Aggregates Manager

March 2017

Aggregates Manager Digital Magazine

Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/789750

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 4 of 47

AGGREGATES MANAGER / March 2017 3 March 2017 Vol. 22, No.3 aggman.com /AggregatesManager /AggManEditor Editorial Editor-in-Chief: Therese Dunphy Editorial Director: Marcia Gruver Doyle Online Editor: Wayne Grayson Online Editor: Kerry Clines editorial@aggman.com Design & Production Art Director: Sandy Turner, Jr. Production Designer: Timothy Smith Advertising Production Manager: Linda Hapner production@aggman.com Construction Media Vice President, Construction Media: Joe Donald sales@randallreillyconstruction.com 3200 Rice Mine Rd NE Tuscaloosa, AL 35406 800-633-5953 randallreilly.com Corporate Chairman: Mike Reilly President and CEO: Brent Reilly Chief Operations Officer: Shane Elmore Chief Financial Officer: Russell McEwen Senior Vice President, Sales: Scott Miller Senior Vice President, Editorial and Research: Linda Longton Vice President of Events: Stacy McCants Vice President, Audience Development: Prescott Shibles Vice President, Digital Services: Nick Reid Vice President, Marketing: Julie Arsenault For change of address and other subscription inquiries, please contact: aggregatesmanager@halldata.com. Aggregates Manager TM magazine (ISSN 1552-3071) is published monthly by Randall-Reilly, LLC copyright 2017. Executive and Administrative offices, 3200 Rice Mine Rd. N.E., Tuscaloosa, AL 35406. Subscription rates: $24 annually, Non-domestic $125 annually. Single copies: $7. We assume no responsibility for the validity of claims of manufacturers in any advertisement or editorial product information or literature offered by them. Publisher reserves the right to refuse non-qualified subscriptions. Periodical circulation postage paid at Tuscaloosa, Alabama and additional entries. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage retrieval system, without written permission of the copyright owner. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 507.1.5.2); NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: send address corrections to Aggregates Manager, 3200 Rice Mine Road N.E., Tuscaloosa, AL 35406. Presidential Priorities by Therese Dunphy, Editor-in-Chief tdunphy@randallreilly.com EDITORIAL D uring its early days, President Trump's administration relied largely on executive orders to signal that there is, indeed, a new chief in town. While issues such as the travel ban have garnered much attention, many aggregate operators are watching for movement on issues that most directly affect their businesses. At press time, confi rmations were taking place for many cabinet members and legislative initiatives had not yet been rolled out. "It's a different dynamic to issue executive orders and do the kinds of things you can do as a new president than it is to begin to work with Congress and start to engage in a dialogue to drive results a different way," said Michael Johnson, CEO of the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association, during a recent government affairs teleconference. Johnson noted that President Trump, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, and Senate Ma- jority Leader Mitch McConnell share the same basic governance policy, but have strong personalities and each believe in their own approach to issues, which may make the minutiae of policymaking a more slow-paced process. Infrastructure investment was a key plank of the President's campaign platform, and it was one of his fi rst priorities following the election. Descriptions of his plan range be- tween $500 billion and $1 trillion. Draft versions of these plans, however, indicate that those fi gures are not solely for highways and roads. Investments could also be made in airports, ports, public buildings, and even a fi ber optic network. Operators should also be aware that the fi gures represent a one-time investment over a 10-year window rather than an ongoing funding mechanism. While some White House advisors have indicated the President's preference for infrastructure investment through private-public partnership, Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao has ex- pressed a desire to see direct funding as well. Hopefully, the administration relies on Chao's experience and recognizes that not all infrastructure investments are suitable for private-public partnerships. That is a good talking point to communicate with your legislators. It will also be interesting to see how the President and Congress address the High- way Trust Fund issue. Long-term funding streams need to be identifi ed and put in place while the Republican party has control of both the White House and Congress. Regulatory issues are another top concern for operators who have had to contend with overzealous regulators for much of the last decade. Key concerns include what will happen with the workplace exam rule, how asbestos will be defi ned by the EPA, and the future of the Waters of the U.S. rule. The President's Jan. 31 executive order, Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regula- tory Costs, requires that, for every new regulation issued, at least two prior regulations be identifi ed for elimination. It will likely provide some relief to small producers, in particular. A recent survey by the Small Business Association found that small business owners report spending an average of $12,000 per year on regulations. Early indications are good, but as the administration fl eshes out its proposals, we'll keep you up to date. Check in at www.aggman.com for developing news.

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of Aggregates Manager - March 2017