TV host says U.S. infrastructure falling apart

[RamboLiberal]

Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Neglect and inadequate spending on roads, bridges, water lines and other vital infrastructure is "causing our nation to fall apart," according to Tim Galarnyk, host of "Inspector America" on the History Channel.

Mr. Galarnyk visited Pittsburgh today to sound the alarm about the nation's decaying infrastructure, waste in government and the need to boost the economy with spending on construction.

Standing with 10 construction workers at North Shore Riverfront Park, Mr. Galarnyk said the U.S. would have to spend $22 trillion to bring its infrastructure back to good repair. "If we don't start now, it's going to be too late," he said.

"The United States of America is the best country in the entire world but our infrastructure is falling to the condition of third-world nations," he said.





Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11146/1149364-100.stm

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Excellent show by the way - 10PM History Channel Sunday nights - I watched episodes from Detroit & Minnesota (where that fallen interstate bridge in Minneapolis was covered). The host does an excellent job of pointing the appalling failing infrastructure of bridges, roads, water & sewer lines, buildings, electrical lines, etc. Also points out a few positive, innovative projects.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

1. Tim Galarnyk.

I should have known.




/dry

[RamboLiberal]

2. So you want to explain that cryptic comment

I've only seen the TV show and it is well done.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

3. Sure.

Tim Galarnyk isn't a household name.

Suggesting that I should have known it was the unknown Tim Galarnyk was sarcasm.

The /dry was accurately predicting that you wouldn't get it.

:hug:

[Fuddnik]

5. I thought the /dry meant the baby had been changed!

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

6. Completely understandable.

/croup

[matt819]

12. Thanks for the laugh (nt)

[RamboLiberal]

13. You got me - but then hey I date back to punch cards

Don't fold, spindle or mutilate.

[Aerows]

16. I'm retroactively declaring that funny

:spray: since I didn't find it funny the first time.

:rofl:

[damntexdem]

4. But, hey, we're still on track to be the best third-world country in the world.

;-)

[Plucketeer]

7. But BY GOLLY...

We've got a fleet that's second to none - patorlling foreign shores! Just remind yourself of that next time your vehicle wants yet another front end alignment!

[TheMadMonk]

19. Second to none, and can be sent to the bottom with ease by any navy...

...running halfway decent diesel-electric submarines.

Australia, when we still ran Oberon class subs (and more recenty the Chinese) routinely popped(pop) up in the middle of US carrier fleets on exercise to say "G'day"/"Nǐ hǎo".

Escaping would be problematical at best, but the kills on a lot of very big and expensive ships would be pretty much guaranteed with nothing but conventional anti-shipping munitions. China with access to nuclear munitions could concievably destroy the entire fleet and perhaps even keep the sub and crew. A nation like Iran is painted to be would gladly spend 50-100 men and a few milion in hardware to kill several thousand servicemen and destroy billions in hardware.

Hopefully though, it is highly unlikely that even a nation like Iran is painted would pre-emptively undertake such an action and China has no reason at all to do so.

[Plucketeer]

23. LOL!

The first US ship that China sinks takes China down with it! ;)

[NCarolinawoman]

8. My nephew at NC State just completed his Masters in Engineering.

His specialty is in "Bridge Building". He cannot get a job anywhere in the United States.
x(

[Divernan]

14. I recall reading that the US wouldn't hire locals to rebuild bridges in Iraq

It was all contracted out to US companies.
Why use the Army Corps of Engineers when Halliburton could be hired for 3x the cost?

Our infrastructure is indeed crumbling. Our grandparents' generation built and paid (taxes) to create our infrastructure - but the trillions of our tax dollars keep going to a perpetual war machine/industry.

The Cold War is long over, but we keep funding the Pentagon and NSA/Patriot Act massive information gathering.
Profiteering hiding behind paranoia.

[TheMadMonk]

20. Oh if only it were that simple. And yet it is.

The first part should look good for America and American companies, but the truth is absent the special dispensation given Halliburton in its no bid, cost plus percentage contracts (and similar dispensations afforded critical (read fucking huge) industry partners), American subbies were subject to American laws regarding screwing Uncle Sam. Halliburton with the carte blanche of cost plus percentage, went elsewhere, using subbies who could "bugger away" with impunity.


And that is damned near the whole fucking point of the Military Industrial Complex, to accomplish assigned goals at the greatest markup achievable.


The cold war is not over mate. It just fucking metastasised.

[femrap]

25. The US isn't

building a thing. We just destroy things these days. Maybe he could find a job with the gov't....Bridge Inspecting.

I have a M.S. in Industrial Engineering....that and $2.00 might buy me a coffee.

[elleng]

9. No sh**, Sherlock.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

10. What the hell?

This is not like the History Channels usual programing. I don't know if this can compete with the likes of "Pawn Stars," "Swamp People," "Mounted in Alaska" and "Ice Road Truckers."

What are they thinking?

:sarcasm:

[dynasaw]

11. What d'ya mean "falling?"

It's already "fallen, crumbled, broken like Humpty Dumpty.

[Downwinder]

15. It is not news until a TV Host says it.

ASCE has been reporting it for a number of years.

[Hardrada]

17. Gotta provide for our "defense" and for Israel's "defense" first!

[CrispyQ]

18. The episode on Seattle & the condition of the sea wall was alarming.

In the episode you mentioned, people were stating, "I won't drive on the bridge during rush hour traffic," & "I always breathe a sigh of relief when I'm finally off the bridge." Simply amazing that our 'leaders' know the degree of deterioration in our infrastructure & still do nothing. :grr: :grr: :grr:

[TheMadMonk]

21. The time will come when the degeneration has reached the point...

...(x deaths?) where the public will willingly hand over all public infrastructure to private enterprise.

[Javaman]

22. Rachel has been talking about this since she first appeared on the tv machine...

yet, some guy on some show on some network who has a tiny sliver of the amount Rachel has, gets more attention when he brings it up.

fine. great. as long as people hear this, but it's not like it hasn't been said before in larger arena's.

[moondust]

24. It's been that way for a while.

I became infrastructure aware during Campaign 2000 when Al Gore called attention to engineering reports of deteriorating infrastructure. Gore proposed spending some of the budget surplus on upgrades. That didn't happen. :puke: