CA got its modern freeways in the 70s. It failed to maintain them. > You can't just use inflation, because if, say, median wages rise faster than inflation, t

CA got its modern freeways in the 70s. It failed to maintain them. > You can't just use inflation, because if, say, median wages rise faster than inflation, then the cost to the government of the same amount of labor will typically rise faster than inflation as well. You can, however, look at spending on existing programs and new programs separately. On existing programs, you look at why you spent more - was to maintain the same level of service, to pay more, or to expand. With new programs, you can ask similar questions.