By JOHN SEEWER
Associated Press

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — Samuel “Joe” Wurzelbacher, who was thrust into the political spotlight as “Joe the Plumber” after questioning Barack Obama about his economic proposals during the 2008 presidential campaign, and who later forayed into politics himself, has died, his son said Monday. He was 49.

His oldest son, Joey Wurzelbacher, said his father died Sunday in Wisconsin after a long illness. His family announced this year on an online fundraising site that he had pancreatic cancer.

“The only thing I have to say is that he was a true patriot,” Joey Wurzelbacher — whose father had the middle name Joseph and went by Joe — said in a telephone interview.

“His big thing is that everyone comes to God. That’s what he taught me, and that’s a message I hope is heard by a lot of people.”

He went from toiling as a plumber in suburban Toledo, Ohio, to life as a media sensation when he asked Obama about his tax plan during a campaign stop.

Their exchange and Obama’s response that he wanted to “spread the wealth around” aired often on cable news. Days later, Obama’s Republican opponent, U.S. Sen. John McCain, repeatedly cited “Joe the Plumber” in a presidential debate.

Wurzelbacher soon faced intense media scrutiny and acknowledged that he didn’t have a plumber’s license, saying at the time he didn’t need one because he worked for small plumbing company owned by someone else.

Wurzelbacher went on to campaign with McCain and his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. But he later criticized McCain in his book and said he did not want him as the GOP presidential nominee.

His sudden fame turned him into a sought-after voice for many anti-establishment conservatives, and he traveled the country speaking at tea party rallies and conservative gatherings.

He also wrote a book and worked with a veterans organization that provided outdoor programs for wounded soldiers.

In 2012, he made a bid for a U.S. House seat in Ohio. But he lost in a landslide to Democrat Marcy Kaptur in a district heavily tilted toward Democrats.

Republicans had recruited him to run and thought his fame would help bring in enough money to mount a serious challenge. But he drew criticism during the campaign for suggesting that the United States should build a fence at the Mexico border and “start shooting” at immigrants suspected of entering the country illegally.

Wurzelbacher returned to working as a plumber after he gave up on politics, his family said.

Funeral arrangements were pending. Survivors include his wife, Katie, and four children.

Associated Press writer Mark Scolforo also contributed to this report.

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President Barack Obama‘s plan to cut red tape that holds back federal transportation projects has some of its roots in the Columbia River Crossing project, Oregon officials say.

, announced Wednesday, does not require congressional approval. It includes several steps designed to improve permitting and coordination among federal agencies such as the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, according to the White House.

“I would expect over time that as they institutionalize what they learn that a number of projects will benefit,” said Travis Brouwer, chief of staff for the Oregon Department of Transportation. “We have found over time that more complicated projects go much smoother when the federal government is involved earlier and we coordinate the work of the federal agencies early in the process.”

The plan also calls for expansion of the Federal Infrastructure Projects Permitting Dashboard, which helped the CRC gain speedier permitting after a flap with the U.S. Coast Guard over bridge height could have delayed the process. The Coast Guard called for a taller bridge, but the U.S. Department of Transportation intervened and the White House added the CRC to the newly created dashboard.

“We’re confident that’s what led to the issuance of the permit,” Brouwer said. “It’s a concrete example where poor coordination across federal agencies and processes that didn’t line up led to some real issues with a major project.”

For smaller projects, the real impact of the president’s initiative could be savings of time and money because of improved interagency coordination, said Ron Kutch, information technology manager for Coos Bay-based West Coast Contractors Inc.

The company has a large number of federal contracts that often are held up by an archaic permitting process, he said.

“You go from one agency that thoroughly vets it to the next group that needs to review it – then there is a call for hearings and a comment period,” he said. “Sometimes, we’ll get four reviews down and then we’ll have to rehash it all over again.”

Kutch called modernization of the permitting process a “great idea” if it becomes institutionalized to help smaller projects.

“In our case, we may not get any of the major infrastructure projects,” he said. “However, any streamlining of the permit process that will allow different agencies to collaborate and work together will benefit all of us.”

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President Barack Obama and Congress may soon make some decisions that would significantly affect multiple sectors – including the construction industry. Actions concerning sequestration and project labor agreements could influence operations of Oregon firms.

“In some cases, we’re assuming cuts across the board,” said Jimmy Christianson, congressional director of the Associated General Contractors of America. “On the state level, (those cuts) could have some influence.”

The most pressing issue is the looming fiscal cliff expected to emerge at the end of this year, when terms of the Budget Control Act of 2011 are scheduled to take effect.

The act calls for $109 billion in budget cuts to federal programs. Based on a report compiled by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, nearly $6 billion in federal construction funding could be cut.

Some construction projects would be affected more than others, Christianson said. Highway and bridge projects, such as the $3.5 billion Columbia River Crossing, would not be greatly affected, because the Highway Trust Fund is relatively protected from sequestration, he said.

Because of reduced gas consumption, the government has transferred money from the country’s general fund to the Highway Trust Fund in three of the past five years. Sequestration would reduce a $6.2 billion transfer that was planned for 2013 by 8.2 percent. However, that would equate to only $471 million.

“The real problem is there is still not enough revenue being generated for the Highway Trust Fund,” Christianson said. “That battle is not over. But if you’re looking at highway and bridge funding specifically, (the fiscal cliff) will probably not have an effect.”

What sequestration would affect is military and water infrastructure spending. Defense would lose $2 billion that would have gone toward things like infrastructure construction. So, projects like The Dalles Readiness Center, a $17 million effort to replace an armory, could be in jeopardy.

Nearly $196 million in cuts would affect a pot of federal money used to improve water and wastewater infrastructure. Between new water tanks and a $123 million endeavor to rehab its sewer system, the city of Portland is devoting huge sums of money to this type of infrastructure, and some of it is coming from federal grants.

The water-related cuts would be more damaging than the highway-related ones because the money pot is nearly $38 billion smaller.

“It’s all relative,” Christianson said. “It’s a large percentage cut.”

Also, the president’s decision to continue to push for more project labor agreements, a pre-hire collective bargaining agreement with labor unions, on government projects could affect local contractors. No new policies are expected, but federal agencies, such as the Bureau of Land Management or the U.S. Forest Service, which often operate in Oregon, may be encouraged to use PLAs more often.

But open-shop employers could be forced to pay for employees’ benefits twice on a PLA project, according to Brian Turmail, executive director of public affairs for the AGC of America. And PLAs can undermine firms’ pre-existing agreements with unions, he said.

“Why do we need a PLA to avoid a work stoppage that you’ve already agreed not to have?” Turmail said. “We don’t think the government should butt its head into the situation and propose them.”

In addition, potential environmental legislation could impact some firms. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is weighing whether to propose a rule that would designate fly ash, a material often used by concrete companies, as hazardous waste. The rule would potentially discourage customers from buying concrete made with it.

The EPA also is continuing to scrutinize stormwater runoff. In 2010, the agency set numeric limits on how much stormwater could be discharged from construction sites. Now it’s looking into possibly building on that.

All of these decisions will have a big impact on the industry as a whole, Turmail said.

“Hopefully they make the right choices,” he said.

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President Obama delivered his State of the Union address Tuesday evening largely focusing on the economy and the growing wealth gap in the U.S. He said we should restore the economy to one where “everyone gets a fair shot.” But the Associated Builders and Contractors trade association said the speech was just more of the same from the president.

ABC National Chairman Eric Regelin issued his reaction in a press release:

“In his speech, the president said ‘we can restore an economy where everyone gets a fair shot, and everyone does their fair share,’” Regelin said. “Yet, one of his first official acts when he took office was to sign an executive order on project labor agreements that discriminates against the 87 percent of the nation’s construction workforce that chooses not to belong to a labor union.

Regelin is referring to that encourages federal agencies to use union-only on construction projects that cost more than $25 million. PLAs are project contracts that essentially require workers to unionize. They establish employment conditions for workers such as recognizing the union as the chief bargaining power, following union rules and paying union dues. President George W. Bush had banned federal agencies from imposing PLAs on federal construction projects, but President Obama reversed that ban.

Obama specifically spoke about the construction industry, saying, “In the next few weeks, I will sign an Executive Order clearing away the red tape that slows down too many construction projects. But you need to fund these projects. Take the money we’re no longer spending at war, use half of it to pay down our debt, and use the rest to do some nation-building right here at home.” Regelin responded:

“It is not clear at this point what President Obama meant when he spoke of removing red tape from construction projects, but any sincere effort to do so must involve the elimination of government-mandated project labor agreements and Davis-Bacon wage requirements on taxpayer-funded construction projects,” Regelin said.

The Davis-Bacon Act is a law that requires a  for federal construction projects.

Obama also called for a new “millionaire’s tax” that would require millionaires to pay at least 30 percent of their income in taxes. To that, Regelin said:

“The president’s insistence on a so-called ‘millionaire’s tax’ to fund his various priorities will expose the 80 percent of construction firms that are taxed at the individual rate to a significant tax increase,” said Regelin. “This does not represent a ‘fair share’ that will help the economy and create jobs, but rather the president’s continued use of the nation’s job creators as his personal piggy bank.

Obama, now in what many pundits say is “campaign mode,” is .

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As more details emerge about President Obama’s proposed American Jobs Act, as much as $770.6 million could be injected into Oregon’s construction industry.

The White House today released a breakdown of how the plan, if passed by Congress, would affect each state. In it, the President has earmarked more than $770 million, in addition to the several tax cuts, that would directly affect Oregon construction companies that work on transportation, education and residential projects.

According to , Oregon will receive at least $426.2 million of the $50 billion set aside for immediate investments in highway, transit, rail and aviation projects. The money could support as many as 5,500 local jobs, according to the fact sheet.

Additionally, the president would send $253.2 million to public K-12 schools in Oregon for modernizations and maintenance, as well as $71.2 million to community colleges for upgrades to learning spaces.

Oregon would also see at least $20 million of the President’s suggested $15 billion for rehabilitating and refurbishing hundreds of thousands of vacant and foreclosed homes and businesses. The funds would be available through a competitive application process.

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Oregon public schools could be eligible for modernization and infrastructure improvement funds if President Obama’s American Jobs Act is approved by Congress.

According to a released today by the White House, Oregon K-12 public schools will be eligible for $253 million of the $25 billion set aside for improving public schools if the bill is passed as presented to Congress. Additionally, community colleges in Oregon would be eligible for $71.2 million.

White House officials estimate that this money could attract or retain as many as 3,300 jobs.

The money for K-12 schools would be allocated to the state once the bill is passed. The state Department of Education would then have until Sept. 30 to obligate those funds or they would be redistributed to other states.

Oregon would be required to direct half the funding to local school districts on a formula basis, and the other half through an application process in the most high-need districts, with a priority for rural districts.

The money for community colleges could only be used for repair, renovation or modernization of facilities used primarily for instruction and research.

Additionally, $10 billion of the $25 billion would be directed straight to the 100 largest high-need public school districts. No school districts in Oregon or Washington made that list.

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President Barack Obama on Thursday night asked Congress to quickly approve his $477 billion American Jobs Act proposal, which includes $105 billion for infrastructure and construction spending.

Initial reaction from built industry professionals – both locally and nationally – is that any increase in federal spending on infrastructure and other construction projects is sorely needed and much appreciated. But as with Obama’s $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in 2009, industry professionals say they think any positive effects will most likely be short lived.

“Any effort is appreciated as we can all agree that we need more jobs,” said John Killin, president of the Oregon chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors. “But as an organization we bought into the stimulus package, which this looks an awful lot like. As soon as the stimulus money dried up, our unemployment rate in Oregon rose again.”

A large portion of Obama’s plan focuses on the extension of unemployment benefits and tax breaks for small businesses. The rest focuses on short-term spending to modernize schools, fund federal infrastructure projects, and rehabilitate and repurpose vacant space in neighborhoods across the country.

While Killin likes the intent of the effort – getting people back to work – he doesn’t agree that the package offers a real solution to that problem.

“These tweaks and holidays don’t work,” he said. “We need to roll back these barriers to doing business and remove the regulations that are hurting the people that create jobs.”

U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., a senior member of the House Budget and Ways and Means committees, voiced similar concerns in a statement he released following the president’s speech. But Blumenauer said he wants to keep an open mind until he is able to examine the plan in greater detail.

“I don’t believe that tax cuts will create as many jobs as investing in infrastructure, but I look forward to reading the president’s plan and to (learning) more details,” Blumenauer said in his statement. “We must guard against people just taking the easy political step of cutting taxes and not the heavy lifting of tax reform and funding our failing infrastructure.”

Others had fewer reservations, if any.

John Mohlis, executive secretary-treasurer with the Columbia Pacific Building Trades Council, said he considers any proposal that pays for infrastructure and puts people back to work to be a good thing in the current economy.

Tom Chamberlain, president of Oregon AFL-CIO, agreed. He believes the plan could really benefit Oregon.

“I saw a lot of good stuff, especially the transportation stuff,” Chamberlain said. “Hopefully there’s some money in there for the (Columbia River Crossing) project. That would have a direct positive impact not only on Oregon construction workers but our entire unemployment rate and the economy in general.”

The American Institute of Architects also voiced strong support for the president’s plan, especially the money dedicated to construction spending. The organization estimates that every $1 billion invested in nonresidential design and construction results in 28,500 full-time jobs. By that calculation, Obama’s plan could result in nearly 3 million jobs.

But while the AIA supports the spending in the plan, the organization is also calling for at least one more addition – the continuation of the Build America Bonds program.

“In the two short years that the program was authorized, state and local governments used Build America Bonds to finance roughly $180 billion (of) new construction projects, preserving tens of thousands of jobs,” AIA President Clark Manus said. “We estimate that at least $45 billion of that amount was used in the construction sector to finance schools, offices, hospitals and other building projects that improve communities.”

The U.S. Green Building Council took a similar stance. Rick Fedrizzi, president and CEO of the U.S. Green Building Council, offered the organization’s full support of the proposal and its passage. But he also mentioned several energy-efficient tax incentives that could be included to create more jobs.

“Specifically in commercial building, we know fixing the tax incentive for energy-efficient commercial buildings, Section 179D, could create 77,000 additional jobs in energy efficiency,” he said in a statement about the plan. “I hope Congress will strongly consider this commonsense tax fix.”

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President Obama announced today that the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Energy and Navy will invest up to $510 million into biofuels during the next three years.

A private-public funded project, Obama hopes to spur growth in America’s biofuel infrastructure for military and commercial uses. Citing his focus on energy security and job creation, Obama remarked:

“… Supporting biofuels cannot be the role of government alone. That’s why we’re partnering with the private sector to speed development of next-generation biofuels that will help us continue to take steps towards energy independence and strengthen communities across our country.”

In a political climate where government spending has become anathema and in a country that spends more than $300 billion a year on imported crude oil annually, it seems like a decent move.

That said, I hope some of that money will find its way away from corn-based biofuels and to other, more efficient biofuel feedstocks.

If not, I fear the results will be as about as sensible as the screams of a . Mixing corn into something other than tortilla chips is just plain stupid!

Photo by via Flickr

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President Obama was slated to speak on reducing oil imports and increasing domestic energy production at Georgetown University this morning. In addition to a spiel about reducing dependence on foreign oil – and looking for more of that oil here at home – there were some points of interest to the renewable energy industry here in Oregon:

• The Obama Administration set a goal of breaking ground on at least four commercial-scale cellulosic or advanced bio-fuel refineries over the next two years, and will look to update  biofuel incentives.
• Commercial truck, van and bus fuel standards for 2014-2018 models will be finalized in July. Standards for consumer cars built in 2012-2016 are already in place.
• In Obama’s proposed budget: $7,500 proposed tax credit for consumers and competitive grants for communities to encourage electric vehicle use. The president’s budget also includes funding for R&D in battery technology – all part of the administration’s goal of putting 1 million electric vehicles on the road by 2015.
• Obama called for all new federal government vehicles to be powered by alternative fuel (including hybrid or electric cars) by 2015. The federal fleet includes more than 600,000 vehicles.

Much of that is good news for Oregon’s renewable energy sector, which is currently a little shaken by state-level budget cuts and some critical examination of the Business Energy Tax Credit.

Oregon is uniquely situated to take advantage of some of the biofuel emphasis, as the second state (after California) with a low-carbon fuel standard in process. DEQ officials say that implementing the fuel standard could boost economic development in the state, and federal support couldn’t hurt.

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President Obama was slated to speak on reducing oil imports and increasing domestic energy production at Georgetown University this morning. In addition to a spiel about reducing dependence on foreign oil – and looking for more of that oil here at home – there were some points of interest to the renewable energy industry here in Oregon:

• The Obama Administration set a goal of breaking ground on at least four commercial-scale cellulosic or advanced bio-fuel refineries over the next two years, and will look to update  biofuel incentives.
• Commercial truck, van and bus fuel standards for 2014-2018 models will be finalized in July. Standards for consumer cars built in 2012-2016 are already in place.
• In Obama’s proposed budget: $7,500 proposed tax credit for consumers and competitive grants for communities to encourage electric vehicle use. The president’s budget also includes funding for R&D in battery technology – all part of the administration’s goal of putting 1 million electric vehicles on the road by 2015.
• Obama called for all new federal government vehicles to be powered by alternative fuel (including hybrid or electric cars) by 2015. The federal fleet includes more than 600,000 vehicles.

Much of that is good news for Oregon’s renewable energy sector, which is currently a little shaken by state-level budget cuts and some critical examination of the Business Energy Tax Credit.

Oregon is uniquely situated to take advantage of some of the biofuel emphasis, as the second state (after California) with a low-carbon fuel standard in process. DEQ officials say that implementing the fuel standard could boost economic development in the state, and federal support couldn’t hurt.

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