How Many ‘U.S. Infrastructure Ailing’ Reports Will It Take to Fix U.S. Infrastructure?

from the Infrastructurist:



How Many ‘U.S. Infrastructure Ailing’ Reports Will It Take to Fix U.S. Infrastructure?
Posted on Thursday May 19th by Eric Jaffe





The ballad of America’s poor infrastructure just received another verse, and it sounds a lot like the first. The latest comes courtesy of the Urban Land Institute and Ernst & Young. According to their new report, “Infrastructure 2011: A Strategic Priority” (pdf), U.S. infrastructure investment is lagging behind the rest of the world (heard that before), its transportation network is deteriorating (and that), and planned improvements will be delayed by the adverse political climate (and, many times, that). Even the $2 trillion investment figure — which somehow made the Washington Post’s headline — appears but a reprise of what the American Society of Civil Engineers has been humming for years.

Still, some of what “Infrastructure 2011″ repeats bears repeating. Like that tune recently covered by the Economist about the need to generate new forms of revenue, specifically by raising the gas tax:



The new report also fears what will happen when the burden of infrastructure maintenance, all but abdicated by the federal government, falls to the states, whose share of spending continues to rise:



That fear is compounded by a pair of recent studies concerned with state aptitude for managing transportation projects. Brookings recently reported that states spend their transportation funding unwisely, and another new study, released earlier this month by Pew, concluded that many states simply lack the information to make strong transportation policy decisions. ..........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.infrastructurist.com/2011/05/19/how-many-us-infrastructure-ailing-reports-will-it-take-to-fix-us-infrastructure/

Government for the people is not working. A "change" Pres has not been able to create change. Ellul et al typified this as the web of a political illusion in which the fundamental agendas of powers that be overwhelm any moral leadership impulse.

Who knows if in our system of governance hold any hope for fundamental change in the interest of the people any more.

This country is going to continue to fall apart around us. Because not enough people give a shit.

And even then they will try to do it the cheapest way possible instead of the right way.

wealth and material possessions.

Materialism and Randian selfishness is an addiction far worse than addiction to any drug, even meth.

Hoping it draws some public attention http://www.history.com/shows/inspector-america
Episode at website.

I learned a lot just by watching a few episodes.