The Angle

As they met over the last two weeks to nominate their candidates for president and vice president, the Democratic and Republican parties adopted platforms that espouse the importance of well-designed buildings and increased infrastructure investments.

This week, the Republicans approved a platform at their convention in St. Paul, MN, that calls on the country to “construct better and smarter buildings, use smarter thermostats and transmission grids, increase recycling, and make energy-efficient consumer purchases.” The GOP platform adds, “The Republican goal is to ensure that Americans have more conservation options that will enable them to make the best choices for their families.

Meanwhile, the Democrats approved a platform at their Denver, CO, convention last week that also backs green building. “Building on the innovative efforts of the private sector, states, cities, and tribes across the country, we will . . . install a smarter grid, build more efficient buildings, and use the power of federal and military purchasing programs to jumpstart promising new markets and technologies.”

Both platforms also express support for the development and deployment of renewable energy technologies, like wind, solar, and geothermal. They differ, however, on climate change; the Democratic platform endorses a mandatory cap-and-trade program while the GOP platform supports voluntary measures.

Communities, Infrastructure and Housing
Both platforms also discuss the need to invest in communities and the nation’s infrastructure. The Democratic platform states that “strong cities are the building blocks of strong regions, and strong regions are essential for a strong America.” The party says it will “work to make cities greener and more livable by training employees to work in skilled clean technologies industries, improving the environmental efficiency of city buildings, and taking smart growth principles into account when designing transportation.”

The Democrats propose starting a National Infrastructure Reinvestment Bank “that can leverage private investment in infrastructure improvements, and create nearly two million new good jobs.”

The Republicans “support a level of investment in the nation’s transportation system that will promote a healthy economy, sustain jobs, and keep America globally competitive. We need to improve the system’s performance and capacity to deal with congestion . . . reduce traffic fatalities, and ensure mobility across both rural and urban areas. . . At the same time, we are committed to minimizing transportation’s impact on climate change, our local environments, and the nation’s energy use.”

On housing, both parties express support for helping Americans purchase and keep their homes. The Republican platform “aims to make owning a home more accessible through enforcement of open housing laws, voucher programs, urban homesteading and — what is most important — a strong economy with low interest rates. Because affordable housing is in the national interest, any simplified tax system should continue to encourage homeownership, recognizing the tremendous social value that the home mortgage interest deduction has had for decades.”

Democrats, meanwhile, say they “will implement the newly created Affordable Housing Trust Fund to ensure that it can start to support the development and preservation of affordable housing in mixed-income neighborhoods throughout the country, restore cuts to public housing operating subsidies, and fully fund the Community Development Block Grant program.” Democrats also propose creating a new White House Office on Urban Policy.

Helping  Businesses
Not surprisingly, both platforms express their parties’ support for small businesses. The Republican platform states that the GOP will “attack the rise in energy costs that is making it so difficult for entrepreneurs to compete. Our tax reduction and tax simplification agenda will allow businesses to focus on producing and selling their products and services — not on paying taxes. . . Our approach to regulation — basing it on sound science to achieve goals that are technically feasible — will protect against jobkilling intrusions into small businesses. Our commitment to legal reform means protecting small businesses from the effects of frivolous lawsuits.”

The Democrats propose to “exempt all start-up companies from capital gains taxes and provide them a tax credit for health insurance. We will provide a new tax credit for small businesses that offer quality health insurance to their employees. We will help small businesses facing high energy costs. We will work to remove bureaucratic barriers for small and start-up businesses.”

Both parties support proposals to reduce health care costs on small businesses. Democrats endorse universal health care, while Republicans favor tax incentives and greater personal choice and responsibility. Both parties say they will provide for portability, allowing workers to take insurance with them when they change jobs.

Both parties’ inclusion of green building and infrastructure planks in their platforms shows that improving the built environment is a bipartisan goal, as is helping small businesses like small design firms and sole practitioners. 

Learn More about How the Candidates Differ:

The Wall Street Journal blog is conducting an ongoing online debate between top Obama and McCain advisors on key issues of the day (energy, health care, trade, etc.).

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