Forum Post: Mr. President We Have a D Grade
Posted 11 years ago on Jan. 21, 2013, 1:17 p.m. EST by quantumystic
(1710)
from Memphis, TN
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
Every four years, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) publishes The Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, which grades the current state of the nation’s infrastructure categories on a scale of A through F. In 2009, the U.S. infrastructure earned just a D average.
2009 Grades Aviation D Bridges C Dams D Drinking Water D- Energy D+ Hazardous Waste D Inland Waterways D- Levees D- Public Parks and Recreation C- Rail C- Roads D- Schools D Solid Waste C+ Transit D Wastewater D- America's Infrastructure GPA: D Estimated 5 Year Investment Need: $2.2 Trillion.
When the next Report Card is released in 2013, it will provide an updated look at the state of U.S. infrastructure conditions, but there is also a larger question at stake: How does a D for infrastructure affect America’s economic future?
ASCE’s Failure to Act economic report series shows the economic consequences of continued underinvestment in our nation’s infrastructure, and the economic gains that could be made by 2020 in terms of GDP, personal disposable income, exports, and jobs if we choose as a country to invest in our communities.
The culminating report was released on January 15, 2013 and presents an overall picture of the economic opportunity associated with infrastructure investment and the cost of failing to fill the investment gap.
ASCE finds that with an additional investment of $157 billion a year between now and 2020, the U.S. can eliminate this drag on economic growth and protect:
$3.1 trillion in GDP, almost the equivalent of Germany’s entire GDP
$1.1 trillion in U.S. trade value, equivalent to Mexico’s GDP
3.5 million jobs, more than the jobs created in the U.S. over the previous 22 months
$2.4 trillion in consumer spending, comparable to Brazil’s GDP
$3,100 in annual personal disposable income
This Failure to Act report answers the key question of how the conditions of the United States’ infrastructure systems affect the nation’s economic performance. The Failure to Act report provides this economic analysis by addressing 9 of ASCE’s 16 infrastructure categories that are addressed in the 2013 Report Card. Today, perhaps more than ever, economic performance is critical to the nation’s future. The purpose of the Failure to Act report series is to provide an analysis of the economic implications for the United States of continuing its current investment trends in infrastructure. The Failure to Act series analyzes two types of infrastructure needs: ★ Building new infrastructure to service increasing populations and expanded economic activity; and ★ Maintaining or rebuilding existing infrastructure that needs repair or replacement.
http://www.asce.org/Infrastructure/Failure-to-Act/Failure-to-Act-Economic-Studies/
85 Billion a month is what the Fed is bailing out these days.
Thats 28 million a month for every county in the country.
Thats a lot of infrastructure improvements.
that they let us know about. I'm sure another audit would show hidden trillions again and again... like the last audit did.
Then they tell us we cant feed, house, clothe, educate, and give people healthcare. It's ridiculous. We can create money out of thin air. But never for anything good only for something bad.
Dems built the infrastructure, Cons tear it down with neglect and a thousand cuts and obstructions. Audit the last 40 years of Con legislation and Laissez Faire governance.
EDITED :
Just think of the employment opportunities - bringing our aging infrastructure up to an A+ just think of the economic stimulus working from the ground on up - just think of the green technology that could be implemented.
Government - think it's time to get busy? Stop messing around with the PIGGY Banks - and get something real happening.
yes this is just one way to create an economic boom and put millions to work. we should also close the corporate farms, break up the monopolies and the too big to fail/jails. put millions to work farming with permaculture practices and put millions more to work in mom and pop stores and restaurants as well as producers and manufacturers of high quality goods.
How can we expect that to happen? It is necessary, but do you think it will? How long will it take and what is needed to get there?
It will never happen in the current system. Our best bet is to form a parallel system and implement the principles on a micro instead of a macro scale unfortunately.
Parallel dimension system? Free market without elections or political parties? A responsible, as opposed to brutal, barbaric capitalism?
i don't think ethics and anarcho-syndicalism are very capitalistic.
You don't think it's possible to have a well-structured government, democracy and capitalism without political parties and elections? I believe it's very possible.
capitalism can't work it relies on infinite growth on a finite planet.
But there needs to be some kind of transition from the "American Dream" free market, which a great deal of people think they need and deserve. I'm with you on the need to end all this waste and distruction caused by capitalism. We need to get out of a money-based system, but there needs to be strategy.
well if we build the kind of world we want when their world collapses we will have the alternative ready to go.
I think we need to find a way to get most people on board with a political paradigm shift as a stepping stone to a shift in economic paradigm.
I believe there is a way to use capitalism against itself, to compete as the 99% Conglomerate against certain corporations for the role of "primary influencer of government".
You've probably read at least the intro to it, haven't you? It comes across as an evil concept from feedback received, but I bet those people stopped reading after a few paragraphs. About 40% of people, probably the few open-minded ones, think it's a great idea.
Arg, being called to bed...
Yep - down with megamonsters - they are not good for the economy or the environment.