http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/transportation/4257814.html?series=53
This is a very thought provoking article on the sorry state of the United States' infrastructure.
At the end of the Clinton Gore administration, money was finally beginning to flow into the cities to rebuild the decaying GI built infrastructure before it started crumbling. 8 years later, its almost too late to simply repair, replace, and upgrade before the public disasters begin to occur.
Check out their ranking of the top 10 and make a list of the local projects in the same condition.
Circle Interchange | Chicago
(http://media.popularmechanics.com/images/chicago-circle-0508.jpg)
Brooklyn Bridge | New York.. (this totally sucked when it came crashing down in Cloverfield)
(http://media.popularmechanics.com/images/brooklyn-bridge-b-0508.jpg)
Canal Lock | New Orleans
(http://media.popularmechanics.com/images/new-orleans-canal-0508.jpg)
Water System | Atlanta
Water shortages aren't limited to the Southwest. When Georgians faced drought last fall, residents of Atlanta pitched in to reduce their consumption, yet as much of 18 percent of the city's water was hemorrhaging through leaking pipes. A similar situation is found throughout the country. Municipal lines running beneath the streets lose massive volumes of water, as do privately owned pipes that carry water to houses and other buildings.
(http://media.popularmechanics.com/images/atlanta-water-0508.jpg)
Lake Okeechobee | Florida
In 2006, engineering experts calculated that in any given year there is a 1-in-6 chance that the Herbert Hoover Dike will fail, releasing waters from Lake Okeechobee. If that happened, South Florida's water supply could be contaminated, and 40,000 lakeside residents could be threatened by flooding. The Army Corps of Engineers has been working on improvements, but funding is limitedâ€"for the 2009 budget year, the government alloted about half of the requested money. In February 2008, a 1000-ft.-long stretch of dangerously eroded land was found near state-owned floodgates north of the lake.
(http://media.popularmechanics.com/images/florida-470-0508.jpg)
The rest of the list may surprise you. Infrastructure wise, who assesses our local needs?
At least the infrastructure in Iraq is being rebuilt, but also destroyed, rebuilt, destroyed, rebuilt .......
As soon as I find out what the next president is invested in I'm cashing in. I'm still mad I missed Haliburton.
Quote from: stephendare on April 08, 2008, 10:48:00 PM
At the end of the Clinton Gore administration, money was finally beginning to flow into the cities to rebuild the decaying GI built infrastructure before it started crumbling. 8 years later, its almost too late to simply repair, replace, and upgrade before the public disasters begin to occur.
and your source for this???
Quote from: stephendare on April 08, 2008, 11:09:27 PM
lol. Jeffrey.
Yeah I loved the fact that the money to fix the levees in New Orleans was diverted to a water treatment plant in iraq instead.
it was also diverted to strip clubs and liquor bars in the form of Visa checkcards issued to the katrina 'refugees'. :)
promise #26 in making myself a better person today:
i won't stop you from conversing with yourself publicly on a discussion forum.
There are quite a few things that we could make a list of locally.
Getting rid of the Mathews bridge grating was a big one that was finally taken care of
The existing Courthouse could be on it - that thing is a manintenance nightmare
Friendship Fountain
How about the existing electrical grid in some of the urban areas. They are rewiring Springfield now, but what other areas are crap?
To get it all out, 95 south is still two lanes through San Marco, sort of.
How about I-95 from north of West Palm Beach to just south of Daytona Beach, still 2 lanes each way, and it was supposed to be 3 each way by 2010!