START US UP USA! INFRASTRUCTURE CAMPAIGN PLEDGE The Start Us Up USA! campaign is a joint effort between Associated Equipment Distributors (AED) and the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) to urge Congress and the President to make surface transportation and water infrastructure investment a priority. Lawmakers must seize this historic opportunity to lay a solid foundation for America's economic growth, a cleaner environment, and a better quality of life for all Americans. AED and AEM are therefore asking candidates to sign the Start Us Up USA! Infrastructure Campaign Pledge. The heavy construction equipment industry is a major contributor to the U.S. economy and substantially impacts the economy of every state and congressional district. In 2008, equipment manufacturers, distributors, and independent maintenance providers had a $364.9 billion impact on the U.S. economy, supported more than 2 million American jobs, and paid $111.3 billion in wages, salaries, and benefits. Research shows that investment in our nation's highways, bridges, water, and transit infrastructure creates about 18,000 jobs for every $1 billion spent, providing an indispensible resource for the U.S. economy and making fundamental contributions to the country's long-term productivity. Because spending on highways and other government infrastructure programs have an enormous impact on the equipment industry, our members are keenly aware of the crisis our nation faces. Traffic congestion costs the U.S. economy $87 billion in wasted time and fuel, and half of all traffic deaths are attributable in part to poor road conditions. Despite these stark facts, Congress has allowed SAFETEA-LU (the most recent federal highway authorization law) to expire and enacted a series of short-term extensions with inadequate funding. Additionally, the Environmental Protection Agency estimates our wastewater needs to be $298.1 billion and our drinking water needs to be $334.8 billion. If you have any questions about the pledge or the Start Us Up USA! campaign please contact AED's Director of Government Affairs, Daniel Fisher (dfisher@aednet.org or 703-739-9513) or AEM's Manager of Government Affairs, Nick Tindall (ntindall@AEM.org or 202-898-9067). Signed pledges should be returned to Daniel Fisher (dfisher@aednet.org or 703-739-9513). View the cover letter from AED President & CEO Toby Mack and AEM President Dennis Slater View the Start Us Up USA! Infrastructure Campaign Pledge Send a quick message to U.S. House and Senate candidates in your area urging them to sign the Start Us Up USA! infrastructure campaign pledge By signing the Start Us Up USA! Infrastructure Campaign Pledge, candidates and incumbents: Agree that investing in our nation's deteriorating infrastructure is a top priority; Commit to supporting robust federal investment in surface transportation and water infrastructure programs to create jobs, spur economic growth, ensure the country's global competitiveness, protect public safety and the environment, and create a better quality of life for all Americans; and Believe infrastructure investment should be done in a transparent and fiscally responsible manner and the current user-fee system must be improved to ensure an adequate and sustainable revenue stream for transportation programs. 2010 Start Us Up USA! Infrastructure Campaign Pledge Signatories* (candidates in bold below won election) ALABAMA William Barnes Alabama Senate Mo Brooks Alabama's 5th Congressional District House ALASKA Harry Crawford, Jr. Alaska House Scott McAdams Alaska Senate ARKANSAS David Whitaker Arkansas's 3rd Congressional District House Steve Womack Arkansas's 3rd Congressional District House CALIFORNIA Francine Busby California's 50th Congressional District House Michael Crimmins California's 53rd Congressional District House Bob Filner California's 51st Congressional District House Merlin Froyd California's 28th Congressional District House Jim Judd California's 6th Congressional District House Beth Krom California's 48th Congressional District House Stephen Smith California's 31st Congressional District House Robert Vaughn California's 38th Congressional District House CONNECTICUT Anne Brickley Connecticut's 1st Congressional District House Rosa L. DeLauro Connecticut's 3rd Congressional District House FLORIDA David Rivera Florida's 25th Congressional District House HAWAII John W. Willoughby Hawaii's 2nd Congressional District House ILLINOIS Alexi Giannoulias Illinois Senate David Gill Illinois's 15th Congressional District House Scott Harper Illinois's 13th Congressional District House David Ratowitz Illinois's 5th Congressional District House Bobby Schilling Illinois's 17th Congressional District House Raymond Wardingley Illinois's 1st Congressional District House INDIANA Todd Rokita Indiana's 4th Congressional District House Marlin Stutzman Indiana's 3rd Congressional District House IOWA Bill Maske Iowa's 4th Congressional District House KANSAS Cheryl Hudspeth Kansas's 2nd Congressional District House KENTUCKY Charles K. Hatchett Kentucky's 1st Congressional District House Jim Holbert Kentucky's 5th Congressional District House MASSACHUSETTS Barney Frank Massachusetts's 4th Congressional District House John W. Olver Massachusetts's 1st Congressional District House MIGHIGAN Don Volaric Michigan's 12th Congressional District House MINNESOTA Shelley Madore Minnesota's 2nd Congressional District House MISSISSIPPI Joel Gill Mississippi's 3rd Congressional District House Gene Taylor Mississippi's 4th Congressional District House NEW JERSEY Michael Agosta New Jersey's 9th Congressional District House Michael Alonso New Jersey's 10th Congressional District House Dale M. Glading New Jersey's 1st Congressional District House Rush Holt New Jersey's 12th Congressional District House Howard Kleinhendler New Jersey's 4th Congressional District House Steven Rothman New Jersey's 9th Congressional District House NEW YORK Richard Hanna New York's 24th Congressional District House NORTH CAROLINA Jeff Doctor North Carolina 9th Congressional District House Jeff Gregory North Carolina's 10th Congressional District House Patrick McHenry North Carolina's 10th Congressional District House Melvin Watt North Carolina's 12th Congressional District House OHIO Bill Connor Ohio's 7th Congressional District House Peter J. Corrigan Ohio's 10th Congressional District House Bill Johnson Ohio's 6th Congressional District House Marcy Kaptur Ohio's 9th Congressional District House Steve LaTourette Ohio's 14th Congressional District House Steve Stivers Ohio's 15th Congressional District House PENNSYLVANIA David Argall Pennsylvania's 17th Congressional District House Lou Barletta Pennsylvania's 11th Congressional District House Mike Fitzpatrick Pennsylvania's 8th Congressional District House Tom Marino Pennsylvania's 10th Congressional District House SOUTH CAROLINA Jane Dyer South Carolina's 3rd Congressional District House TEXAS Ted Ankrum Texas's 10th Congressional District House Tom Berry Texas's 5th Congressional District House Tim Besco Texas's 16th Congressional District House John Faulk Texas's 18th Congressional District House Charles A. Gonzalez Texas's 20th Congressional District House Pete Sessions Texas's 32nd Congressional District House VIRGINIA Rick Boucher Virginia's 9th Congressional District House James P. Moran Virginia's 8th Congressional District House WASHINGTON Jay Clough Washington's 4th Congressional District House WEST VIRGINIA Virginia Lynch Graf West Virginia's 2nd Congressional District House WISCONSIN Julie Lassa Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District House Reid Ribble Wisconsin's 8th Congressional District House *Listing on www.StartUsUpUSA.com as a signatory of the Infrastructure Campaign Pledge does not constitute an endorsement by the Start Us Up USA! campaign, Associated Equipment Distributors, or the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. The construction and equipment industry is in a depression. Find out what the impact to your state is and learn more about how you can help bring stimulus to your streets. We’re carrying our message to the steps of the Capitol, but we want to see you along the way. Join us at one of our upcoming rallies and show your support for the construction and equipment industry. PREVIOUS EVENTS: January 20, 2010 - San Antonio, Texas October 28, 2009 - Washington, D.C. October 20, 2009 - Chicago, Illinois September 29, 2009 - Las Vegas, Nevada © 2013 Associated Equipment Distributors Administrative Offices: 600 22nd Street, Suite 220, Oak Brook, IL 60523 Phone: 630-574-0650 Washington Headquarters: 601 Pennsylvania Ave, N.W., Suite 900 - South Building, Washington, DC 20004 Phone: 800-388-0650 FAQ | About Us | Privacy Policy | Contact