Follow the Money, the Road to Nowhere

More jobs would be great. Our infrastructure sucks. I ride a motorcycle and see potholes in roads as the end of my life. It is not fun hitting a big pothole, wondering if you are gonna get a flat. I’ve been riding for more than 30 years, from hear to Colorado, from here to Montana, from here to Canada, in Vermont and all over California. I am in support of a big round of infrastructure spending in the spirit of FDR. In fact, most of our infrastructure is from that WPA era. And yes, President Obama wanted this to happen. It may happen, now, well because of politics.

Unfortunately in developing countries with autocratic despots, roads can be built to nowhere. I lived in Belize Central America, very much loved that country, but am fully aware that a highway was built, money spent, and I know various elites benefited — with the provision of moderately decent road. Corruption is erosive.

So may the media follow the money. Private, toll based roads. We studied that during my ancient grad school years. Eh. Whatever. I like what Barney Frank says, “government is what we do together, cause we can’t do it alone — like building roads.” I am paraphrasing because I am having a beer to relax and don’t feel like checking the internet. The quote is close.

But a road, well it can be built to nowhere. And we can all be paying for it. And I am just going to take a wild guess, a lot of these roads will be built in Republican Congressional districts. Perhaps their roads do need help. My guess is, all or most of our roads, red or blue need help. Wouldn’t be nice to look down a road and see solid, paved asphalt — like the good old days.

Until then, look down the road, and follow the money. There are shiny objects along the road, but corruption and coercion — might just be around the corner.