7 Years of Bush: The Walls Came Tumbling Down

by Mike Hall, Jan 30, 2008

The economy is not the only thing crumbling around President Bush. After years of near neglect, so is the nation’s infrastructure.

He admitted Monday in his State of the Union address that there is “real concern” about the economy. But just as he did in his economic stimulus proposals, he made no mention of the nation’s deteriorating roads, bridges, dams, water and sewer systems.

Ed Wytkind, president of AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department (TTD), says Bush once again:

failed to provide leadership regarding our nation’s crumbling transportation infrastructure, for the eighth time in a row.

The Minneapolis bridge collapse in August was a horrific and vivid example of our infrastructure’s state of disrepair. How many bridges have to fall down before we make our transportation infrastructure a priority?

According to a recent report at Stateline.org, one-quarter of the nation’s 600,00 bridges need significant repair; one-third of the country’s major roadways are in substandard condition; and more than 3,300 dams are at risk of failure, with more than 1,300 of those being considered “high hazard” risks.

Donald F. Kettle, director of the Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania tells Stateline.org:

Much of America is held together by Scotch Tape, baling wire and prayers.

A move to repair and rebuild can provide both a short-term and long-term economic boost by putting people to work. An editorial in the Youngstown Vindicator notes Bush missed a golden opportunity:

He could certainly have boosted the morale of the American people by announcing a forward-thinking initiative to create jobs, such as a nationwide road and bridge-rebuilding program.

Many independent studies have pointed to the deterioration of America’s transportation infrastructure….such a rebuilding program would create the kinds of jobs that would certainly spur the economy.

The AFL-CIO’s economic stimulus proposal called for acceleration of ready-to-go public investment in school renovations and bridge repairs. But so far that has been left out of House and Senate proposals. Says Wytkind:

Investment in our nation’s transportation infrastructure is an important component of any economic stimulus package. By investing in the country’s infrastructure, we would not only put thousands of people to work but also address a critical need.

AFT President Edward McElroy says that if Bush’s

priorities included job creation, strengthening our infrastructure and better educational opportunities, we would expect to see a stimulus package that addresses our nation’s $100 billion backlog in school repairs.

Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), whose district includes the I-35 bridge that collapsed in August, killing 12 people, also backs an economic stimulus package that includes the money to create the jobs to repair the infrastructure.

Our bridges are literally falling down in America. Mr. President: Our country needs an economic stimulus package that will result in something more than pocket change for most working families and would put hard-working Americans’ tax dollars to use building American schools, roads, jobs, hospitals and small businesses.

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