Poor Infrastructure
Maintenance
Neglecting infrastructure costs the U.S. billions every
year! Yet our state legislatures tax us through sales, real estate, vehicle
registration, and property taxes, claiming it’s to improve maintenance infrastructure
for better living. Yeah Right. Whose pocket is this money going into these
days?
Last month, I researched where lottery taxes go in each state, and I was shocked to find that it went into a general fund in most states for
this very issue, even though they say it is for education costs, when the
schools never see that money. Instead, it goes into general funds, which means
the elected officials in each state can use it for whatever they want to use it
for, redecorate their offices? They don’t use it for road repairs, bridge
repairs, wildlife preservation or even waterway clean-up projects, which most
states claim to use it for, but don’t.
Many states charge tolls for using roads and bridges, but
never put that money in an account so that their department of transportation
can allocate it for said road or bridge repairs. So, where does that money go?
Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey use taxpayers' funds to
fix roads and mini-bridges. How do we know that is happening, because The Big
Dig in Boston has been going on for about 30 years now, with no end in sight.
New York has supposedly been fixing roads and bridges for the last 25
years, just look at the traffic backups on the Belt Parkway, the LIE, and the
George Washington Bridge over the last 25 years, and they charge a toll for all
three with high-priced ticket prices. Same goes for New Jersey, just take a ride
on their city/county roads and you’ll find a pothole every few feet.
When bridges collapse during inclement weather, that should tell you something is very wrong within your state. Like what happened in Pennsylvania during a snowstorm that injured a number if people.
My friends in Washington, DC, claim that investing in
infrastructure enhances accessibility, fights poverty, ensures safe drinking
water, and safeguards vital assets. While I can agree with that statement, I don’t
see it happening throughout the United States. How do I know this? Because I’ve
traveled across this great nation for many years, driving across it multiple
times and the one consistent problem I’ve seen is poor infrastructure
maintenance.
If each state actually were conducting proactive
infrastructure maintenance with taxpayer dollars, they could actually reduce
long-term repair costs while improving public safety both on the roads and
bridges within their state. They might actually prevent sickness by cleaning
their water systems and maintaining them properly.
When Politicians don’t understand that neglecting
infrastructure maintenance it leads to hidden costs and economic burdens for
communities.
Today, we have advanced technologies that can help enhance
maintenance efficiency by providing real-time data and predictive analytics that
could help save money in the long run, but elected officials claim their
experts disagree with such technology. Wonder why? Maybe because those experts
are being paid off to keep their jobs.
I’ve heard that the Department of Transportation at the
federal level wants to work with each state by conducting collaborative
approaches to infrastructure maintenance that foster economic growth and
stakeholder engagement, but many states don’t want to work with the DOT because
of politics.
With the number of unemployed in this country, why aren’t
we creating a workforce development program like FDR created and called the Works Progress Administration (WPA)? The WPA was a vital New Deal agency from
1935 to 1943, providing jobs for millions during the Great Depression. Under
Harry Hopkins' leadership, it funded public projects like roads and schools,
creating over 620,000 miles of streets and thousands of bridges. This program could
be crucial and beneficial to addressing
the skills gap in infrastructure maintenance.
Unfortunately, the majority of our elected officials on the
federal, state, county and local agencies don’t have any understanding of the significance
of what Infrastructure Maintenance is all about and don’t want to learn about
it either.
So let me educate them here. Infrastructure maintenance is
crucial for society, covering everything from dams to railways, waterways to roads
and bridges. Smart upkeep not only boosts resilience but also tackles common
challenges like aging systems and resource constraints. Education and
predictive tools are essential in overcoming these hurdles, emphasizing the
need for proactive maintenance strategies!
State and Federal Infrastructures are the backbone of our
modern world, delivering vital services and fueling economic growth. For example, the National Park Service counts
on top-notch infrastructure to safeguard nature's wonders, while economists
spotlight its role in boosting productivity.
Smart infrastructure management—like predictive maintenance—ensures
sustainability and reduces risks like floods. The interwoven systems underscore
just how essential they are! Case in point the flooding in North Carolina that
took out complete towns, roads, and communities could have been prevented if
proper infrastructure maintenance had been maintained over the years.
When we think of our road system, remember that transportation
networks help to facilitate commerce and mobility for our economy and daily transportation.
The same goes for our power grids that power our homes and
businesses. If these grids are not maintained, we could be compromised
financially and jeopardize national security.
Let’s not forget that the following areas are vitally important
to our sustainability.
Our water systems are designed to ensure public health and
safety
Communication networks that enable global connectivity and communication with family and friends
Public parks and spaces that foster community engagement.
In conclusion, we need to hold our elected officials' feet to
the fire about using our tax dollars the right way to ensure we are protected
from harm by first fixing our roads and bridges, then tackling the other issue mentioned
in this article. Next week I will continue
about this issue and go into different details.
Elizabeth Kilbride is a Writer and Editor with forty years
of experience in writing, with 12 of those years in the online content sphere.
Author of 5 books and a Graduate with an Associate of Arts degree in Business
Management, then a degree. Mass Communication and Cyber Analysis from Ashford
University, then on to Walden University for her master’s in criminology with
emphasis on Cybercrime and Identity Theft and is currently studying for her
Ph.D. degree in Criminology. Her work portfolio includes coverage of politics,
current affairs, elections, history, and true crime. Elizabeth is also a
gourmet cook, life coach, and avid artist in her spare time, proficient in
watercolor, acrylic, oil, pen and ink, gouache, and pastels. As a political
operative who has worked on over 300 campaigns during her career, Elizabeth has
turned many life events into books and movie scripts while using history to
weave interesting storylines. She also runs 7 blogs ranging from art to life
coaching, food, writing, Gardening, and opinion or history pieces each
week.
Opinion, Kilbride, Infrastructure,
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