The Desperate Need For Infrastructure Spending: The Collapse Of America’s Public Works

[RiverLover]

The Desperate Need For Infrastructure Spending: The Collapse Of America’s Public Works
11/24/2014

SIXTY MINUTES on CBS last night drew attention to the desperate need for infrastructure spending, as we are on the brink of the collapse of America’s public works, most of it done in the 1930s to 1960s, but horribly ignored for the past 20 years in particular.

Bridges, tunnels, highways, seaports, airports are in such disrepair that we cannot compete economically with much of the Western world.

We seem unable to realize that not only are lives at danger, but the whole economic system is at risk if a major highway or bridge collapses, making it impossible for millions of people to reach work by automobile, and to have the ability to do the normal every day activities that fuel our economic growth.

We committed to public works projects in the time of the New Deal and Franklin D. Roosevelt; to interstate highway development under Dwight D. Eisenhower; and to all kinds of other projects during the booming economy of the 1960s under John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson.

But in the past 20 years, mostly under GOP Congressional control, we have lost the vision and the recognition of the dire need for investment, and for commitment to rebuilt our infrastructure.

http://www.theprogressiveprofessor.com/?tag=franklin-d-roosevelt

Is anyone else concerned about crumbling bridges? And not just because it hurts our "economic system"?

[elleng]

1. Have been concerned for YEARS,

and little has been done.

[PDJane]

2. Yes. And it's not just in the US, but in Canada.

The Gardiner expressway is falling down and we're watching it do so.

We aren't being particularly intelligent about any of this.

[RiverLover]

5. I had no idea Canada faced these same problems. We share that along with the fight ag

Big Oil. I guess. Misery loves company!!!

[craigmatic]

3. Well we'll probably not work on it in the next 2 years either in repubs have their way.

[tularetom]

4. I don't give a flying fuck about our "economic system"

I am concerned about the fate of my own ass and I don't want to lose it because some asshole republicans want to give more of my tax dollars to wealthy people who don't need them instead of using them to keep us all safe.

There are several web sites where you can learn the structural stability of bridges that you have to cross in your travels. And these are facts you need to know so you can (a) pressure your lawmakers to get them fixed and/or (b) alter your driving habits to avoid the worst ones.

Unfortunately, nothing will be done until a catastrophic infrastructure failure takes the lives of some prominent Americans. Once that happens, our lame ass politicians will jump backwards through their own assholes to show that they were in favor of increased public works spending all along.

[RiverLover]

6. OMG

I haven't been here long, but this is THE BEST, most brutally honest post I've read to date!!



Hell yeah, I'm with ya on that!!!

[1StrongBlackMan]

8. Would you post a link to a/the website(s) ...

that have the structural stability of bridges?

I'd appreciate it ... though, I'm pretty sure I'll be afraid to look.

[tularetom]

14. Ask and ye shall receive

Here are a few searchable databases listing "structurally deficient" and "functionally obsolete" bridges by state, county and route #.

Some are more user friendly than others but all of them contain accurate information regarding the conditions of our bridges. I spent 35 years of my life going hat in hand to state legislatures begging for bridge repair money so I can vouch for the validity of the data presented in the reports.

Don't be afraid to look - forewarned is forearmed.

I hope all the bridges you typically use are safe.

http://nationalbridges.com

http://www.infrastructurereportcard.org/bridges/

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/nbi.cfm

[1StrongBlackMan]

15. Thanks ...

[TheKentuckian]

7. Roads and bridges are just a taste, wait for the coming sewer and water main apocalypse

that "no one could have seen coming" and the "no choice but to privatize" those essential services.

[maced666]

10. The old 'roads,bridges and infrastructure' speech

Popular for all politicians over the last 60 years. Problem is everybody talks about it but do nothing about it.

[niyad]

11. we have known this since the 70's

[al_liberal]

12. The plutocrats have their own infrastructure.

They use helicopters, fly private jets to private airports, live in secure gated communities, and don't give a shit about our prole asses. Case in point is what's going to happen to all the toads that have the privilege of working in Manhattan when the train tunnels have to be closed to repair them. Christy killed the new tunnel because of big government and blah blah blah

[Blanks]

13. It's certainly a big deal to me...

As a civil engineer, I'd like to see a lot more public works projects. Roads, bridges, levees, sewer, water - there hasn't been much going on for a while.

The thing that most people don't realize is that it's cheaper to construct a new highway across the woods or meadow than it is to update a highway (just as an example - the same is true with utilities) because all of the traffic has to continue to flow. We call it maintenance of traffic. If you want to replace a bridge - you can't just make people go around. You have to consruct a temporary bridge or shift the traffic over to one bridge (if there are two) while you construct the other. It isn't just an incredible inconvenience - it's expensive and time consuming.

[RiverLover]

16. Well, its too bad the only expensive & time-consuming projects our govt wants to invest in are

endless wars in the middle east for Halliburton & friends to profit from...

I want to put you to work!!!

(just being cheeky, I'm sure you're gainfully employed!)

[Blanks]

17. Sure, I'm working...

But there's still a lot of civil engineering work that involves new subdivisions and other housing development type work. I'd rather update municipal wastewater, city streets and other government owned projects.

You're right. If we invested half the money into our infrastructure that we spent on Dubya's wars we'd have gotten ten times the benefit.

It's really kind of depressing.