Midwest floods spotlight decrepit infrastructure-()

newsdaily ^ | 7/1/08 | Andrew Stern

[Flavius]

The latest U.S. natural disaster is triggering fresh rounds of concern and debate about how to repair America's aging infrastructure.

The worst Midwest flooding since 1993 has generated images of swamped towns, cracked roads, washed-out bridges, overwhelmed dams, failed levees, broken sewage systems, stunted crops and water-logged refugees.

The losses are in the billions of dollars and still mounting, as the costs of crop losses alone send shocks through the inflation-wracked world food system and threaten insurers.

The disaster has reminded policymakers of the decrepit state of U.S. infrastructure, stirring concerns similar to those following the deadly Minneapolis bridge collapse in 2007 and the flooding of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

[Brian S. Fitzgerald]

Will this happen again next year?

[absalom01]

Yup. Just like Katrina. Mobs of looters stealing $200 pairs of sneakers, color TV’s, stereo systems, and of course, beer.

Lots and lots of Federal intervention needed there, that’s for sure.

[Chode]

i'm sure the rest of the world is chomping at the bit to send in money and relief for the flood victims... NOT!!!

[Mr. Bird]

Somebody should ask Bill Clinton why we still have an aging infrastructure. A key component of his '92 campaign was an "economic stimulus package" that would address "infrastructure". Basically a Works Projects Administration for the '90s.

The US Interstate system is fine, which is really the only infrastructure I can think of that the feds need to or should be involved in. Unless there are military/national security reasons, I fail to see why the feds should involve themselves in levee repair/construction to preserve housing in high-risk regions.