<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><div class="gmail-gs" style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 20px;width:1674px;font-family:Roboto,RobotoDraft,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:medium"><div class="gmail-"><div id="gmail-:17b" class="gmail-ii gmail-gt gmail-adO" style="font-size:0.875rem;direction:ltr;margin:8px 0px 0px;padding:0px"><div id="gmail-:148" class="gmail-a3s gmail-aiL" style="overflow:hidden;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:small;line-height:1.5;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-family:Roboto,sans-serif;font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap">D</span><span class="gmail_default" style="background-color:transparent;font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap">ear fellow Maintainers,</span><br></div><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><span id="gmail-m_-262278809465527375gmail-docs-internal-guid-c1901479-7fff-ac93-d23c-df49080ba38c"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Roboto,sans-serif;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">  We want to draw</span></span><span style="background-color:transparent;font-family:Roboto,sans-serif;font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap"> on the experience and perspectives of The Maintainers network (and friends) to inform the upcoming  US discussion on a federal infrastructure initiative. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Roboto,sans-serif;white-space:pre-wrap"><b><font size="4">Process and Expectations:</font></b></span></p><ul style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Roboto,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline">We are asking that you add your ideas to this <span class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Google doc, </span></span><a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KIwcUftbbPFosuCImIgTo9Vi7efjHqwrzLPI-d32NlA/edit*heading=h.sldtfjeu8n39__;Iw!!KwNVnqRv!Wa5eXMIDkSjQh8d6_dDL_t8KFwpsj8ARrRo6fV7jE22O2cvLuuhOnuoJXbgmEGvzFaoy$" target="_blank" style="background-color:transparent;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:small;white-space:normal"><span class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">htt</span>ps://docs.google.com/document/d/1KIwcUftbbPFosuCImIgTo9Vi7efjHqwrzLPI-d32NlA/edit#heading=h.sldtfjeu8n39</a></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Roboto,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline">We encourage the use of Google doc features such as comments and suggestions to respond and elaborate on the ideas of your colleagues. </span></p></li><span class="gmail-im" style="color:rgb(80,0,80)"><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Roboto,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Bookmark this document - come back to it. See how the conversation evolves.</span></p></li></span><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Roboto,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline">If you prefer not to use Google docs - you can post your idea on the Maintainers listserv thread of the same name, and we will add them to the document.</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Roboto,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline">This call for suggestions is open from </span><span style="font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Tuesday, January 26 through Thursday, February 4</span><span style="font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline">.  We will send a couple of reminders out to everyone during this time.</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Roboto,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Once the call is closed (after February 4), we will take stock and discuss options for moving forward. </span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Roboto,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline">There is a section in the document labeled “Contributors” where we ask you to add your name and email as a contributor. </span><span style="font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-style:italic;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline">This is optional</span><span style="font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline">; however, we will reach out to everyone that has listed their information after the call closes in order to update everyone about next steps. </span></p></li></ul><span class="gmail-im" style="color:rgb(80,0,80)"><ul style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Roboto,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline">We do ask that everyone respect one another&#39;s ideas and suggestions - you may add your own ideas, and make comments and suggestions regarding others ideas (make it conversational!) but </span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-weight:700;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline">do not delete</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline"> others&#39; suggestions. </span></p></li></ul></span><h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:20pt;margin-bottom:6pt"><span style="font-family:Roboto,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font size="4">Maintenance and Infrastructure: Community Recommendations to the Biden-Harris Administration</font></span></h1><span class="gmail-im" style="color:rgb(80,0,80)"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Roboto,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">A few concepts to get the wheels turning:</span></p><ul style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Roboto,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Multiple levels or units of analysis: local, state, federal, and even transnational.  </span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Roboto,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Learning from the experience of other countries as well as the United States.  Public works projects have a bad reputation for cost overruns and delays (</span><a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.economist.com/leaders/2021/01/02/how-to-get-infrastructure-right__;!!KwNVnqRv!SKUk-Tx0LYGRkjfnuOOb8mEIrYaruX4-hnb7tN4achXjqWbYVBLIG06K9Lpbsq1nMfL7$" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line:none"><span style="font-size:11pt;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline">https://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/01/02/how-to-get-infrastructure-right</span></a><span style="font-size:11pt;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline">). </span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Roboto,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Embed maintenance in the planning, construction, and operations.  Possibly make life-cycle costs a major planning metric. </span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Roboto,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline">How can we encourage people to think expansively about maintenance? What suggestions could be made to broaden the definition of maintenance in policy and governance? </span></p></li></ul><div><font color="#000000" face="Roboto, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:14.6667px;white-space:pre-wrap"><br></span></font></div></span></span></div><div class="gmail-yj6qo gmail-ajU" style="outline:none;padding:10px 0px;width:22px;margin:2px 0px 0px"><div id="gmail-:1bg" class="gmail-ajR" tabindex="0" style="background-color:rgb(232,234,237);border:none;clear:both;line-height:6px;outline:none;width:24px;border-radius:5.5px"><img class="gmail-ajT" src="https://ssl.gstatic.com/ui/v1/icons/mail/images/cleardot.gif" style="background: url(&quot;https://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/material/system/1x/more_horiz_black_20dp.png&quot;) 50% 50% / 20px no-repeat; opacity: 0.54; margin-right: 0px;"></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="gmail-hq gmail-gt gmail-a10" id="gmail-:17x" style="margin:15px 0px;clear:both;font-size:0.875rem"><div class="gmail-hp" style="width:1674px;border-top:1px dotted rgb(216,216,216)"></div><div class="gmail-a3I" style="width:1px;height:1px;overflow:hidden">Attachments a</div></div></div></div></div><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><font face="verdana, sans-serif">Stay sane, keep washing those hands, and practice social solidarity as well as physical distancing,</font></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><br></span></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Jonathan</span></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><br></span></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Jonathan Coopersmith</span><br></div><div dir="ltr"><div><font face="verdana, sans-serif">Professor</font></div><div><font face="verdana, sans-serif">Department of History</font></div><div><font face="verdana, sans-serif">Texas A&amp;M University</font></div><div><font face="verdana, sans-serif">College Station, TX  77843-4236</font></div><div><font face="verdana, sans-serif">979.291.2925 (cell)</font></div><div><font face="verdana, sans-serif">979.862.4314 (fax)</font></div><div><font face="verdana, sans-serif"><br></font></div><div>Engineering elections:  <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/telecom/security/engineering-principles-us-election" target="_blank">https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/telecom/security/engineering-principles-us-election</a></div><div><br></div><div>Racial disparities in waiting to vote:  <a href="https://theconversation.com/it-takes-a-long-time-to-vote-141267" target="_blank">https://theconversation.com/it-takes-a-long-time-to-vote-141267</a></div><div><font face="verdana, sans-serif"><br></font></div><div><font face="verdana, sans-serif"><i>FAXED.  The Rise and Fall of the Fax Machine</i> (Johns Hopkins University Press) </font><br></div><div><br><br><br><br></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>