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Following are ways each of the two major parties’ presidential candidates would address rural, water and related issues.

President Barack Obama

This information was submitted by Obama’s campaign and has been edited only for length and to provide focus on the topic of infrastructure as much as possible.

Stronger rural communities

“Strong rural communities are key to a stronger America …we’re working across government to strengthen rural communities and promote economic growth.” -- President Barack Obama

President Obama believes strong and prosperous small towns and rural communities mean a strong and prosperous America.

President Obama is making the rural economy built to last–one focused on reclaiming the security of the rural middle class by growing products that the rest of the world buys, and restoring the basic values of hard work and fair play that made our country great. He is expanding water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure and investing in agricultural innovation to promote rural economic development, protect public health, and create a global economy for American agriculture.

Since he came to office, President Obama has taken important steps to reduce federal spending and the deficit while protecting vital programs that serve our small towns and rural communities. Under his leadership, government programs are becoming more efficient–trimming waste and improving programs to better serve rural communities.

Investing in a rural economy built to last

By investing in job creation, clean energy, agriculture and education, the President Obama is building a rural economy built to last–and where future generations can enjoy the way of life in rural America. He plans to accomplish this by:

1. Boosting Small Business for an Economy Built to Last
2. Building a Clean Energy Economy and Promoting Energy Independence
3. Investing in a 21st Century Infrastructure: President Obama understands the economic competitiveness of rural American depends on its transportation and water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure. He is investing in building 21st century infrastructure in rural communities, including bridges, critical roads and rail in rural areas and 5,100 water and waste water community infrastructure projects to safeguard the health of 18 million rural residents and support 135,000 jobs.
4. Opening New Markets for Farm Exports
5. Strengthening American Agriculture
6. Honoring the Service of our Veterans in Rural America
7. Investing in Our Future with Rural Education
8. Securing the Middle Class by Helping American Homeowners
9. Providing Affordable Health Care to Rural Communities
10. Conserving Public Lands while Boosting Recreation and Tourism

Governor Mitt Romney

Romney’s campaign did not respond to multiple requests for written information on the Republicans’ rural platform. RCAP has taken the following excerpts from Believe in America: Mitt Romney’s Plan for Jobs and Economic Growth. We attempted to identify the sections that most closely touch on the ways the federal government affects water and wastewater infrastructure. Romney’s plan does not speak about rural issues specifically.

Regulatory Policy: Excessive Environmental Regulation

In the face of our economic travails, the most active regulator is the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)…[which] continues to issue endless new regulations touching on countless other forms of economic activity—regulations that drive up costs and hinder investment. To take just one example, the EPA has proposed a new regulation that could designate nearly every county in the United States that monitors ozone levels as “out of attainment” with the government standard. The result could be up to $90 billion in new costs on American industry annually and the loss of more than seven million jobs. Although the EPA has repeatedly postponed implementation of the rule in the face of criticism, the agency remains “fully committed” to the rule’s implementation. It is this kind of reckless regulatory behavior that makes the American economy inhospitable to investment (p. 56).

Regulatory Policy: Reform Environmental Regulation

Romney will also press Congress to reform our environmental laws and to ensure that they allow for a proper assessment of their costs. Laws that forbid cost assessment may have had some merit in the era in which they were passed. But that was a time when the environment was severely contaminated and the United States enjoyed full employment and low energy prices. Today, such laws are a costly anachronism and are in urgent need of reform. Romney will seek to amend the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts to ensure that cost is taken properly into account at every stage in the regulatory process.

In addition, Romney will seek amendments that provide a multi-year lead time between the date when a new regulation is issued and the date by which companies must come into compliance. If there are compelling human health reasons to restrict industrial emissions, regulatory bodies must issue standards that can be achieved over a reasonable period of time, affording industries fair notice and a significant window in which to invest in the development and installation of new technology that would bring their facilities into compliance (p. 60).

Energy Policy: Overhaul Outdated Legislation

The Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and other environmental laws need to be overhauled. Laws that require every significant scientific innovation or technological breakthrough to trigger prolonged regulatory scrutiny and years of spurious litigation are an excellent means of imposing self-inflicted wounds on our economy. As president, Mitt Romney will propose thoughtful and measured reforms of the statutory framework to preserve our environmental gains without paralyzing industry and destroying jobs (p. 92).

Find Romney’s full plan at www.mittromney.com/sites/default/files/shared/BelieveInAmerica-PlanForJobsAndEconomicGrowth-Full.pdf

“A federal-State-private partnership must invest in the nation’s infrastructure: roads, bridges, airports, ports, and water systems, among others.”

“What most Americans take for granted—the safety and availability of our water supply—is in perilous condition. Engineering surveys report crumbling drinking water systems, aging dams, and overwhelmed wastewater infrastructure. Investment in these areas, as well as with levees and inland waterways, can renew communities, attract businesses, and create jobs. Most importantly, it can assure the health and safety of the American people.”

—2012 Republican platform

Other articles in this issue:

• Director's Letter
• Rural Developments (news briefs)
• Report: Aging infrastructure, capital costs and funding top concerns for U.S. water utility leaders
• Why it’s important to discuss water-sector interdependency in your community
• New study describes challenges and ways to strengthen rural communities in Appalachia
• Guest editorial:  Managing our finite water resources