By Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Former U.S. Congressman Jerry Costello will speak on “Our Nation’s Infrastructure—Approaching Crisis?” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 8 at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
The event will take place in the Mississippi-Illinois room of the Morris University Center.
Costello is the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute Leader in Residence at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. His visit is being made possible by the SIUE Department of Political Science Civic Education Project.
“Just last week a major bridge in Wisconsin had to be closed because one of its sections dropped several feet; this summer a bridge collapse in Washington sent three to the hospital, and who can forget the tragic bridge collapse in Minnesota?” said Laurie Rice, associate professor of Political Science in a press release from the university. “Studies of the state of our nation’s infrastructure warn more tragedies could be on the horizon unless something is done.”
Rice cited the American Society of Civil Engineers’ 2013 Report Card for American’s Infrastructure, which gave the nation’s infrastructure as a whole a D+, infrastructure in Illinois a D+ and infrastructure in Missouri a C-.
During his 25-year tenure in the U.S. House of Representatives, Costello served on several committees and subcommittees, including House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, highways subcommittee, the water resources subcommittee, the rail subcommittee and more. He also served as the chairman of the aviation subcommittee, making him uniquely suited to address this pressing public policy issue.
For more information about the event, contact Dr. Laurie Rice, associate professor of Political Science, larice@siue.edu. A small reception will follow the free public lecture.
