Reed hopes to bring home slice of Obama's jobs bill

By Daniel Malloy

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

WASHINGTON – Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed looks at President Barack Obama’s jobs bill and sees a fresh-baked pie of money.

And he intends to help determine how the slices are divvied up.

A frequent visitor to the nation’s capital, Reed is back this week for several meetings, including chats with members of the Georgia delegation at Congressional Black Caucus festivities. His top discussion topic with the delegation will be Georgia’s transportation needs, and Reed said in an interview Wednesday that the best opportunity to tap into the federal spigot is Obama’s jobs plan.

He hopes to do so on two fronts. The first is reimbursement for the city’s sewer overhaul, which could help stem Atlantans’ skyrocketing water bills. The second is to fund dredging for the Port of Savannah, which would allow it to take on larger ships coming through the newly expanded Panama Canal starting in 2014.

“I think we need to pursue the jobs bill, which is why we need to be aggressive right now,” Reed said. “And so you will see me here as much as is appropriate right now. … What I’m focused on is making sure that there is no significant infrastructure legislation that is passed where Atlanta and Georgia don’t win.”

Passing the legislation is a challenge much bigger than Reed. Obama's plan, which he touted again Wednesday on a trip to Cincinnati, was quickly dismissed by Republicans as a rehash of his 2009 stimulus bill. Obama’s proposal to raise taxes on the rich to pay for the new spending was even less popular. But Reed said he is confident something will get done.

“I don’t think any side is going to get everything that they want but I don’t believe now that both parties have the responsibility for the economy that they’re not going to do anything,” Reed said. “And infrastructure has been a historic area of agreement.”

Reed, a Democrat, and Republican Gov. Nathan Deal have formed an unusual bipartisan partnership to seek federal assistance for the state. Reed touted their success so far, including $47.6 million from the stimulus bill for the city’s streetcar system. Deal has deep GOP connections on Capitol Hill from serving in Congress, and Reed has been an Obama administration ally, including recently aiding the White House public relations blitz after Obama introduced his jobs plan.

The sewer reimbursement is his most pressing task. Atlanta is in the midst of a $4 billion overhaul of the city’s sewer system mandated by a federal consent decree. City residents have seen their water bills jump to help pay for it, and Reed said it’s time for the feds to help – as they mandated the project in the first place.

“When you have local governments and state governments that step up, they should go to the front of the line in terms of federal support,” he said. “And we really, we have just borne an incredible burden.”

The Obama administration requested $600,000 in planning funds for the Savannah dredging project in 2012, and that money is included in both the House and Senate appropriations bills, meaning it is likely headed for approval. Reed said the money gives the project momentum, and he now is seeking $50 million to $70 million in start-up construction costs for a venture that will cost $600 million in all.