WILDMAN INVITED TO HIGHWAY BILL SIGNING

Walt Wildman, executive director of the Regional Commerce and Growth Association, is one of 175 people from around the nation invited to witness President Bush's signing of a new highway bill this week.

Bush plans to sign the six-year, $151 billion measure Wednesday morning at a construction site in Dallas.

Wildman received a telephone invitation Friday afternoon from the public affairs office of the White House.

"Obviously I'm very excited to receive this invitation and am looking forward to attending very much," said Wildman.

For the last two years, in his role as executive director of the RCGA and as co-director of I-66 Project, Inc., Wildman has spent a great deal of time in Washington lobbying for the new highway bill.

Wildman believes that effort and some of the contacts he made, enabled him to get the invitation. In addition, Wildman said U.S. Sens. Christopher Bond and John Danforth and U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson worked to get him invited.

Wildman said he hopes to return from the ceremony with a final draft of the bill, which was completed late last month before Congress adjourned for a Thanksgiving recess.

Congress approved general parameters of the bill; however, final details and wording are being finished by staff members.

"We need to take some time to study the bill and see where we came out okay," said Wildman. The bill, known as the "Intermodal Surface Transportation Infrastructure Act of 1991," includes some funding for a study of ~I-66, widening Highway 60 between Sikeston and Poplar Bluff, and increased funding overall for Missouri.

Missouri will receive about 96 cents for every dollar it pays for federal gas tax, compared to 77 cents under the highway bill that expired Sept. 30.

"This is probably the closest thing that will come out to an economic package," said Wildman. "I think it will be a very positive shot in the arm for the economy."

Wildman, who also serves as the District 10 chairman of the Missouri Transportation Development Council, a group that works with state and federal highway officials in promoting highway improvements, said he hopes a consensus can be developed soon in Southeast Missouri on the projects that will be funded the next six years.

"We needed to speak in a unified voice," said Wildman.