U.S. Transportation Infrastructure Is Crumbling

According to a new study just released on behalf of 80 of the top transportation experts in this country, the United States transportation infrastructure is in serious trouble and nothing is being done to remedy the situation.   Our roads, bridges and railways are crumbling and falling into disrepair.

The experts say the transportation system in this country is getting so bad that it will very soon lead to "a steady erosion of the social and economic foundations for American prosperity in the long run."   And the preservation and development the system lags far behind not only the European Union nations, but also China and Russia.

It's not that the United States doesn't have the money to solve the problem.   It's more a lack of political will than a lack of money.   During there time in power the Republicans did nothing to repair, renovate and modernize the transportation system.   They were far too busy promising tax cuts (especially for the rich) to raise the money needed for transportation.

And the Democrats haven't been much better.   President Obama has proposed a "stimulus" program that would put aside a few billion dollars for transportation, but his proposal is just a drop in the bucket beside the money that would be needed to actually bring the transportation system up to needed levels.   The experts say that an additional $134 billion to $262 billion needs to be spent on transportation infrastructure each and every year through the year 2035.

In the past (and today) the money used for transportation has been derived from the federal gas tax (which has been at 18.4 cents per gallon since 1993).   While raising this tax would help, there are two problems with that approach.   Politicians have not shown they have the political courage to raise any tax, let alone one that would affect every voter.   Also, the increasing mileage figures mandated by the government would tend to decrease these revenues even if they could be raised.

Some have suggested that a tax of 1 or 2 pennies for every mile driven would solve the problem.   Frankly, I think that kind of tax would be even more unpopular with the voters than a significant raise in the federal gas tax.

I wish I had a magic solution that would be popular with the voters, but I don't (and neither does anyone else).   The hard fact is that Americans have a difficult decision to make.   We either can bite the bullet and raise the necessary money through some kind of tax, or we can do nothing and watch our transportation infrastructure crumble (along with our way of life).

Many Americans seem to think that we can pay our way into a better future by continually cutting taxes.   That is just not true though.   You get what you are willing to pay for in this world.   It's time for this generation to stop the selfish behavior and start to build (and pay for) a better future for their children and grandchildren.

The only alternative is to hand them a country far worse than the one we inherited, and that is just wrong.