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> We see a nation used to quick and easy growth from top/down government investments in infrastructure now struggling under the maintenance burden of all that u
by louwrentius 4y ago
> We see a nation used to quick and easy growth from top/down government investments in infrastructure now struggling under the maintenance burden of all that unproductive asphalt, steel and concrete. The simple Jacobin solution of an additional $400 billion per year wouldn't address this problem; it would make the problem way, way worse.
I’m not sure if I really understand this part. But I’m familiar with StrongTowns cause (parafrasing):
There is a lot of public infrastructure build (roads, power, water, sewage, drainage)for land that will never provide enough tax revenue per square foot to pay for maintenance of said infrastructure. This will bankrupt cities and towns.
- NorthOf33rd 4y agoYes. American infrastructure has explicitly been deployed time and time again as stimulus spending to shore up the American economy. Nothing in their argument is novel. What these folks are quietly calling for is Conservatism. What is novel is wrapping conservatism in new urbanism psudoprogressive language.
- jewayne 4y agoConservatism. There's a word that's lost all meaning over the past several years. "Fiscal Conservatism"? Maybe. But only if we go back to an older definition of "fiscal conservatism", which is closely in line with "financial sustainability". But honestly, many people calling themselves "Conservative" these days care not a single whit about financial sustainability, at least when it comes to the public sector.
- NorthOf33rd 4y agoThe author and the book pretty clearly lay out what they mean by conservatism and yes it's aligned with fiscal conservatism.