Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/340625
July 2014 | Construction Equipment Distribution | www.cedmag.com | 27 Sector Point of View Kelly: That was an element of the debate. We felt there needed to be a broader look at the program, a deeper look at what was going on in those communities in this current environment. The rest of the country had a recession, but it was a depression in housing. We lost tens of thousands of builders. We argued for context. Context is often forgotten when you start talking about hard and rigid rules. Changing the definition now would have done more damage. CED: What is the remedy for the ongoing shortage of construc- tion workers? More apprenticeship programs, for instance? Kelly: There are certainly things we can do to prepare for the long term, but what do you do in the next four, five or six years? By way of anecdote, I am told vocational schools had very few students during the downturn – parents weren't encouraging their children to become a carpenter in a housing market that was collapsing around everybody's ears. So those programs had dramatic shrinkage in enrollment, and in high school systems, when you don't have any students in a program you close the program. Now, there is reluc- tance to reopen such programs. The association's Home Builders Institute is working with secondary schools and community colleges to develop a construction trade workforce. The other component of this is the loss of subcontractors. Many were wiped out in the recession. Some were in their early '60s and are not jumping into that pond again. So we lost decades of experience in the running and operating of small busi- nesses. It has created an enormous vacuum and a daunting challenge for the industry. CED: Is immigration reform part of the answer? Kelly: That is an important compo- nent. We believe a prudent immigra- tion reform will permit sufficient numbers of construction workers to enter the country. Last year's Senate bill restricted the number to 15,000, which is very, very low. The last time I looked, the Department of Labor showed there were 170,000 vacant unfilled construction positions. An immigration bill isn't going to come fast, though. The only thing members of Congress move fast on is bashing one another. CED: Has NAHB taken a position on how to consistently fund road building? Kelly: We really haven't jumped into the discussion at the federal level. I will tell you here at the local level, in Delaware, we are support- ing a proposal by the governor to increase the gas tax, with all the money to go to transportation infrastructure. Every state competes against other states to attract employers and we know that people assess the quality of infrastructure in areas where they may relocate. Without prudent management of infrastructure, an overall economy is hurt, and when the economy is negatively impacted, it goes right down hill to the homebuilders. CED: If the climate change debate is going to be a factor in policy discussion, what direction would NAHB like to see it take? Kelly: We are proponents of prudent environmental regulation, but policymakers also need to recog- nize the feasibility of accomplishing what they articulate. To advocate for very stringent requirements in terms of energy consumption and sustain- ability is laudable, but the question is how to get from Point A to Point B in a practical sense. Communities can propose all kinds of standards that are literally not achievable because homebuilders have to heat and cool the homes they build. The next question is, what is the cost of all that? We are always looking at ® "Leader in Excavator Rock Ripping Attachments" with the award winning excavator rock ripping www.digrock.com sales@leattach.com 866-928-5800 or 508-829-4855 ® eading dge ttachments, Inc. Maximize force one tooth at a time, with our patented "Shanks on an Arc" technology. Operators Claim: "the best attachment I ever bought!" Also, try our award winning Multi-Ripper Teeth (Twisted) for maximum penetration TM Multi-ply Your Money! Multi-Ripper Multi-Ripper Bucket 4 times faster than a hammer 6 to 9 times the force of a standard 5 tooth bucket or the (continued on page 63)