Following a new Government Accountability Office report, lawmakers from both parties are criticizing Obama administration claims that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has created or saved about 640,000 jobs. GAO’s study, released on Nov. 19, highlights inaccuracies in data submitted to federal agencies by recipients of ARRA funds. ARRA requires nonfederal recipients of stimulus aid to submit information about projects funded by the stimulus law, including the number of jobs created or preserved. GAO’s report cites examples of inaccurate data from funding recipients that call into question the accuracy of the administration’s estimates. A total of 3,978 reports showed

Senate floor debate on an $848- billion health-care measure is poised to start. The chamber on Nov. 21 voted 60-39 to take up the bill, the minimum margin needed. The measure builds on packages cleared by two committees and contains a public insurance option, which many moderate lawmakers oppose. Labor unions support the Senate bill, but several construction groups and most GOP legislators oppose it. The House passed its version on Nov. 7.

With the latest short-term surface transportation bill set to expire on Dec. 18, another extension is a certainty. But how long the next stopgap measure will be is by no means clear, making things difficult for state transportation agencies and recession-battered construction firms that pursue states’ federally funded highway contracts. Boxer asks for U.S. DOT help in resolving ‘standoff’ with House over new funding bill. Leaders of three Senate committees said on Nov. 17 they want a six-month extension. One of those senators, Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), has urged top U.S. Dept. of Transportation officials

Banks in New York state may have some new worries about lending to projects they think are having difficulties. A state appeals court has ordered Citigroup Global Markets Realty Corp. to resume funding on the $330-million Destiny USA project, near Syracuse. The court said the developer is entitled to a preliminary injunction in its breach-of contract suit against the bank because the project is “unique.” The $155-million Citigroup loan is one of three funding sources for the first phase of the project, which involves construction of an 800,000-sq-ft shopping center/tourist destination and related facilities. The other funding sources are Destiny

A disconnect between marketing and business development can always make it challenging for AEC firms to get work. But the problem can be acute during difficult economic times, said marketing experts at a think tank in New York City on Nov. 13. The event was organized by the SMPS Foundation, a nonprofit that promotes research and education. Source: Robert Buday, “Integratin g marketing and busines development in profesional services Firms: Findings from a 2007 Blom Group survey,” research report , Blom Group LLC, Dec. 2007. Managing Demand Creation: Who is in charge ? “The most vexing question” is why marketing

With the economic slump battering tax receipts, state budgets remain in dire shape, and the pain may continue into fiscal year 2012, according to the National Governors Association and National Association of State Budget Officers. In that environment, it’s no surprise that states around the country are slicing spending. One sector in which construction firms are feeling the impact is transportation. + Image Related Links: Stimulus Was Just a 'Tickle' For Transportation Firms NGA and NASBO on Nov. 12 released preliminary findings from their next biannual Fiscal Survey of the States, due out Dec. 3. Scott D. Pattison, executive director

Powerplants and large industrial facilities that emit more than 25,000 tonnes of CO2 annually must begin monitoring and reporting on their greenhouse-gas emissions yearly as a result of an Environmental Protection Agency rule that goes into effect on Dec. 30. The regulation will cover approximately 85% of the nation’s greenhouse-gas emissions and apply to roughly 10,000 facilities, EPA says. The first reports will be due in 2011. Andy Byers, associate vice president of Overland Park, Kan.-based Black & Veatch’s environmental management practice division, says the rule will create opportunities for some engineering firms. “Those facilities that are subject [to the

Chongqing, a metropolitan area with 31 million people, took center stage at a conference that drew almost 400 construction professionals to the heartland of China. The Nov. 5 event focused on how to achieve sustainable development, a central issue for this city, which is expected to “urbanize” another 500,000 rural residents next year alone. Slide Show CHONGQING City in central China has 31 million people, and it is still growing. The city is located at the center of China, and although it is not familiar to many Westerners, it is playing a major part in the economic development of the

Although a key Senate committee has cleared a sweeping climate-change bill, the measure faces a difficult road ahead. The Environment and Public Works Committee on Nov. 5 approved a measure, introduced by John Kerry (D-Mass.) and panel Chair Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), by a 11-1 tally, with Republicans boycotting the vote. But a small group of lawmakers, including Kerry, is working behind the scenes to craft a more moderate bill that could garner bipartisan support. Some industry sources say that proposal may have better odds of clearing the full Senate. Still, with Congress focused on health-care reform and other fiscal issues,

Every three years, construction industry attorneys meet to educate themselves on “big-picture” issues affecting the industry. This year, at the triennial conference of the American College of Construction Lawyers, members were told of the challenges facing design and construction from the growing economic impact of dwindling natural resources. Photo: Frank Wojciechowski / ACCL George Smitherman, deputy minister of Ontario’s new Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, told attendees at the Nov. 5-6 conference at Princeton University, Princeton, N.J., that the province’s push to reduce coal-fired power and ramp up alternative energy is “North America’s largest climate-change initiative.” He said the effort