O'Malley and Infrastructure

A good story in today's Washington Post. It seems that Governor-Elect O'Malley met with D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty and Virginia Governor Tim Kaine on Friday and the three of them agreed to cooperate on homeland security issues.

According to the Post,

"This is a historic day," Fenty said. "The fact that we are [meeting] about homeland security and counter terrorism is no accident. It is deliberate, and we think it is the priority going into the future."

...Fenty said area priorities include communicating among jurisdictions, public preparedness, handling mass casualties, protecting critical infrastructure, improving overall planning, sharing intelligence and coping with a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear attack.

Kaine, who dubbed the trio the "three amigos," said that their experience as local officials -- all were city council members and mayors -- rather than their party label will make them effective regional leaders. He said that their future discussions will include developing a "first-hour plan" for how local areas would cooperate in the early stages of an emergency.

"In an increasingly small world, it's critically important that we cooperate across borders," said O'Malley, who will be sworn in next week.

In future meetings, the three plan to pursue regional approaches to issues such as transportation and the environment.

I am personally hoping that the three leaders will take a serious look at the region's infrastructure needs. In addition to roads, Maryland, DC and Virginia would do well to take a hard look at water and waste water production, collection and treatment. As the region's population continues to grow, it makes sense for government to strongly consider water and waste water infrastructure concerns from more than a local level. In order for the region to continue to grow, infrastructure needs to be expanded, capacities need to be expanded and aging infrastructure, especially pipe, needs to be replaced. Because infrastructure is so expensive, regionalism makes economic sense.

I'm hoping Governor O'Malley will move Maryland, and the region, forward in addressing replacement and rehabilitation of aging infrastructure.