Masonry Magazine June 2006 Page. 22
LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE
Jesse Sharp, Special Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy
Sharp began by saying that the president is aware of how important training is and the need to bring more people into the skilled trades. "We are acutely aware of the shortage of highly skilled workers, especially after Katrina in the Gulf coast area," he said. He also told attendees that the president is highly in favor of a temporary worker program as one facet to "a more practical way to secure our borders and have the workforce that we need."
Phil Grone, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Installations & Environment, Department of Defense
Grone discussed the expectations for future Department of Defense (DOD) buildings and contracts. "We're looking for quality, well-constructed facilities that are built on time," Grone said. "The right materials, for the right project, at the right time. There's no 'one size fits all product." He also discussed the inclusion of masonry walls systems in future DOD blast testing. "Looking at the whole life-cycle has not been something that we've looked at in the past, but it's certainly something we need to do in the future," Grone said. "We need to change and evolve, and we are looking forward to working with [the masonry industry)."
Keith Eastin, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installation & Environment, Department of Defense
Following up on Grone's comments, Eastin discussed the Army's plans for installations of barracks, offices, storage and other buildings, with nine million sq. ft. of new buildings planned for 2006, 21 million sq. ft. in 2007, and 49 million sq. ft. planned in the years following, worth an estimated $16 billion in new contracts. "There's going to be a lot of brick and block masonry going on," Eastin explained. "We don't like to pay for a building twice, and we don't want to go modular. We want slab construction with masonry walls, but we want them built fast." In closing, he said, "I don't think the Army is going to get where it wants to go without referring to the building industry, specifically you fine people."
Conclusion
The 2006 Masonry Industry Legislative Conference offered the perfect opportunity for the masonry industry to join together and discuss, one on one, the issues that affect the masonry industry with members of Congress and the administration. But it doesn't stop here. We look forward to an even larger event next year, and we hope that you participate as well. See you next year!