Road Warrior

Recently the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) began a public policy awareness campaign to warn the general public about the state of public works infrastructure across the US. Most of the bridges, roads, dams, canals, channels and electric grid infrastructure was built between the 1930s and 1960s. Presently much of it is in disrepair. The ASCE points to a general crumbling of much of the infrastructure that has supported the travel, commerce and industrial (even suburban residential) development that has catapulted the US to unrivaled standards of living and wealth accumulation over the past 70 years.

Sadly today, a bridge in Minnesota (built in 1967) collapsed into the river it spanned, killing 7. Minnesota is flat. It has no earthquake problems, is not plagued by tropical storms or rampant annual flooding. The bridge simply wore out and collapsed into the Mississippi River - the first major geographic obstacle to be conquered by continental explorers more than 200 years ago in the settlement of the American West.

Replacing or repairing the countless bridges, overpasses, miles of state and federal highways, flood control devices and other infrastructure that ensconce our country will cost untold billions. Much of it was constructed in the (now seemingly) strange political mandate drawn by FDR to expand government, borrow money, subsidize favorable industries and employ tens of thousands of Americans in the most ambitious public works initiatives in human history. One of my favorite history professors I had as a young bronco impressed this point upon me: the most costly (in all senses of the word) things a civilization can do is 1)build roads and 2)make war. I like to think there is a strong metaphorical analogy to our present situation in Iraq... but that is a separate discussion.

The political will and the pluck and determination - hallmarks of this past "greatest generation" I fear will not be replicated today. The present state American labor unions, the structure of corporations, the already crippling public bond debt many cities and states have, our increasing reliance on what is essentially a helot labor force will impede any broad-based support for passing and implementing bills that will rejuvenate our ailing infrastructure.

I suppose there is always the possibility to privately finance some of these projects. Some of these fee-based facilities are already here in Orange County. I reflected upon a recent experience in the entry below.