US is under spending on Infrastructure

The United States is falling behind on investing in the roads, bridges, airports, and transit systems that keep our economy humming. We spend just 2 percent of our GDP on infrastructure projects. Europe and China invest 5 percent and 9 percent of their respective GDPs on developing infrastructure.

Functioning infrastructure provides a critical backbone for a strong economy. Research shows that investments in creating, maintaining, or expanding transportation networks promote efficiency, productivity, and more rapid economic growth.

Today, President Obama is calling on Congress to pass a piece of the American Jobs Act that will invest $50 billion in our nation’s transportation infrastructure and $10 billion in a National Infrastructure Bank. Together, these initiatives will put hundreds of thousands of construction workers back on the job rebuilding our roads, rails, and runways. With 1.1 million constructions workers out of work, we can’t wait to invest in our infrastructure.

The US has been falling behind for decades since World War 2. The problem is that we spend more that twice as much--4.7 per cent--on defense.


After World War 2, the Europeans and the Japanese had to rebuild their infrastructures.


The US did not do this and we have not invested in ports, roads, bridges, leevees and dams to remain competitve in the world.


The last big civil construction boom in the US was during the Great Depression in which many civic project such as roads bridges and high school stadiums were built.


We are not keeping America safe with gullded defense spending while our civil infrastructure collapses from within.


Rightardia was listening to the defense bureaucrats like Leon Panetta whine about cuts to defense spedning which increased 40 per cent after 911. That huge increase in defense spending  did not include the costs associated with the Iraq and Afghan wars which is already more than $ 1 trillion.

The life cycle cost of both wars is expected to reach $4 trillion as veteran's disability claims are paid.

see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_military_expenditures


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Iowa Dam Fails Causing 'Catastrophic' Release of Water

Published July 24, 2010

July 24, 2010: A 300-foot-long breach in Lake Delhi Dam Saturday sent water spilling downstream with hundreds of people fleeing for safety in eastern Iowa.

David Fink, the Lake Delhi dam operation manager, called the breach “a catastrophic release of water.”

"It’s going to have a hell of a lot of velocity,” he told The Des Moines Register.

The dam, which sits on the Maquoketa River about 45 miles north of Cedar Rapids, failed after a long rain.

The road on top of the dam collapsed around 10:30 a.m., and water gushed over just before 1pm.

Some media outlets are reporting the water reached the eaves of several homes and businesses in the immediate vicinity. Others report rushing water flooding over railings and onto roads and fields.

Authorities sounded flood warning sirens in nearby Hopkinton, giving a town of 700 residents, only five minutes to flee.

And the US infrastructure continues to crumble.

source: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/07/24/iowa-dam-fails-causing-catastrophic-release-water/

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