In California, it’s because the state (via Prop. 13) has let them rot.

Nationally, in no small part it’s because Texas is allowed to set the agenda for national textbooks.

James Madison isn’t looking so good to me right now.

I thought you might enjoy a US/Constitutional perspective. The founding fathers believed that such infrastructure should be paid for by the individual states, not the federal government.

Here’s a quote from James Madison:

“If Congress can employ money indefinitely to the general welfare, and are the sole and supreme judges of the general welfare, they may take the care of religion into their own hands; they may appoint teachers in every State, county and parish and pay them out of their public treasury; they may take into their own hands the education of children, establishing in like manner schools throughout the Union; they may assume the provision of the poor; they may undertake the regulation of all roads other than post-roads; in short, every thing, from the highest object of state legislation down to the most minute object of police, would be thrown under the power of Congress…. Were the power of Congress to be established in the latitude contended for, it would subvert the very foundations, and transmute the very nature of the limited Government established by the people of America.”

Cheers,
Graham

Fie on both parties

Ciao
Chip

Boston… ask around about the history of the “Big Dig” and if there was maybe some massive fraud. And ask around about cops on every work site … nice job.

Why not build it right in the first place?

Background: I was a day laborer back in mid 60’s while going to night school (Summer of ‘67 Detroit… exciting times, if you know what I mean… “12thst riot”).
I worked on bridge over the Detroit Freeway system.

Many years later, I was driving the Autobahn in Germany, comfortably “ton up” from Hamburg to Berlin, later down to Dresden and Munich.

While, back in the 60’s / ’70’s I could drive at severe “extra-legal” speeds on Michigan’s Interstates, I would not do so today.

Difference : I think the Germans made the roads to last, not to be an ongoing public works project.

Germans used much deeper roadbed, better materials.
Americans build roads to last about 25 years, not 100.

I often questioned the techniques and methods used, “can’t we do something to avoid corrosion”

Combination of contractors who were in bed with politicians, and unions that want(ed) to ensure work.

No build to last, but build to ensure future work.

I just wish we’d get what we’d paid for.

If we listen to John Robb, maybe we all go local and don’t need the infrastructure (toung firmly planted in cheek)

Ciao
Chip