November 30, 2012 – How much longer are you going to wait to pass an adequate infrastructure bill, Congress? Today we got the news that a rail bridge collapsed on Friday over a creek in southern New Jersey, causing a Conrail freight train to derail and spill hazardous chemicals into the water, authorities said.
November 27, 2012 – This just in from the "This is Ridiculous" Department. Wisconsin Public Radio News reported that frac sand mining companies face a $1 million-per-day fine if they dig in the town of Kinnickinnik during the next year. The penalty is part of a sand mining moratorium, and is the most expensive fine the industry faces in the state.
November 16, 2012 – It's "damn the deficit, full speed ahead." At the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) 2012 Annual Conference in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., the AEM Board of Directors established federal deficit reduction as its top policy priority headed into the new year. The Board joined the chorus of national business leaders calling for immediate bipartisan action to comprehensively solve our nation’s debt crisis by adopting a balanced approach that addresses entitlement and discretionary spending, as well as revenue while making wise investments in infrastructure and education.
November 7, 2012 – Everyone knows that President Obama was re-elected, the Democrats held onto the Senate and the Republicans held onto the House of Representatives yesterday. According to NSSGA, three transportation ballot measures at the local level seeking increased sales or gas taxes went down to defeat.
November 5, 2012 – I'm sure that you are, like me, tired of being bombarded by election information. But it is your responsibility as an American to vote, so please head out to the polls and cast your ballot.
Mark S. Kuhar, editor of Rock Products, has covered the aggregates and construction-materials industries for more than 20 years as a business journalist, associate publisher, blogger and digital-media specialist. He is a former winner of the Construction Writers Association’s Robert F. Boger Award for Editorials. Check back often for his posts, opinions and insights on industry developments, and commentary on topics of interest as he travels around the country. He can be reached at 330-722-4081, or mkuhar@mining-media.com.
