"D" Modified

"What Crisis?" asked Edward L. Glaeser in Thursday's Boston Globe, referring to current concern about the state of America's infrastructure -- as articulated by our President and especially as rated (berated!) by the American Society of Civil Engineers report which I referred to in yesterday's blog.

Glaeser fleshes out rather than debunks the "D" grade. Yes, only 68.2% of Americans have broadband -- but nearly half of those without the Internet report lack of interest or need as the reason for being unconnected, while only 3% want it but can't reach it. He also points out that our low grade on rail rightly targeted passenger service but failed to report that the USA does far better on freight service than the Europeans. Forty-eight % of American goods travel by rail compared to 18% of EU shipping.

Glaeser, a professor of economics at Harvard University, does not deny the deterioration or inadequacy of other infrastructure elements. His main concern, as befits his profession, is that current funding and planning procedures are often extremely wasteful:  "Better infrastructure spending," he says, "would make more assiduous use of cost-benefit analysis vetted by outside experts." Good point.

However, as the new wife of a man who narrowly missed being on a major highway bridge when it collapsed, I still want to see things that we need and use FIXED. Yes, let's be more intelligent about planning and funding procedures, but let's bite that ole bullet and get these mundane needs moved way up America's priority list.