Whither American Infrastructure?

Writing in the New York Times, Bob Herbert reflects on several recent reports documenting the deplorable state of the country's infrastructure. He argues that the ability of the country to recover and compete globally, to say nothing of providing a high quality of life for its citizens in the future, will depend on the decisions made now about infrastructure.

"In 20 years, will today's toddlers be traveling on bridges and roads that are in even worse shape than today's?...Imagine, instead, an America with rebuilt, healthy, dynamic metropolitan areas, and gleaming new port facilities, and networks of high-speed rail, an America with electric vehicles and a smart grid and energy generated by the power of the sun and wind and water and the ocean's waves. Imagine if the children of today's toddlers had access to world-class public schools all across the nation and a higher education system that is both first-rate and affordable."