In America, both parties have to get back to dreaming big and building big things to invest in our future. Years ago, Democratic President Franklin Roosevelt helped bring us out of the Great Depression with projects like the Hoover Dam. Republican President Eisenhower continued this bipartisan commitment to the future by building our interstate highway system. These projects created jobs and laid the foundation for a modern economy to support a strong middle class.

Unfortunately, our infrastructure today is in dire need of improvement. According to the not-for-profit transportation research organization TRIP, 42 percent of Sacramento area's roadways are in need of repair, leading to more time on the road that forces the average driver to pay nearly $1,000 more a year to fill up his or her gas tank. Improving our infrastructure is also a matter of public safety - especially with more than 13,000 miles of levees and more than 2,700 structurally deficient bridges in our state.

Poor infrastructure endangers residents, discourages new business, and slows down our economy. To create jobs and build an economy that works for the middle class, we need to get back to the bipartisan American tradition of investing in our future. Improving Sacramento County's infrastructure will help modernize our economy, help our businesses, and make our communities safer.