Quote: “The United States lags behind in infrastructure spending compared to its international competitors. The U.S.’s projected investment by 2040 is 1.5%, compared to 5.1% in China and 4.1% in Indonesia, which are the global leaders in infrastructure investment.
“The U.S.’s lower ranking in infrastructure investment is related to how the country’s infrastructure projects are funded, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. On average, European countries spend 5% of GDP on infrastructure, while China spends roughly 8% — the U.S., meanwhile, spends only 2.4% of its GDP on infrastructure. European countries also rely on infrastructure needs at a national level, while infrastructure in the U.S. is funded at state and local levels. Only 25% of U.S. public infrastructure funding comes from the federal government — down from a peak of 38% nearly 45 years ago.” (Author’s note: Bolded for emphasis) https://www.brinknews.com/quick-take/how-does-us-infrastructure-compare-internationally/
People complain about their property taxes funding local schools, roads, bridges, fire departments, and ambulance services. But what would replace the property tax to pay for these community services? To reconstitute a road every 20-30 years costs ~$160,000 to $220,000 per mile in a rural area with 50 people per square mile. Costs go up significantly in large cities with 1,000 to 27,000 people per square mile. A million dollars per road mile is not unusual. And every mile of road requires maintenance every year.
The U.S. population has more than doubled since the 1960s, when most of the country’s infrastructure systems were created. While most of that infrastructure needs to be upgraded, its funding has been abysmal.
While Congress and the Biden Administration quibble over the public perception of infrastructure spending, the gap between America’s infrastructure needs and its funding grows.
The U.S. must abandon the pay-as-we-go model for a more sustainable save-as-we-grow model. This type of reform will not happen within the Two-Party political system in the United States.
While Republican and Democrat political leadership play kick-the-can to the next administration, YOUR infrastructure worsens.
Where to go from here? Step 1 is to support third-party political organizations and bring common sense into every budget process, so infrastructure spending can be secured for the future.
Support the Reform Party and its efforts to place representatives within your community, state, and federal government.
Tell your neighbors to vote for Reform because the status quo of the Two-Party political system is destroying America.
