Infrastructure takes center stage

In the wake of President Obama's proposal to invest $50 billion in our nation's roads, runways, and railways as the next phase of his "economic stimulus" plan, public concern about the state of our nation's infrastructure has once again been piqued. Enter the American Society of Civil Engineers' (ASCE) recent Infrastructure Report Card.

The site is a bit clumsy and admittedly alarmist in nature, but definitely worth a look if you've got some time to kill. My greatest concern about our massive government budget deficits--amassed via Medicare, military conflicts, and ongoing economic stimulus--is that the resultant debt makes us much less capable of addressing the significant deferred maintenance on our nation's infrastructure.

It is never politically sexy to address these sorts of issues, so few politicians really do (except, maybe, the Sewer Mayor). But the longer we defer the maintenance, the harder and more expensive it will be to address. It is my sincere hope that we will somehow be able to find the money to do so soon. It won't be easy.