USA infrastructure crumbling.

[PA5COR]

http://www.businessinsider.com/countries-with-better-infrastructure-2013-3

While the U.S. benefits greatly from the sheer size of its economy, excellent universities, flexible labor markets, and innovative businesses, it's falling behind on the overall quality of infrastructure.
The U.S. ranked 25 in this category, falling behind countries like Saudi Arabia, Spain, and South Korea.
We took a closer look at those 24 countries with better infrastructures than the U.S.
Click here to see how they rank > (javascript:void();)
Hint:
Netherlands ranks 1st for both quality of port infrastructure and quality of electricity supply. It ranks within the top 30 for all categories.
Global Competitiveness Index: 5 out of 144

[KG4CGC]

Common theme in factories as well.

[X-Rated]

We need signs on roads that state, "This Pothole provided by Republican Filibuster." And such.

[PA5COR]

Investing in infrastructure could create a lot of needed jobs and improve the infrastructure what is needed badly...

[X-Rated]

People who could do those jobs are busy eating dirt right now. Who cares anyway?

[N2RJ]

Saudi Arabia has no income tax and gives away lots of free stuff to its citizens.

I wonder how they do that, and can we do it too?

Quality of electricity infrastructure from what I've seen is a regional thing. Some places it is very good, some places it is piss poor. Part of the challenge in big cities especially is that the network is so complex that to rebuild it from scratch would be a massive undertaking. There is also the fact that no one wants to give up their property or property value to run power lines. For example, the power company wanted to run a 500kv line from PA to NJ and all along the three proposed routes people protested. Nobody really cares to see high tension lines in their back yard or risk their health (whether the health risks are real or not).

Cor, your link is 404.

[PA5COR]

Linky working here ?

[KJ3N]

Linky working here ?

First link is fine. Second link is borked.

[W2NAP]

City I live in is shaping up to be the next gary or detroit if you prefer.

But city can't afford to fix shit. since well a party in power in the 90s and the unions here locally ran off GM my city has been in steep decline. sure we have gained a couple things here and there. But losing 50,000 or more jobs and gaining back a few hundred is still losing. City shool system sucks nobody with brains wants to be a part of it. Our roads suck. Crime has went out of control. (seriously some of the shit i hear on the scanner would make you think you are in LA) About every neighborhood in the city is shit.

Can it be fixed? No I dont think so. to much damage has been done.

[kb2vxa]

Republican filibuster? Now pull the other one, I've seen it crumbling around me since I was old enough to get around on my own 50 years ago.

"Saudi Arabia has no income tax and gives away lots of free stuff to its citizens."
Gee no kidding, the House of Saud was put in power by the US (formerly Arabia) and now one family owns the country.

"I wonder how they do that..."
Welcome to Earth, how was your stay on Mars?

"...and can we do it too?"
Only when they buy oil from us, about the time pigs learn to fly.

"For example, the power company wanted to run a 500kv line from PA to NJ and all along the three proposed routes people protested."
No kidding, that's why the line comes from PECO and the main interconnecting substation and switch is in Readington Twp., NJ. The NIMBYs didn't kill it, the power grid just found a vast expanse of flat farmland is easier to deal with than mountains with a bunch of back yard whingers.

[N2NH]

Cor's second link - the ranking of countries that have better infrastructure than the US is here. (<-LINK) (http://www.businessinsider.com/countries-with-better-infrastructure-2013-3#24-united-kingdom-1)

I'm not surprised at being 25th. That depends of course. Florida, a taker state, had much better roads than NYC and even up here.

[KC2UGV]

...and the unions here locally ran off GM my city has been in steep decline.

The unions didn't run anyone off. That was the tax credits for shipping jobs offshore.

[PA5COR]

http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GlobalCompetitivenessReport_2012-13.pdf

Full report here in PDF all 545 pages to dig in.;)

[W2NAP]

The unions didn't run anyone off. That was the tax credits for shipping jobs offshore.

Sorry but they did run off GM here. You know employers dont like not being able to fire those who show up to work drunk, steal from the company, have buddies clock them in while they sit in a bar or somewhere other then work.

So yea unions did run off GM in this city.

[n2ize]

Sorry but they did run off GM here. You know employers dont like not being able to fire those who show up to work drunk, steal from the company, have buddies clock them in while they sit in a bar or somewhere other then work.


All of which a company can fire you for union or not.


So yea unions did run off GM in this city.

Inexpensive, non-unionized labor overseas with weak or no environmental regulations is what ran off the jobs. Companies loved it when there was no organized labgor in this country, when people were paid meager wages and had no rights whatsoever, no time off, when child slave labour was exploited, when worker safety was no concern, when you could be forced for getting sick, when women could be fired for such inconveniences as becoming pregnant, and you could pollute the hell out of the surrounding neighborhood and not even be reprimanded, let alone fined. Ever since workers became organized and fought for better wages, benefits, an end to child labour, protections, and government regulations were put into place to protect workers, reduce discrimination, and protect the communities in which these business operate.


Ever since workers ended the "sweatshop" and gained access to better conditions and regulations the corporate world has fought tooth and nail to get those conditions rescinded. They also received a blessing. Inexpensive overseas labour markets. It was like stepping back in time 100+ years when the businesses reigned supreme and the workers got bupkis.

[W2NAP]

All of which a company can fire you for union or not.



couldnt fire these pricks. you have no clue how many of the fucks I have ran into bragging how they would show up drunk, steal shit, have buddies clock in for them. and they would brag how they couldn't be fired. And they couldn't cause if one of them did the union pricks would pressure management to get the guys job back.

UAW = yoU Ain't Working.

[NQ6U]

couldnt fire these pricks. you have no clue how many of the fucks I have ran into bragging how they would show up drunk, steal shit, have buddies clock in for them. and they would brag how they couldn't be fired. And they couldn't cause if one of them did the union pricks would pressure management to get the guys job back.

All I can say about this is that it doesn't jibe with my own experience as a union worker.

[KG4CGC]

couldnt fire these pricks. you have no clue how many of the fucks I have ran into bragging how they would show up drunk, steal shit, have buddies clock in for them. and they would brag how they couldn't be fired. And they couldn't cause if one of them did the union pricks would pressure management to get the guys job back.

UAW = yoU Ain't Working.
I've heard this story before and like I said a couple of years ago, bunch of bragging doesn't make it fact. Just dumbasses standing around acting big.

[KC2UGV]

Sorry but they did run off GM here. You know employers dont like not being able to fire those who show up to work drunk, steal from the company, have buddies clock them in while they sit in a bar or somewhere other then work.

So yea unions did run off GM in this city.

Employers can fire unions employees with just cause. Apparently, none of these things you said here were ever documented, which means the employer was failing to do it's part.

That being said, again, it wasn't the unions who ran GM off. It was GM. Because every GM shop is union. Did they close up every shop?


couldnt fire these pricks. you have no clue how many of the fucks I have ran into bragging how they would show up drunk, steal shit, have buddies clock in for them. and they would brag how they couldn't be fired. And they couldn't cause if one of them did the union pricks would pressure management to get the guys job back.

UAW = yoU Ain't Working.

You've told this story before, and it's been more or less been shown to be without merit. Perhaps it's the people you are hanging around with that is providing you with the slanted perspective?

[ad4mg]

You've told this story before, and it's been more or less been shown to be without merit. Perhaps it's the people you are hanging around with that is providing you with the slanted perspective?

Yeah, it seems really familiar, and when it was challenged, I recall someone (ahem) getting real butt hurt over it. You have no idea how many of the f*cks I've run into with the same old, tired, story.

Lather, rinse, repeat.