[PeakingAroundtheCorner]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Tanada', 'A')ccording to adn.com the Knik arm bridge and toll authority received their environmental impact approval in December 2007 and can now move on to contracting and construction of the bridge. Recently in speeches Barack Obama whom I consider most likely to be our next President of the USA has been saying that he considers infrastructure improvements to be good for the economy, rather in the mold of FDR during the Great Depression when many large public works projects and thousands of small projects were built.
The KABATA web page gives a tentative schedual for construction to begin in Spring 2009, perfect timing for a public works project under the first year of the Obama administration. Schedule
What do you all think?

[highlander]

Infrastructure improvements, especially related to mass transit, is a commendable idea. It will keep the unemployed masses in line. (like they did during the great depression). The big question is how is it going to be paid for. There is no question of who is going to pay for it.

[gampy]

Sounds good in a speech, but can it be implemented? Perhaps with a Democratic House and Senate in the first 2 years of his presidency.
Green tech is a vague catch-all phrase, but it would require a huge commitment in the form of subsidies and incentives to get big industry to re-tool towards an oil-reduced economy.
I think the auto industry is going to take a wait and see approach. They won't change until the consumer demands new products. The consumer won't change until energy is too expensive. ($200 barrel oil?)
It will take a great deal of political capital to get the government to initiate any change towards this. Government, business, and consumers tends to react, not pro-act.

[mos6507]

I think there is a growing fatigue of the status quo, which can lead to more public support for change, ANY change, whether it be the "government is the problem" mantra of Ron Paul (which ain't gonna happen) or the "government is the solution" mantra of the democrats (which is more likely). They just want some sort of action on issues which have been languishing or getting worse for 8 years.

[emersonbiggins]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Tyler_JC', 'A')nd the government won't be able to outbid the soccer moms?
Higher prices will shift oil supply away from inefficient users and towards more efficient users (or extremely high bidders like the federal government).

[highlander]

Nice photo Emerson! Amazing what a few thousand wage slaves and shovels can accomplish!
You are spot on about oil production and population. There is no apparent way to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps this time.

[Ludi]

All of America's infrastructure is failing.

Buh bye.

[foo]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Denny', 'E')ven in bankruptcy, you have to take care of important things, like water and basic building maintenance. Water is way more important than money. In the end, even if the government has to create inflation to do it, it must be done. Look back at World War II, even though there was no money, the government made things happen, and big time. Why? Because it had to be done.

[foo]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Tyler_JC', 'L')astly, you don't think that we can conserve water? We can reduce our water consumption enormously before we have to worry about running dry. And if we cut our water use, we reduce the strain on the system and thus the cost of maintaining it.
100 Ways To Save Water
All I'm saying is that although we may have many things to worry about, America's water infrastructure is not one of them.

[Twilight]

Push comes to shove, the work will be done for food. Of that, the US has no shortage. I wouldn't waste time worrying about this bit.

[Ludi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Twilight', 'P')ush comes to shove, the work will be done for food. Of that, the US has no shortage. I wouldn't waste time worrying about this bit.

[Twilight]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ludi', 'T')he work isn't being done. Our infrastructure is crumbling and the work isn't being done. Why would it be done for food (paid for by whom?) some magical time in the future?

[foo]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ludi', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Twilight', 'P')ush comes to shove, the work will be done for food. Of that, the US has no shortage. I wouldn't waste time worrying about this bit.

[dinopello]

This is weird,

this video came up on the 'now playing' area of Youtube

I think I'd help Jennifer Connelly get her water

[cube]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Tyler_JC', '4')80 billion over the course of 20 years. That's 24 billion dollars a year.
Assuming all 300 million Americans pay for it equally...that's $80 a year per person. WE'RE DOOMED!!!!!!
But seriously, that's pretty inexpensive for nearly unlimited access to some of the cleanest, cheapest water in the world.

[yesplease]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('cube', 'U')nfortunately we have a:
1) water problem
2) energy problem
3) debt problem
4) transportation problem
5) *insert grocery list* problem

[vetusfirma]

And they never did a good job before, so at first it will look like business as usual.

[SILENTTODD]

The amount of heavy truck traffic on roads is the main cause of most of the damage to the road bed. With less heavy truck traffic the road beds may last longer.

I know of road beds in central California that have not been repaved since they were layed down in the early 60's and are still in good shape. These roads have never been subject to much tractor trailer use.

[katkinkate]

It will only take a relatively few years. Either the continual traffic on roads not being maintained will crack up the surface and slow the traffic down, or if oil prices get too high and traffic becomes more sparse, the plants growing through cracks will break it up.

[mos6507]

It's not just 18 wheelers that chew up the roads. In colder climates you have potholes develop from the water freeze/melt cycles.