Planes, trains and automobiles: America’s problem with infrastructure

Katie Osmundson, Staff Writer

 

One seemingly common occurrence lately in the U.S. is train crashes. We have seen three crashes in the past month and these dangerous occurrences have brought to light a problem that ranges from coast to coast: U.S. infrastructure.

The U.S. is in desperate need of an infrastructure overhaul. In 2017, we have faced an onslaught of natural disasters ranging from massive fires and mudslides in California to Hurricanes in Texas and Puerto Rico, meaning that our roads and almost all other infrastructure needs help. Almost every American is impacted by it, whether it is just a pothole outside their house or destroyed roads leading to the hospital. It’s time for something to be done.

Trump feels he has the answer in his $1.5 trillion infrastructure plan. Trump is supposedly proposing a shift in financial partnerships to public private partnerships, a shift that he believes would reduce the strain on the Federal government. In his State of the Union Address, Trump spoke highly of the work his plan would accomplish.

“We will build gleaming new roads, bridges, highways, railways and waterways all across our land,” said Trump.

His plan, however, has a few flaws. First, his demand for expensive projects will only exasperate America’s growing debt, and it also completely ignores climate change. Due to the warming planet and predicted rise in sea levels, it is necessary to adapt our roads and railways to ensure the nation’s infrastructure is built to last through rising temperatures.

While Trump’s infrastructure plan is not exactly what the nation needs, it is a good starting point for revisions and negotiations between lawmakers, although it is unlikely to happen. Bipartisanship is at what feels like an all time low in the government. Democrats refuse to work with Republicans and Republicans with Democrats. Everything is political, including planes, trains and automobiles.

http://money.cnn.com/2018/02/11/news/economy/trump-infrastructure-plan-details/index.html