US Infrastructure at a Crossroads
This is what happens when playing politics is more important than dealing with the very real problems we face:
From the NY Times:
Of the nation’s 85,000 dams, more than 4,400 are considered susceptible to failure, according to the Association of State Dam Safety Officials. But repairing all those dams would cost billions of dollars, and it is far from clear who would provide all the money in a recessionary era.
and
Nationwide, the potential repair costs are staggering. A 2009 report by the state dam safety officials’ group put the cost of fixing the most critical dams — where failure could cause loss of life — at $16 billion over 12 years, with the total cost of rehabilitating all dams at $51 billion. But those figures do not include Lake Isabella and other dams among the approximately 3,000 that are owned by the federal government. The corps, for example, says that more than 300 of the roughly 700 dams it is responsible for need safety-related repairs, and estimates the total fix-up bill at about $20 billion.
Check out the Report Card on America’s Infrastructure:
2009 Grades:
Aviation D
Bridges C
Dams D
Drinking Water D-
Energy D+
Hazardous Waste D
Inland Waterways D-
Levees D-
Public Parks and Recreation C-
Rail C-
Roads D-
Schools D
Solid Waste C+
Transit D
Wastewater D-America’s Infrastructure GPA: D
Estimated 5 Year Investment Need: $2.2 Trillion
The US invests 2.4% of our GDP in our infrastructure. Not only is more investment crucial to our future – it would also create jobs. This is the direction we should be moving in to fix our economy. These are solid investment, unlike the kind favored by Wall Street tricksters over the past decade. This should be our national priority.
Repairing those dams will cost billions of dollars. That will be impossible in the time being. Since the people and government are in the turmoil of cutting wages.
US right now is just in a really bad situation.
Co-Owner
Express Funding Group
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When are people going to get their heads out of the sand ? This job cutting and moving jobs to other countries has got to stop. Companies crying they can`t compete paying Americans wages is a bunch of b.s. they can`t continue with the no return investment of paying people in other countries pennies a day to make their product. Those people are not buying your product. People here aren`t either because of no jobs. So there for zero return on investment. Hello rich people zero return on investment means you didn`t make money. Hello Government that means you didn`t collect tax money. Common sense stop sending our jobs away, bring back our jobs . People would start buying again. This means money would be made and tax base would go up. It seems the rich and the government would think of this. Remember what happend to the Roman empire when greed took over. Everyone needs to tell these people get their heads out of the sand and start thinking.
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It’s like the trojan horse. The recruiting and employment agency business has been almost completely taken over by India because they make contracts to bring in workers for lower rates. The clients don’t care about whether Aericans do better work or are more efficient, they see it just as a numbers came, whoever makes the lowest bid.
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Business benefits from government services. If the roads and public transportation are good employees can get to work. If there are airports and security officers, cargo can be shipped and personnel can travel. If there are trucks and ploughs to remove the snow they don’t have to close their doors for a day or a few days. If there is public health, their employees are healthy. If there is unemployment compensation, people are less likely to file frivolous lawsuits. If there are good schools, they get capable workers. Right now executives and businesses try to shift their costs onto the government and avoid paying the taxes that are the true costs.
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