Foreign Boondoggle vs. New WPA

Hey Everyone,

If you get a chance, check out my latest blog post: "A foreign 'Boondoggle,' when we could have had a new WPA"

http://nddaily.blogspot.com/

It references the just-released 2013 American Infrastructure Report Card from the American Society of Civil Engineers. We rec'd a D+.

--Brent www.wpatoday.org wpatoday@gmail.com

Hi WPA,

You have a good blog going. As far as unemployed working on infrastructure related work, I don't think the USA can only maintain what we have now. Any major projects would be too expensive currently, adding to the debt unnecessarily.

We'll just have to live with the pot holes for now :-(

Thanks Sarah. It isn't just the potholes though. The ASCE Infrastructure Report Card details how deteriorating infrastructure affects business in America too (i.e., GDP). And remember, the country was in even worse shape during the Great Depression than it is today, and we engaged in the largest work and construction program in human history. Thousands of new schools, hospitals, naval vessels, bridges, water mains, parks, etc. And we've been using these things ever since.

I think what we spend on is largely a matter of discretion. For example, we are told we can't afford anything, yet we have been engaged in two expensive wars for 10 years now, and we're still sending machines to Mars. My personal opinion is that we are letting our infrastructure deteriorate and our long-term unemployed live in hopelessness because we choose to do so.

And if we were ever attacked, I think we'd see just how fast we could suddenly afford to do what was necessary.

I respect your opinion, and appreciate your comment, but that's my opinion.

So heat up the asphalt and pave the smooth surface for the American Hindenburg to fall and burn (smoothly).