In light of the Build Back Better Act being on death's door, I took consolation from the fact that at least the bipartisan infrastructure bill was passed in November, and that means better highways, better bridges, better transit systems - you know, building back better.
Think again, sucker. The PBS NewsHour's Jeff Greenfield (above) was on the program's weekend edition this past Sunday, and he explained that the new infrastructure bill isn't going to produce any visible results any time soon or even any time later. He said that many of the projects will be, as they have always been, bogged down by cost overruns and delays (he didn't cite the Second Avenue subway in Manhattan but I could), as well as local opposition to projects no matter how badly they're needed - mainly due to NIMBYism (Not In My Back Yard). Also, Greenfield noted design flaws in infrastructure projects - like the wheels of passenger trains in the Honolulu area misaligned with the track gauge.
Which is a roundabout way of making the point that, even with the infrastructure bill passed, the Democrats won't have anything to boast about for the 2022 midterms.
Tell me how proud I should be to be an American . . . I keep forgetting.
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