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We do not need any more infrastructure because there is _enough_ infrastructure. And material goods, for that matter. Do you want a limitless money sinkhole wi

We do not need any more infrastructure because there is _enough_ infrastructure. And material goods, for that matter. Do you want a limitless money sinkhole with largest positive externalities and quality of life effects? Try science.

Broken_Hippo 9y ago
"We do not need any more infrastructure because there is _enough_ infrastructure. And material goods, for that matter." .... Kind of, and much of what we have could be upgraded. Some folks can't get clean water out of their taps (lead!), some folks have really crappy internet (dial-up or otherwise slow speeds). I'm pretty sure some areas could use an electrical grid upgrade. Railroad tracks laid long ago now block traffic and some crossings have a lot of accidents, and could be rerouted (some communities have done so, such as lafayette, Indiana). Many of our bridges are in disrepair.
- atemerev 9y ago
  Yes, but all those (except maybe internet) are routine maintenance-level tasks, as opposed to megaprojects.
  - y4mi 9y ago
    Tell that to the hyperloop guys and watch them despair.
    - atemerev 9y ago
      Happily. Who needs hyperloop when airline tickets are this cheap?
- bluGill 9y ago
  There are places around the edges that need major work. Our population is expanding, that means we need new houses for the new people. Once in a while houses burn down or is otherwise destroyed. Likewise water treatment plants need maintenance and upgrades, and sometimes we need a new one; but for the most part people have perfectly safe water. On the whole though there are a lot of perfectly good roads and houses that just need a little work to keep them up. It is better to not build more than we need. I could tear down my perfectly good 2000 sq ft house and build a 4000 square ft house - but my current house is big enough for my needs so I'd rather sit back and relax.
adrianN 9y ago
There might be "enough" infrastructure, but it could be maintained a lot better. The power grid could also use some modernization. If you have money to sink you could also try building lots and lots of solar panels, batteries, and wind turbines.
- grasshopperpurp 9y ago
  Agree with the big-picture areas that you've highlighted, and it's not like there are not local issues that need addressing. St. Petersburg shut down a sewage treatment plant last year, and in the same year spilled 200 million gallons of sewage into the bay. For that, the city faced an $820,000 fine, which seems incredibly light. Just Wednesday this week, the city spilled 50,000 gallons of 'mostly treated' sewage into the bay. I can't image that St. Petersburg is the only city with this type of problem; though, I hope I'm wrong.
deleted 9y ago
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Broken_Hippo 9y ago

"We do not need any more infrastructure because there is _enough_ infrastructure. And material goods, for that matter." .... Kind of, and much of what we have could be upgraded. Some folks can't get clean water out of their taps (lead!), some folks have really crappy internet (dial-up or otherwise slow speeds). I'm pretty sure some areas could use an electrical grid upgrade. Railroad tracks laid long ago now block traffic and some crossings have a lot of accidents, and could be rerouted (some communities have done so, such as lafayette, Indiana). Many of our bridges are in disrepair.

atemerev 9y ago
Yes, but all those (except maybe internet) are routine maintenance-level tasks, as opposed to megaprojects.
- y4mi 9y ago
  Tell that to the hyperloop guys and watch them despair.
  - atemerev 9y ago
    Happily. Who needs hyperloop when airline tickets are this cheap?
bluGill 9y ago
There are places around the edges that need major work. Our population is expanding, that means we need new houses for the new people. Once in a while houses burn down or is otherwise destroyed. Likewise water treatment plants need maintenance and upgrades, and sometimes we need a new one; but for the most part people have perfectly safe water. On the whole though there are a lot of perfectly good roads and houses that just need a little work to keep them up. It is better to not build more than we need. I could tear down my perfectly good 2000 sq ft house and build a 4000 square ft house - but my current house is big enough for my needs so I'd rather sit back and relax.

adrianN 9y ago

There might be "enough" infrastructure, but it could be maintained a lot better. The power grid could also use some modernization. If you have money to sink you could also try building lots and lots of solar panels, batteries, and wind turbines.

grasshopperpurp 9y ago
Agree with the big-picture areas that you've highlighted, and it's not like there are not local issues that need addressing. St. Petersburg shut down a sewage treatment plant last year, and in the same year spilled 200 million gallons of sewage into the bay. For that, the city faced an $820,000 fine, which seems incredibly light. Just Wednesday this week, the city spilled 50,000 gallons of 'mostly treated' sewage into the bay. I can't image that St. Petersburg is the only city with this type of problem; though, I hope I'm wrong.

deleted 9y ago

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