A few weeks ago, the Trump administration unveiled a framework to support a much-needed rebuild of the nation's infrastructure. As our Brookings Metro colleagues have observed, the proposal leans heavily on governments outside Washington to foot the bill. The proposed Infrastructure Incentives Program would offer $100 billion for investment in a wide range of infrastructure types, but cap the federal contribution to projects at 20 percent, essentially rewarding states and localities that are able to raise new revenues or attract private capital.
This proposal poses a quandary for the Rust Belt: the region hosts some of the nation's most aged and degraded infrastructure, but is also home to a large number of communities with little to no ability to pay for rehabilitating it. While the administration's plan isn't going anywhere anytime soon, it nonetheless exposes anew the fiscal and governance dilemmas that underlie infrastructure challenges in many of the region's vulnerable communities.
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