Townhall.com
Johah Goldberg
February 14, 2018

It's Infrastructure Week (again), and who among us can contain his excitement?

The president, for one.

According to reports, President Trump wanted to announce the biggest investment in public works since President Eisenhower unveiled the interstate highway system. But in the wake of tax cuts, the real deficit was too big to close what Trump calls "the infrastructure deficit." So he had to settle for a plan that would spend $200 billion in federal taxpayer money over the next decade and lay the rest of the $1.5 trillion on state and local taxpayers.

It almost surely won't fly. Many states are as broke as the federal government -- and they can't print money.

In his Big Building, Big Spending ambitions, Trump is at his most conventional. Politicians, as transportation expert Randal O'Toole puts it, have a deep-seated bias in favor of "ribbon-cutting over brooms." They just love wielding a giant pair of scissors to cut a shiny ribbon on a new project. You can put your name on a new tunnel or bridge. It's harder to take credit for fixing an existing one.

Even Trump's insistence that our infrastructure is "crumbling" is among the most enduring cliches of American politics. A search of LexisNexis shows that America's infrastructure has been crumbling since the late 1970s. And it's simply not true. The most recent data is from 2012, when President Obama was insisting that our infrastructure was crumbling. At that time, 80 percent of our highways were in acceptable shape or better. Nearly 97 percent of rural roads met that grade.

Meanwhile, the conditions of our bridges have been improving consistently for the last two decades.

Of course some American infrastructure could use updating. The problem, however, isn't under-investment. In 2014, according to the Congressional Budget Office, federal state and local governments spent $416 billion on infrastructure.

The real problem is that we don't spend money on the right problems.

A recent expose by the New York Times showed that politicians and the unions that own them are to blame for the Big Apple's deteriorating subway system. For years they've raided transportation funds for pet projects, like failing upstate ski resorts.

Beyond New York, a perfect storm of ribbon-cutting fetishizing, environmentalism and envy of other countries has led to high-speed-rail mania. Although zippy trains are nifty, they zoom past the fact America has the best rail system -- for our needs. In Europe, trucks move goods and trains move people. In America, we do it the other way around.

Trump's proposal does include a few worthwhile ambitions, such as streamlining the approval process for public works and improving incentives to come in under budget.

After the 1994 Northridge earthquake, then-California Gov. Pete Wilson used his emergency powers to bypass the usual red tape and unionized extortion that drive up costs and string out construction time. Experts thought it would take two years to fix the Santa Monica Freeway. Wilson offered contractors huge cash bonuses to meet tight deadlines. The repairs were completed in less than three months.

The Trump plan, however, would leave it to Congress to figure out how to de-boondoggle-ize infrastructure projects, which is not a cause for optimism.

Trump sees infrastructure investment pretty much the same way Democrats do -- as a jobs program. That doesn't work either (see: Japan). But if Trump had begun his presidency with building as his top priority, he would have won a lot of bipartisan support and turned the GOP into a big-government party much sooner.

Alas -- or, depending on your point of view, lucky break -- he spent his capital, political and fiscal, elsewhere. And now there's none left for the riot of ribbon-cutting he wanted.

Link

Conditions are improving? Well, then not quite fast enough. At the rate of the repairs, these roads and bridges will be in worse shape then ever before.

yes, money is the issue. Yet they have it to spend in other areas such as benefits to illegial immigrants. Even the flow of new legel immigrants is putting a strain on the entitlement system as they are more likely to need the use of it.

If this is an improvement, then we are in trouble. I've travelled over some bridges in the NY tristate area that has holds in the roadbed. '

https://www.transportation.gov...nd-bridge-data-state



Many transportation trust funds are dry because politicians have drained them for other uses.

In NJ, Christie borrowed it into extinction.

quote:

The Christie administration’s transfer of $972 million in New Jersey Turnpike Authority toll money earmarked for TTF into the general fund from FY2013 to FY2015, coupled with the failure to provide $447 million in promised pay-as-you-go funding out of the state budget, forced the state to rely almost entirely on debt to finance transportation capital projects over the past four years

quote:

Even Trump's insistence that our infrastructure is "crumbling" is among the most enduring cliches of American politics. A search of LexisNexis shows that America's infrastructure has been crumbling since the late 1970s. And it's simply not true. The most recent data is from 2012, when President Obama was insisting that our infrastructure was crumbling. At that time, 80 percent of our highways were in acceptable shape or better. Nearly 97 percent of rural roads met that grade.Meanwhile, the conditions of our bridges have been improving consistently for the last two decades.

It's simply not true?
Tell that to those commuters in the Twin Cities when the 8 lane bridge over the Mississippi collapsed under them during rush hour.

In one breath he says America's infrastructure isn't crumbling and in another he says its all the local govt. and the Union's fault that infrastructure is crumbling.

Typical crap that passes for journalism today. Opinion and conjecture passed off as facts.

I think the point is more sophisticated.

Repairs, maintenance and in some cases additions, are being done, but the money is being wasted, squandered, in large part. That is traditional, of course.

Goldberg is an opinion writer, so forrmulating opinions is what he is supposed to do.

The money spent on illegals should have been allocated to the military which may be in even worse shape than roads, bridges, airports et al.

Trump the business guy will strive to make more effective use of the funds, if he can.

In my simplified view of things; you take the money ($500M for example), remove all the red tape and environmental reviews (especially when repairs and upgrading is performed), remove the requirement for unionized labor, instill a requirement for all labor to be [legal] US citizens, and require the material to be produced in the US wherever economically possible.

Award contracts to best bidder, provide bonuses to finish early, and penalties to late finishes.

(Also, require welfare recipients to work repairing the trails in our national parks.)

When both brain cells are working, I envision the results being a win-win for all those involved (except union bosses).

Guess Goldberg missed President Trump's infrastructure speech/townhall the other day when he specifically panned the stupidity of tearing down old, fixable bits of infrastructure to be replaced by fancy new boondoggles.

Having spent a number of years dealing with gubbermint contracting I can truthfully say:

The amount of waste, mismanagement, fraud and abuse was staggering, and I have been retired for more than 25 years.

One example (of dozens) NAVSEA status meeting at our facility in Manassas, Quarterly status meeting having to do with sonar and acoustic systems on nuke submarines.

THREE HUNDRED navy folks showed up, from across the country!! Spent 3 days here. Incredible waste of time and money transporting people who had no earthly reason for being there other than the all expense paid 3 days, plus travel time.

As I said, only one example!

Most of us are aware of those publicized examples of gubbermint waste, etc.

Until people are fired, or put in jail, this problem is not going to get any better.

How about another example?

Close to my heart because a close relative was involved.

Road improvement in Washington state. My uncle's asphalt paving company had part of the job.

His example of staggering waste by gubbermint: 40 mile stretch of road that ran across an Indian reservation. 2 lane state highway leading up to and through the reservation. Gubbermint contract administrator decided to "improve" things. Required FOUR LANE HIGHWAY, WITH GRANITE CURBSTONES ACROSS THE ENTIRE 40 MILES!

Which, btw, required new bridges as well.

quote:

Originally posted by LS1 GTO:

When both brain cells are working, I envision the results being a win-win for all those involved ( except union bosses Dems).

Fixed it for ya

I read a report a couple years ago that stated most bridge design specs in the US call for an estimated lifespan of 40 years. Then they need replacing?
Any one in the related field know if that is true?Only 40 years, I got socks older then that.

Bridges in the USA are designed using the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications and they are to last 75 years.

A newish bridge can become functionally obsolete (as opposed to structurally deficient) before its 75th birthday. For example a community could experience such population growth that a newish two lane bridge needs to be replaced with a four lane bridge.

quote:

Originally posted by cparktd:
I read a report a couple years ago that stated most bridge design specs in the US call for an estimated lifespan of 40 years. Then they need replacing?
Any one in the related field know if that is true?Only 40 years, I got socks older then that.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: DoveEgg,

quote:

Originally posted by DoveEgg:
Bridges in the USA are designed using the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specification and they are to last 75 years.

quote:

Originally posted by cparktd:
I read a report a couple years ago that stated most bridge design specs in the US call for an estimated lifespan of 40 years.

Knew someone here would know! That's much more reasonable, thanks.

quote:

.....The most recent data is from 2012, when President Obama was insisting that our infrastructure was crumbling. At that time, 80 percent of our highways were in acceptable shape or better. Nearly 97 percent of rural roads met that grade......

I guess it depends on who's grading and what curve they use? I remember when that "study" came out it gave WV roads scores of 80-90%, when in reality about 50% are in need of major repair. Everyone here laughed and wondered who in the hell did the study? I briefly owned a sports car but sold it on the second year simply because our roads are too broken up to enjoy driving it. Our growing town has a serious traffic problem made worse by the state installing a new stop light seemingly every week, there's not one elevated overpass anywhere because "it's not in the budget".

A lot depends on the location. The the colder areas, the use of salt is common and that accelerates the decay.

In my former town, a bridge built in the early 70's was forced to be closed several times when chunks of the roadway fell. This was less than thirty years after the construction.

There has been a need for an additional tunnel between NJ and NY for many years. but the politicians keep playing games and it's never done.

FAR from being an expert, but there seems to be a difference between the service life and the life of a structure, mainly bridges.

Since service life involves consideration
of many environmental, design,
materials, and construction factors, the
LRFD definition of design life obviously
does not represent a basis for service
life. Accordingly, the AASHTO LRFD Specifications does not recommend any
specific time period for service life.

http://www.aspirebridge.com/ma...reyermuth_fall09.pdf

I would guess even the service life takes into account the maintenance needed. I doubt it was based on a build and forget senario. That is the issue.

quote:

The Fallacy of 'Crumbling' American Infrastructure

I don't think it a fallacy. I have noticed a lot more potholes and broken-up pavement in the last few years, and it takes forever to get them fixed; some still aren't. And this could be a local thing, but improvement projects are also taking seemingly forever. It took almost three years to reconstruct a single overpass and interchange. I don't think it took that long to build the whole interstate through town.

Living in Oregon, I've noticed over the years, there are quite a few new projects but fixing existing ruts/potholes & re-paving seems to always happen months after it should happen.

*Jonah Goldberg is another never-Trumper

quote:

Originally posted by egregore:

quote:

The Fallacy of 'Crumbling' American Infrastructure

I don't think it a fallacy. I have noticed a lot more potholes and broken-up pavement in the last few years, and it takes forever to get them fixed; some still aren't. And this could be a local thing, but improvement projects are also taking seemingly forever. It took almost three years to reconstruct a single overpass and interchange. I don't think it took that long to build the whole interstate through town.

My company does bridge repair. You know what kills the money the required labor pay. I normally make $24 an hour. When I work a state funded job I make a minimum of 32 an hour for labor work 48 an hour for masonry work, 45 an hour for carpentry, 72 an hour for rebar Work etc.
don’t get me wrong I won’t complain about the paycheck but for the love of god if I am making 24 an hour and voluntarily agreed to that pay rate why is my company forced to bid my pay at double if not triple my normal rate.
Unions. That’s why. We are forced to bid at union pay rates to make the bids “competitive” Massachusetts is higher. Labor was 58 an hour masons were 75.
Cut the union pay match and watch prices drop

The gasoline tax hasn't changed since 1993, so just increase it by 65% or whatever to keep up with inflation. No one will notice because gas pumps don't separate out the fuel price and the tax price.

quote:

Originally posted by egregore:

quote:

The Fallacy of 'Crumbling' American Infrastructure

I don't think it a fallacy. I have noticed a lot more potholes and broken-up pavement in the last few years, and it takes forever to get them fixed; some still aren't. And this could be a local thing, but improvement projects are also taking seemingly forever. It took almost three years to reconstruct a single overpass and interchange. I don't think it took that long to build the whole interstate through town.

As some one with experience in construction and maintenance in the state level, rural roads are not being timely maintained in the state I reside.

For example, rural roads used to be chip sealed every 5 years. Now they are monitored by private camera vehicle contractors, those rural roads now are maybe chip sealed every 10 years.

Plenty of time for cracks, and vegetation growth. And grading shoulders for proper water drainage ceased 20 years ago in the maintence end.

Perhaps that jackass should come visit Southeast Michigan ?

We hope to someday move way up to 3rd world quality roads.

We've got potholes that can rip entire wheel and suspension systems off cars. I have to drive around and unfortunately through shit that makes me cringe when i hit it in the dark on the way to work

If the union roadworkers can even be bothered to do anything resembling a repair, it is just coldpatch haphazardly thrown in the direction of the car-eating trench and left for "the passing cars to pack down" - BULLSHIT ! It just scatters around and sticks to the undercarriage. Lazy fuckers.

Effing RINO Snyder jacked up the gas taxes anyway when we didn't fall for his tax increase vote plan to fix the roads, 'cuz we been lied to here about the roads for decades.