Why can't the USA afford to repair our important infrastructure? Why are bridges still unsafe?

Question

Where is our money going???

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080730/ap_on_re_us/nation_s_bridges_one_year_later

Answer 1

think of all the people you (or your parents) know who own houses and cars....

what percentage of them get oil changes and maintenance done on a regular schedule...?

how many fumigate their houses every few years, as recommended?

do they pay more in upkeep, or do they pay more in repairs when something goes wrong?

for that matter do they go to the eye doctor and dentist yearly, or only when there's a problem....?

Of course you might say...."but these are just people!  the government should be more responsible...!"

well, the government is just a reflection of its people....and they're playing with your money, not theirs...why should their values be any different than the population...?

Answer 2

Lemme take a stab at it ...

Huge tax cuts for wealthy people ...

A trillion dollars (or so) of additional debt because of Iraq, etc., and the associated debt payments to make on T-Bills, etc...

And because highway contractors, bridge builders, etc., have to be paid in cash, rather than an I.O.U.,  ...well, the infrastructure suffers.

The pie is only so big, the well is only so deep

One of these days we'll get back on a pay-as-you-go system.

Answer 3

Because we spend so much on the military and national debt.

Answer 4

It isn't just bridges.  Most of our infrastructure is falling apart.  maybe we should move to Iraq.  We just rebuilt all theirs.  In eastern states, we have 100 year old WOODEN water mains that are ready to collapse.  We have 50,000 bridges in the US that are marginal.  Our electrical grid is old and falling apart.

And we keep electing people like George Bush, John McCain and Barack Obambam

Answer 5

No one cares.... thats cold hearted to say, but one comparing 1 tradgic incident (which could have been prevented) to everything else in the world, national debt, housing market, oil crisis, middle east at war, fixing some bridges that look ok to the untrained eye are not high in the priority list or the state budget.

Answer 6

Our money is needed for war who cares about bridges and people when there is money to be made....ummm I mean lives to saved we need a democracy over there...

Answer 7

It is going to welfare recipients, who should be provided jobs to repair our infrastructure, so that they can cross bridges to success. Get it?

Answer 8

It is because the government has become involved in things it has no business being involved in.

It is involved in those things because it is run by lawyers.

It is run by lawyers because we keep re-electing them.