Infrastructure

The other week I heard on NPR an analyst talking about infrastructure in the U.S. and how it’s an important topic these days because the U.S. is falling far behind other developed countries.

Despite these tough economic times, if we don’t put some significant money into improving our infrastructure, then it will be worse in the long run. The analyst said that one main stumbling block of improving infrastructure is that it would mean the states’ governments would need to work together, and this is a difficult thing in our system because the people elected to office tend to pass favorable legislation for the people who made the biggest contributions to their campaign. This results in the clichéd “bridge to nowhere” which means for instance that instead of improving highways that are badly in need of repair or instead of putting a new road between states where one desperately needs to be put, they will approve funding for a unnecessary highway that may increase value in land owned by these special interest groups or the government may subsidize the building of a new sports arena when the old arena was perfectly fine, but the sports organization can profit by increasing ticket prices.

This is to say that when companies invest millions of dollar helping a politician get elected they expect something in return.

Hurray for Democracy!

The analyst noted that there are a few states that seem to be doing well, but it’s a tough sell all around because these are not the kinds of projects that help congressmen get reelected. They may have to say “no” to their special interest groups, and they know doing that will mean they loose campaign money.

I bring up this point to further illustrate my concern and question how it is possible to have faith in a system that is so thoroughly corrupt and functions according to the principles of greed and self-interest?