NEWARK, N.J. – New Jersey's governor wants to kill a $9 billion-plus train tunnel to New York City because of runaway costs. Six thousand miles away, Hawaii's outgoing governor is having second thoughts about a proposed $5.5 billion rail line in Honolulu.
In many of the 48 states in between, infrastructure projects are languishing on the drawing board, awaiting the right mix of creative financing, political arm-twisting and timing to move forward. And a struggling economy and a surge of political candidates opposed to big spending could make it a long wait.
Has the nation that built the Hoover Dam, brought electricity to the rural South and engineered the interstate highway system lost its appetite for big public works projects? At a time when other countries are pouring money into steel and concrete, is the U.S. unwilling to think long-term?
"My sense is things have changed," said Andrew Goetz, a University of Denver professor and an expert on transportation policy. "People now tend to see any project as a waste of money, and that's just wrong."
One of the most important public works projects that made America what it is today is the US Highway System. Today, it couldn't be built. The can-do attitude of America is gone, replaced by tea baggers that see the government as the enemy.
It was, in fact, the largest public works project in the history of the world that ended the Great Depression.
Guess what it was?
World War II.
The problem with America is the Americans.. getting stupider by the day.
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As always.. a reminder that when American society crumbles into ashes, you can do fine if you have some money. Wealth is relative, and it might not take that much to make you fabulously wealthy compared to everyone else.
Most people are not saving for a retirement. Republicans will make sure Social Security and Medicare are destroyed. There will be millions of people without health care or a way to have a decent meal. Most of you are young. Save a half million in cash (in today's dollars), you'll do great. Manage some discipline and store away a cool million, and you'll retire in a very comfortable style.
Neither John nor I started really young. We made up for it over the past 10 years or so, but he's had a few years of very good business. We'll be fine. If you're working for somebody else, you'll need to start early and keep track of your progress. You'll have to deny yourself some luxuries when you're younger, but it'll be worth it down the road.
If you live paycheck to paycheck, now would be a good time to panic. Do whatever you have to do to adjust your lifestyle so you have a positive net cash flow. If you plan to have kids, dig even deeper because they are going to cost you a fortune. Dogs make very good substitutes, but I understand why people want the real thing.
Odds are, you'll get old. It's all well and good to have sympathy for what is happening in the nation now.. and I did my part. I tried. It's just not possible to save America from the Americans.
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