Restoring our infrastructure is critical

Deferring infrastructure maintenance is ultimately self-defeating. Consider San Diego’s decrepit water system. Seem like hardly a week goes by without a water main break, damaging property, disrupting business, and generating legal suits. And California’s water sourcing and delivery system needs a complete overhaul, too.

Throughout the U.S., underground high pressure natural gas pipelines have ruptured, setting off horrendous explosions resulting in loss of life and extensive property damage. Everywhere there are infrastructure failures just waiting to happen – in our roadways, waterways, airways, and more.

But beyond deferred maintenance, we have been derelict in advancing our infrastructure. Nowhere is it more evident than in our so-called high speed Internet. America is supposed to be number one in technology, but we’re not even in the top 10 for Internet speed. Adding insult to injury is the fact that we have to pay more for Internet service. “At high speeds, costs nearly three times as much as in the UK and France, and more than five times as much as in South Korea.” See: http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-24528383

There’s no reason to let this sorry state of affairs to continue. President Obama has an infrastructure proposal. Restoring our infrastructure would not only help our economy, it would also provide a legacy for our next generation, just as those of the Great Depression did for their next generation.

John H. Terrell