[Zzvukttz]

Yeah, our infrastructure is pretty ****.

JM

[mincbiori]

While true, isn't it consistent with your own observations?

JM

[Todilrdc]

I don't know what it's like in San Francisco, but in my travels I've been very impressed by the infrastructure in the US.

Just the interstates alone is so much better then we have in Canada, where the transcanada is two lane, and that is the highway that is supposed to bind Canada together.

I just got back from a trip to Edmonton, two lane all the way, in the US it would be an interstate at least 4 lanes, as it is one of the primary routes used by truckers.

[carline]

I hope nothing is done - I find it a thrill to drive over bridges that haven't been retrofitted in over fifty years.

[PaulCameron]

A very busy 4 lane road might need improvement, a not at all busy 2 lane road does not.

JM

[jurhoonee]

I agree.

Sure, compared to Afghanistan and Zimbabwe, our infrastructure is solid gold, but compared to our peer nations, we suck...just as we suck in most every other category (don't even get me started on early education!)

In any case, this isn't some fly by night random homeless guy talking, these guys are engineers who probably (overwhelmingly likely) know what they're talking about.

Add to the fact that almost everyone who lives here can cite countless of examples of sh|tty roads, crumbling bridges, etc, is it really much of a stretch to connect those dots?

I think not, and good news is, as our p|ss poor management of the roads in the past is concerned, once they ARE fixed, we can go back to underfunding them for the next ~50 years...plenty of time to take care of other projects (or pork, depending on your POV) before having to do it all over again.

If the goal is the creation of jobs, this would certainly fill that bill.

-=Vel=-

[Rellshare]

All the bridges around me are spectacular and new. And they are not small bridges either. In fact the only infrustucture in America I find to be substandard is port facilities/airports/rail (listed in increasing order suckitude).

[MgpojuWy]

Well Dan...I'm sorry you and I disagree, but the fact is...we have in excess of 4 million miles of roads in this country and not nearly enough money budgeted to maintain them.

A group of engineers who surveyed the roads in this country backed that up.

What happens when you build something and don't maintain it is that it begins to degrade.

This should not surprise anyone, IMO.

Again tho, you are free to disagree.

-=Vel=-

[Druspills]

I'm not saying that the estimates are perfect, I'm saying there are problems, and engineers agree.

Problems to fix = jobs.

Good thing in a recession.

It's okay if you disagree tho, or if you think the money could be better spent elsewhere.

Wouldn't be the first time, won't be the last.

-=Vel=-

[Yyaqyped]

I just got back from a trip to Edmonton, two lane all the way, in the US it would be an interstate at least 4 lanes, as it is one of the primary routes used by truckers.

Bullshit!

[Jueqelyl]

How much did Japan's edifice complex during its lost decade help with its recession?

[UnmariKam]

Given the fact that there is no data to say that such projects have the stimulus effect being promoted I don't see the point in refering to them in a stimulus bill. I also don't see the point in going on a orgasmic spending spree on "shovel ready" projects that are irrelevent and could make the "crisis" being hyped here worse.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/tech...html?nav=RSS20

[enfoires]

Well, DD...given the fact that this has never before happened in history, and there's no data pointing to ANY way out, let's just not do anything and see how many millions wind up out of a job?

False choices are meaningless Vel.

[trilochana.nejman]

The problem is, you're asking ENGINEERS. Who better to ask, Snoop?

I mean, If I think I have strep, I'm not going to go ask the plumber, right?

-=Vel=-

And these engineers making these pronouncements...they cann't be sure they'd even LAND a government contract...they might, sure, but they might not.

[Goooooblin]

The problem is, you're asking ENGINEERS. Who better to ask, Snoop?

I mean, If I think I have strep, I'm not going to go ask the plumber, right?

-=Vel=-

And these engineers making these pronouncements...they cann't be sure they'd even LAND a government contract...they might, sure, but they might not.

If you have a filled pipe, and you call a plumber, and he tells you to rip everything out and repipe the whole building, do you listen to him, or do you get some Drano?

[GenrieAB]

If you have a filled pipe, and you call a plumber, and he tells you to rip everything out and repipe the whole building, do you listen to him, or do you get some Drano?

If the pipe is collapsed because it is old and decayed, pouring Draino down the hole is useless.

ACK!

[bikersfan]

We KNOW the infrastructure isn't perfect. There IS room for improvement, and those improvements WILL create jobs.

There could be room for less spending too. Adam Smith's posts suggest that this is so.

[adarmaSen]

Tubes...off the topic at hand, but where DID you get that sig? *chuckles*

-=Vel=-

http://www.deepthoughtsbyjackhandey.com/

ACK!

[gooseCile]

Vel: Your post doesn't make any sense at all.

Well, that's one way to avoid a fight. And thanks Tubes! I'll check out the link.

-=Vel=-

Carry on, please. I've got to get back to Candle'Bre anyway.
(but the post does make sense, btw)

[MilenaMKB]

Has anybody suggessted that?

I mean..there's not NEARLY enough money in the bill for something of that scale, so I would say the question has nothing to do with the reality of the bill, but the answer, obviously, is to get a second opinion.

There's data that spin it both ways.

Personally, I don't care. We KNOW the infrastructure isn't perfect. There IS room for improvement, and those improvements WILL create jobs. THAT's what I care about. If the infrastructure gets a "D" or a "C+" is of little interest to me.

-=Vel=-

You are suggesting listening to the plumber on how much needs to be fixed. Thus the point of the (wildly exaggerated) metaphor. I agree things probably need fixing; but blindly listening to the engineers and construction companies is NOT the way to go...