Recently a bridge fell down in Skagit County, Washington. There were no fatalities, unlike the 13 lives lost when a Minnesota bridge collapsed in 2007. The American Society of Civil Engineers estimates that one in nine bridges in the U.S. are structurally deficient. Water mains burst on average 250,000 times a year. Poor air quality in our aging schools has an adverse impact on student’ and teachers’ health.
With government borrowing rates low, courtesy of the Fed, and so many construction workers eager for work, shouldn’t the federal government launch major infrastructure programs? Lots of sensible people, including those at the New American Foundation, a leading centrist think-tank, have proposed the creation of a National Infrastructure Bank. The bank would only support projects approved by a team of engineers. The projects would be paid for over time with user fees or revenues like energy taxes. This proposal deserves serious consideration from Congress.
If we keep letting our roads, bridges, airports and schools deteriorate, we won’t have to worry about immigration. No one will want to live here.
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