| Underachiever's Grades |
8 September 2003
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America: In Need of Repairs
Any economy is only as strong as its infrastructure. That is why the latest news from the American Society of Civil Engineers on the country's roads, schools, and waterways was so disturbing. A "D+" is not acceptable in the home of any student who can do better, and it is not good enough for the US, which should be getting top marks.
Of 12 categories, only two were improving: schools and aviation. More troubling was the fact that their improvement only broughts grades of D- and D respectively. No progress was made on bridges (C), solid waste (C+, the best grade on the report card), nor on hazardous waste (D). The engineers noted declining quality for roads (D+), transit (C-), drinking water (D), waste water (D), dams (D), navigable waterways (D+), and energy (D+).
As Thomas Jackson, ASCE president, "It doesn’t matter if the dam fails because cracks have never been repaired or if it fails at the hands of a terrorist. The towns below the dam will still be devastated.”
The market won't fix these things because there is no profit to be made doing it. The era of big government may be over, according to some, but here is a job that, like defense, only the feds can handle. To its credit, the Bush administration proposed spending 13% on infrastructure than was spent in the previous six year plan for such upgrades, a total of $247 billion on roads, bridges and mass transit. Some in congress, like Alaska's Democratic Congressman Don Young, want to spend even more; he suggested $375 billion paid for by an inflation linked gasoline tax.
There is no point to be made here beyond what has been said. America needs to spend a lot of money to fix up the national home. Both parties realize it needs doing. It's past time to roll up the sleeves and set to work.
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