Back in the 50’s and 60’s When America was great, we did great things. We helped rebuild Europe after the war with the Marshall plan. The GI bill provided affordable housing and education to our returning troops and that resulted in the middle class in the country. We built great dams and the interstate highway system. We went to the moon and people sent their kids to college to learn science and math and became engineers so they could create great things.
In the last fifty years we have lost that feeling of national greatness. Most of the railroads, airports, water systems, sewage systems, educational systems, look like antiques when compared to those we see in China and other countries that used to be called developing countries. Our infrastructure is all crumbling and falling apart. We have forgotten what good infrastructure projects look like because we are no longer willing to invest in the future. We are only interested in short term personal greed.
Here are a few new infrastructure projects to remind you of what is possible if we are willing to invest.
19 giant infrastructure projects that could reshape the world https://www.businessinsider.com/giant-infrastructure-projects-around-the-world-2017-6
The Administration is once again talking about investing $1 trillion in infrastructure projects. This will probably be a collaboration with the states and with private enterprise. Some states have been working on infrastructure on their own.
The 10 US states with the best infrastructure in America https://www.cnbc.com/2017/07/11/10-us-states-with-best-infrastructure-cnbc-top-states-for-business.html
But the question is, what is the best investment we can make in infrastructure? One of the best returns on investment ever was the human genome project. The US invested $3.6 billion and then allowed private businesses to make $796 billion in profit from that investment. That is a 14,000 % return on investment!
Investing in Innovation Pays Off https://scienceprogress.org/2011/05/investing-in-innovation-pays-off/
What would happen if the US government got into the research business again? Could we bring drug prices down? There are millions of people dying from cancer that might be caused by untested chemicals they are subjected to. How many people could we save if the government had its own drug and chemical testing service? Could we create cures for diseases? Could we develop cheaper energy and storage? Hemp has just been legalized and that is the source of CBD’s that could provide pain relief and eliminate the opioid crisis. Shouldn’t we research the medicinal value of hemp and marijuana? We just found out that mushrooms might be the solution to the decline in honey bees. Could mushrooms likewise benefit humans? Shouldn’t we research that? Could A Mushroom Save The Honeybee? https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/10/09/446928755/could-a-mushroom-save-the-honeybee
Climate Change may be the greatest threat to the planet we have ever faced. Shouldn’t we invest in how to stop and then reverse climate change? The fossil fuel industry certainly isn’t going to do it.
Top 10 Solutions to Reverse Climate Change https://greenamerica.org/climate-change-100-reasons-hope/top-10-solutions-reverse-climate-change
The American Society of Civil Engineers, rating America’s infrastructure on 16 different categories, gives America a “D+” on the state of the infrastructure.
- More than two out of every five miles of America’s urban interstates are congested and traffic delays cost the country $160 billion in wasted time and fuel in 2014.
- One out of every five miles of highway pavement is in poor condition and our roads have a significant and increasing backlog of rehabilitation needs.
- After years of decline, traffic fatalities increased by 7% from 2014 to 2015, with 35,092 people dying on America’s roads.
- The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) estimates that to eliminate the nation’s bridge deficient backlog by 2028, we would need to invest $20.5 billion annually, while only $12.8 billion is being spent currently.
- Standard and Poor’s estimates that an extra $1.3 billion investment would create 29,000 real jobs
- Historical evidence has shown us that every $1 spent on real infrastructure increases the economy by $1.15 to $1.25
Solutions to the World's Problems 