GeoWorld

Will Politics Hamper the Geotechnology Industry? POSITION T BY TODD DANIELSON his "Special Issue" of GeoWorld focuses on government, one of the key supporters of geotechnology. From federal government to small municipali- ties, government decisions make huge impacts in our industry, as it's used in everything from national defense to fixing potholes on your street. There likely isn't a more-substantial consumer of geotechnology than govern- ments. I noticed it at our GeoTec Event, where many of our presentations focused on how the city of Vancouver and sur- rounding British Columbia are making excellent use of modern geospatial tools (for example, check out this month's fea- ture written by Mary Jo Wagner, "Driving the Data Bus—BC Transit Empowers its Data to Better Serve Customers," on page 14). I also noticed it at the GEOINT conference I attended in San Antonio, where government-funded military budgets are the "meal ticket" for an entire subset of "geo" developers. And I couldn't help but think about the ties between government and geotechnol- ogy when U.S. President Barack Obama introduced his American Jobs Act, which features infrastructure growth and repair as a main ingredient. (Also check out this interesting article connecting geotechnol- ogy and jobs: "Where Are the Workers? Data Sharing Expands Federal Geospatial Analytic Offerings," by Robert Pitts and Matthew Graham, on page 18.) Todd Danielson is editor of GeoWorld magazine, PO Box 773498, Steamboat Springs, CO 80477; e-mail: tdanielson@geoplace.com. 4 GEO W ORLD / N O VEMBE R 2O11 Infrastructure Is Geographic Several reports have noted the abysmal state of U.S. infrastructure. The American Society for Civil Engineers (ASCE) "Infrastructure Report Card" from 2009 gave an overall grade of D, with ele- ments such as drinking water and roads receiving a D-. And U.S. infrastructure plummeted from eighth to 16th place in the World Economic Forum's 2005 economic competitiveness ranking. I haven't seen anything recent indicating a reversal in this situation. According to nonpartisan economic forecasters, Obama's American Jobs Act proposes about $90 billion in infrastructure spending. Projects would include repairs to roads and bridges as well as improved schools. In my opinion, these projects would benefit the users (commuters, travelers and students) just as much as those hired to fix them. And although I don't know how much of that would end up in our geotechnol- ogy industry, I do know that modern infrastructure projects require modern GIS technology, and there would certainly be a boost. Playing Politics? I understand the concerns of those who want to control government spending and reel in our deficits. There are many areas in which I agree with these sentiments, but our infrastructure isn't one of them. According to the ASCE, the U.S. government needs to spend $200 billion more than it currently does each year to build and maintain infrastruc- ture to reach an acceptable level that's currently not achieved. So Obama's $90 billion in one-time spending isn't nearly enough to fix all that's wrong with U.S. infrastructure. But it's a start, and it could lead to a realization of how bad the current situation is and build momentum to fix the problem. From what I've seen in polling, Americans want to see the Jobs Act passed. They suffer through unneces- sarily long commutes and airline delays, and many people could use the work. But politicians are stalling, especially Obama's opponents, who fear that any improvement in jobless numbers would increase Obama's chances at reelection in 2012. People want better roads, bridges, schools and water, and few people think government shouldn't supply those basic services. Repairing our troubled assets will lead to more jobs for those out of work, and jobs in infrastructure invariably require geotechnology, providing a boost to all of our industry's businesses. Government Special Issue

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