and residential development to aid in the regeneration of suburban and urban regions.

 

· Establish private financing. Update policy for a “National Infrastructure Bank” as a platform to leverage private investment and to create realistic financial implementation from scarce federal resources. Revisit the capabilities of existing federal agencies with bonding capacity.

 

· Review and encourage incentivized investment in the economically hard pressed geographic areas by potentially establishing Tax Credits on American technology and transportation to be generated in those environs. A priority can be given to cities, large and small, as well as regions suffering from post-recession recession such as Detroit, Rust belt, Appalachia, others with the equivalent of virtual trade zones to attract U.S. companies to return to the U.S. See more of the Virtual Trade Zone.

 

· Accelerate Trans Continental transportation. Review legal options to expanded public private partnerships for interstate and North American cargo and passenger travel by rail and air or the equivalent. Review linkages and plans among the 100 major metropolitan regions of the U.S. to identify gaps and duplication of effort. Prioritize Airport multi modal hubs where existing demographics support the economic investments. Take an active role in imaging the design/build private/public partnerships, community improvement districts, tax allocation districts and bond incentive programs modeled on the local community improvement district voluntary financing CID systems to fast track the development of the overall network.

 

1. Revise and improve on the planning process by reconvening the Summit annually to review legislation, performance, ROI, public involvement, completion of judgment points, and monitoring of global and national oil production performance standards to address changing conditions.

 

· Track performance on benchmarks to measure accomplishment each year and to avoid cost over runs. Recommend to Congress how to adjust incentives to address deficiencies in the planning and implementation legislation.

 

Conclusion

Sixty two (62) years ago in the United States on June 29, 1956, President Eisenhower’s Vision of a connected national highway system was signed into law in the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 and the Highway Revenue Act of 1956, authorizing the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, and creating the Federal Highway Trust Fund. The end result was creation of the first comprehensive National Highway System to address national defense and provide for a national commerce system plan.

 

A 21st Century Transportation Plan will address commerce and defense in a globally competitive world economy. A modern plan will increase the U.S economy, productivity, defense and post disaster economic development recovery. It will create demand for state of the art computer technology for highways, traffic monitoring and management, increase demand for energy innovations and automobile solutions regenerate U.S. automobile manufacturing and enhance job creation. Together this will expand dollars spent in the economy and multiply related businesses. Global Business is a hard combat sport. A broader 21st Century Strategic Plan will foster competitive advantages to American public and private projects with a Global Business Agenda. The challenge has been made and America must answer it.

 

Lastly such a public private partnership driven by public appeal and encouragement will rapidly shift America into an economic and quality of life safety zone. This U.S. business plan will be the prototype for how nations of the future grow and sustain their democracies, prosperity, quality of life, and will demonstrate that the leadership of America is results oriented. President Eisenhower created a vision quickly catapulted America’s economy forward. President Kennedy ordered a ten year program to lift America to the moon and succeeded. With your leadership we can insure America’s independence, prosperity, quality of life, and economy.

 

About the Author

As former Director of Economic Development in Austin, Texas for the past eight years, Kevin participated in creating state of the art public private partnerships, and implemented a multi billion dollar portfolio of successful economic development and major urban regeneration initiatives that helped transform Austin into a new economy powerhouse. Mr. Johns has also been a catalyst for over 200 public private partnerships in cities across America. His city building accomplishments have been recognized nationally and internationally. Professional peers at the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) awarded Austin five International Economic Development Council Gold Medal Awards. Harvard University recognized his Small Business Program with the Ash Award and the American Planning Association recognized the multibillion dollar adaptive reuse of the former Bergstrom Airport, now Mueller, with the 2015 Secretary of HUD Economic Empowerment Award.

Kevin Johns’ innovative accomplishments in visioning, strategic, sustainable economic development, creative economies and urban regeneration have been widely recognized in the media. His education includes a Master’s Degree in City Planning from Georgia Tech, and a Bachelor’s Degree from Case Western Reserve University.