The most popular and comprehensive Open Source ECM platform
Let us know more
US Infrastructure: Neglected for Too Long
US infrastructure has been badly neglected for some time now. Earlier this year the American Society for Civil Engineers put out their report card for overall US infrastructure and also a state-by-state ranking. They gave the US a C- score. The report estimates that we will need more than $2.0 trillion over the next ten years to rebuild and close the gap.
Why? Consider some of the statistics:
- Every two minutes somewhere in the US there is a water main break. 6 billion gallons of treated water are lost every day, enough to fill 9000 swimming pools.
- 43 percent of US public roads are rated poor or mediocre
- More than 54,000 bridges across the US are rated as “structurally deficient”
Michael McGarry, chairman and CEO of PPG, wrote for IndustryWeekly that “Our deteriorating national infrastructure is not solely a state or federal issue. It is not a small or large business issue. It is not a Democratic or a Republican issue. Infrastructure is an American issue that directly affects our ability to compete in the global marketplace and provide financial security for millions of American families.”
Biden is now considering a sweeping $3 trillion plan for improving and investing in US infrastructure.
Seth Hanlon, a senior fellow at the liberal Center for American Progress think tank, said that “President Biden’s plan represents a stunning shift in priorities, addressing many of the nation’s most pressing challenges. As reported, the plan is very wide-ranging, reflecting the fact that we’ve underinvested in so many areas.”
$3 trillion is a huge number, especially when it would be a follow-up to recent massive stimulus investments. Mitch McConnell, Senate Republican lead, said that “we’re hearing the next few months might bring a so-called infrastructure proposal that may actually be a Trojan horse for massive tax hikes and other job-killing, left-wing policies.”
