How can we remain strong if our foundation is weak? Sandy proved its not all theory - Our infrastructure is week. America - lets urge Congress to support real infrastructure investment. Do we need another Sandy?
According to the infrastructure report card, 2009, the United States received a D over-all score. Are we the people okay with driving on roads and bridges, or living next to or near dams that barely received a passing grade? We shouldn’t be. Our infrastructure score breaks down as follows:
• Solid Waste = C+
• Drinking Water = D-
• Inland Waterways = D-
• Levees = D-
• Roads = D-
• Wastewater = D-
• Aviation = D
• Transit = D
• Schools = D
• Dams = D
• Bridges = C
• Public Parks = C-
• Recreation = C-
• Rail = C-
• Energy = D+
This report card may be acceptable to some, but for the vast majority of Americans, this is alarming. Imagine your young person receiving grades, or, your employer providing you with a performance review, like this. In fact, not many students would remain in the general classroom with years of deficient performance. Nor would any employer retain the services of an employee who performed like this, they would be fired. And fired they will be if they don't get their acts together and pass a final version of the transportation and highway bill.
Waiting is not an option. Young people, grandparents, mothers and fathers, veterans, farmers, and city dwellers will suffer if Congress does not ACT.
America needs this. 4000 dams in our country are deficient, with 1,819 of those in the high hazard rating. Out of 85,000 dams in America, the average age is 51 years old. The next dam failure could be in your town, causing countless deaths and injuries.
If Congress is really concerned about reducing entitlements then tell them to act now. How can young people learn and grow if they are living in toxic urban waste dumps? Federal funds have decreased steadily since 2008 to clean up toxic cities. Not acting will lead to higher health expenditures and federal disability expenditures, for example, because people will be too sick to actually function.
How can Americans, from farmers to executives, take their kids to school and go to work if our bridges and roads are deficient? According to the 2009 infrastructure report card, 1 in four (or more) bridges are structurally deficient and functionally obsolete. Additionally, road congestion costs Americans money, $67 billion per year in repairs and operating costs.
We need to start now; we the people must demand action, NOW! Encourage Congress to ACT.
ACT NOW - http://stephenmcdow.wordpress.com/2012/11/14/sandy-proved-infrastructure-investment/