Yes its true folks,the United States is rotten,the countrys infrastructure is crumblimg away,at a rapid pace.
An estimated $1.6 trillion is needed to bring America up to date,and things can only get worse and more expensive to fix if nothings done to address the issue.

Aviation: Gridlock on America's runways is expected to grow 4.3% annually thru 2015,which would bring some airports to a standstill.

Bridges: Bridges in need of repair or replaced is 27%, nine and a half billion dollars a year for twenty years to fix.

Dams: Since 1998 the number of unsafe dams has risen a whopping 33% to more than 3,500. $10 billion is required to fix all dams that would be a risk to life if they failed.

Drinking water:To bring drinking water up to and mainyained at safe levels,$11 billion annually.

Rail,roads,schools,for America to keep ahead and keep its citizens safe,something on the Marshall Plan scale needs to be done.

Poppycock.

(does that word translate?)

What is Poppycock.

It means bullshit.

Thanks mate,I had a feeling thats what it meant.
Shit I forgot to post a link.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/03/09/national/main678939.shtml


http:www.asce.org/reportcard/2005/page.cfm?id=103

Got a report card on Europe? I don't travel there much, any more, but most of my recollections are of a group of countries generally no better off, and in some cases much worse than we are.

Yes its true folks,the United States is rotten,the countrys infrastructure is crumblimg away,at a rapid pace.
An estimated $1.6 trillion is needed to bring America up to date,and things can only get worse and more expensive to fix if nothings done to address the issue.

Aviation: Gridlock on America's runways is expected to grow 4.3% annually thru 2015,which would bring some airports to a standstill.

Bridges: Bridges in need of repair or replaced is 27%, nine and a half billion dollars a year for twenty years to fix.

Dams: Since 1998 the number of unsafe dams has risen a whopping 33% to more than 3,500. $10 billion is required to fix all dams that would be a risk to life if they failed.

Drinking water:To bring drinking water up to and mainyained at safe levels,$11 billion annually.

Rail,roads,schools,for America to keep ahead and keep its citizens safe,something on the Marshall Plan scale needs to be done.

Unfortunately, quite true.

All the more reason to bring back the CCC and WPA, put people to work rebuilding this country. Cut back on foreign aid and some other pet spending areas, redirect those funds inward. We don't need the "bridge to nowhere" but certainly do need that same money spent on ??? how many bridges around the country.

This country hasn't even been a COUNTRY as long as some bridges have existed in Europe!

One bridge fails and all of a sudden we're crumbling.

Not saying the whole list is hype, but the rails, roads, schools require and get constant attention... and the drinking water is the safest in the world. Nothing 'crumbling' about that.

Just so much BS, for sure.

;)
SMW

Oh, I believe the stories exist; it's just that I think calling America "rotten" was a bit extreme (even if you were referring to our infrastructure). Money needs to be spent, sure. Outside of a recently growing deficit, thank god we've got the cash to cover it. We're not France.

Speaking of which, I just heard on BBC that their new prime minister thinks France (in its entirety) is "bankrupt". Thank god they've got big airports and smooth roads, eh?

I used the word 'rotten' to catch peoples attention.

Got a report card on Europe? I don't travel there much, any more, but most of my recollections are of a group of countries generally no better off, and in some cases much worse than we are.

Id say Europe isnt any better off. Its only morons with illusions of grandeur
who think Europe is on a power with the United States.

Im only trying to open a discussion on the subject,gives a break.

This country hasn't even been a COUNTRY as long as some bridges have existed in Europe!

One bridge fails and all of a sudden we're crumbling.

Not saying the whole list is hype, but the rails, roads, schools require and get constant attention... and the drinking water is the safest in the world. Nothing 'crumbling' about that.

Just so much BS, for sure.

;)
SMW
So youd disagree with the statement.ok.

So youd disagree with the statement.ok.
If it makes you feel any better, I agree with it. Money needs to be spent.

Id say Europe isnt any better off.
Well, as far as your roads go, I'd say you're waaaaaaay better off. Ours suck. And so do our drivers. There's no debating that.

Explain yourself my man

Aviation: Gridlock on America's runways is expected to grow 4.3% annually thru 2015,which would bring some airports to a standstill.

A simple statement of fact.

The (typical) Rightwing response-- "Poppycock! Impossible!

Bridges: Bridges in need of repair or replaced is 27%, nine and a half billion dollars a year for twenty years to fix.

A simple statement of fact.

The (typical) Rightwing response-- "Poppycock! Impossible!

Dams: Since 1998 the number of unsafe dams has risen a whopping 33% to more than 3,500. $10 billion is required to fix all dams that would be a risk to life if they failed.

A simple statement of fact.

The (typical) Rightwing response-- "Poppycock! Impossible!

Drinking water:To bring drinking water up to and maintained at safe levels,$11 billion annually.

A simple statement of fact.

The (typical) Rightwing response-- "Poppycock! Impossible!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At least there is no mystery WHY the infrastructure in this country is in the shape it's in.

It is very disheartening to see a certain segment in this society told in plain and simple English what the problems are and what the projected costs are to address them, and still have them pule -- "Aww, poppycock! It just can't be!!"

When people are SO blinded by a childish --""Rah rah USA!!! We're the Best!!!!"-- ideology that they cannot be made to understand that there IS a problem, you cannot solve the problem.

I'd say we do pretty well for being such a large country.

Doing pretty well is one thing,running an efficent corporation is another.
Maybe Im wrong,but I would imagine the Civil Engineers arent,the bridge collapse in Minneapolis was maybe,just maybe a sign of things to come.

I believe traffic jams in and out of some US cities is at disaster levels.
Catching the train,packed in like sardines.
getting the plane,be there two hours before take off.


I guess the drinkinf water varies across the land.
All these small things add up to one big thing.

Doing pretty well is one thing,running an efficent corporation is another.
Maybe Im wrong,but I would imagine the Civil Engineers arent,the bridge collapse in Minneapolis was maybe,just maybe a sign of things to come.

I believe traffic jams in and out of some US cities is at disaster levels.
Catching the train,packed in like sardines.
getting the plane,be there two hours before take off.


I guess the drinkinf water varies across the land.
All these small things add up to one big thing.
A very fair assessment. I agree.

Oh, only one thing – I’ve NEVER (in my entire life) feared drinking the water anywhere in the US. Do it in Mexico, and you’ll shit your pants for a week.

I am surprised that this topic hasnt got a profile in the Presidential elections.
Tho some posters here have dismissed the links as untrue,theres a very simple test to take,any American look around them when they're out and about in their own town city,if it needs fixed or replaced,theres a problem.

Doing pretty well is one thing,running an efficent corporation is another.
Maybe Im wrong,but I would imagine the Civil Engineers arent,the bridge collapse in Minneapolis was maybe,just maybe a sign of things to come.

I believe traffic jams in and out of some US cities is at disaster levels.
Catching the train,packed in like sardines.
getting the plane,be there two hours before take off.


I guess the drinkinf water varies across the land.All these small things add up to one big thing.

Paul, the things you are 'assuming' on this thread simply are NOT true.

I've seen traffic (Dallas is somewhere around the 4-6th worst in the country), but never anything close to 'disaster' levels. So, maybe it takes you 15 min longer than usual to reach your destination. Big deal.

I ride the train every day and have not had to stand up more than 1-2 stops in over 8 years. Rode the subway many times in NYC and although it was crowded during rush hour, was never "packed in like sardines?"

Getting to the airport 2 hours before flying is simply a guideline. You can still run up to the gate at the last minute and if you make it thru security on time, run onto the plane. There is no LAW that says you must arrive 2 hrs early.

Lastly, the quality of drinking water does NOT vary from location to location in the U.S. because the Federal govt has an agency continually monitoring drinking water (the EPA), each State has their own environmental dept monitoring drinking water... AND every large city has their own environmental dept to monitor water quality.

I'm a little surprised that you seem bent on perpetrating these untruths.

Please rest assured, Americans pay plenty in local, state and national taxes for the purpose of keeping our roads, schools, water, etc., in good repair. It's not like nothing gets done until something crumbles.

Maybe you're wrong?

You are wrong. About this subject anyway.

SMW

A simple statement of fact.

The (typical) Rightwing response-- "Poppycock! Impossible!



A simple statement of fact.

The (typical) Rightwing response-- "Poppycock! Impossible!



A simple statement of fact.

The (typical) Rightwing response-- "Poppycock! Impossible!



A simple statement of fact.

The (typical) Rightwing response-- "Poppycock! Impossible!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At least there is no mystery WHY the infrastructure in this country is in the shape it's in.

It is very disheartening to see a certain segment in this society told in plain and simple English what the problems are and what the projected costs are to address them, and still have them pule -- "Aww, poppycock! It just can't be!!"

When people are SO blinded by a childish --""Rah rah USA!!! We're the Best!!!!"-- ideology that they cannot be made to understand that there IS a problem, you cannot solve the probem.

I don't know if anyone of you realize the monumental occasion that has just transpired here.... Do you realize the for the first time ever FT,didn't take a pot shot on all rupublicans... He even used the word TYPICAL.. It was in ( ) but still there was an attempt was by him not to lump....

I would say either FT has been drinking alot this afternoon,or he has realized this country and its politics are not so black and white.

No if I can only get DB to wear the "I LOVE BILL O'RIELEY" T-shirt I got him for his birthday then we can all go to sleep tonight with a fucked up look on our faces.

And Paul I don't know if your really from Ireland or not but i think you pissed people off talking about out Dams when you got people in your country tossing pipe bombs at funerals because of what denomination of Christians they are. I am not saying it is right to think like that,I am just showing you where some of the hostility might becoming from

Explain yourself my man
Just what I said - our roads are TERRIBLE and our drivers suck. America is really sad country when viewed from behind the wheel of a vehicle.

Not just the roads, the courtyards, the shop fronts, and the parks, the parking lots too.

The US is a pretty bleak place when you get right down to it.

And Paul I don't know if your really from Ireland...
I'd be willing to bet on it.
....but i think you pissed people off talking about out Dams when you got people in your country tossing pipe bombs at funerals because of what denomination of Christians they are. I am not saying it is right to think like that,I am just showing you where some of the hostility might becoming from
Fair enough, but in Ireland's defense, I really don't think that's an issue anymore.

Not just the roads, the courtyards, the shop fronts, and the parks, the parking lots too.

The US is a pretty bleak place when you get right down to it.
I don't agree with that assessment. At all, actually. Now, that's not to say that poor areas don't exist, but where I live - well, let's just suffice it to say that we have beautiful shop fronts, parks, and facilities. I mean, hell - I've been all over this country, and what you're talking about here hasn't been my experience.

I'd be willing to bet on it.

Fair enough, but in Ireland's defense, I really don't think that's an issue anymore.

Just because the blacks in the south dont have to go to the back of the bus doesnt mean racism isnt an issue either.

When I was a kid,my friend and I went and watched the funeral of an IRA man who had been killed,cant remember how,anyway.

As we werent supposed to go,we stood some distance away watching. As the courtege passed a parked car,the car exploded,the coffin disintegrated and the corpse flew in all directions,this ball of flame came bouncing down the street past my friend and I,turned out to be a bearers head,one of them moments you never forget,3 killed that day.

PS. Why would I want to pretend Im somewhere that Im not?

I don't agree with that assessment. At all, actually. Now, that's not to say that poor areas don't exist, but where I live - well, let's just suffice it to say that we have beautiful shop fronts, parks, and facilities. I mean, hell - I've been all over this country, and what you're talking about here hasn't been my experience.
I used to think so, until I saw this (http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/121) video and realized what we were missing out on.

What are the main run down areas,inner city.

PS. Why would I want to pretend Im somewhere that Im not?

I never implied you were lieing... your spoke harshly about the US,from another country and was wondering why you were getting some backlash.I tried to explain a few reasons why you might of riled some of the American posters up.

When I was 19 i heard Gerry Adams speak at a community college for a school assignment.He seemed very sincere as to what he wanted for the Irish,yet at the same time he reminded me of a present day Hugo Chavez. The IRA seems for the better part of two years been holding true to their vow of getting their results with political and peacefully ways. I personally dont care if your from Mars...If you are I was wondering if you ever met lungdop at an "in and out burger"

No probs LF, I think marsians are the only Immigrants who havnt come here of late,maybe they're the tourists I mistake for Japanese,anyway.

Gerry Adams lives a couple of miles from me,personally I think he's a dick,but there ya go.

I do have some strong views about the US,more about its Foreign Policy,as for the domestic stuff,Im learning here everyday.

dick as a neighbor or dick as a figurehead of a defunct branch of an army?

All 3 sound good.

What are the main run down areas,inner city.
Well, any area will get blighted and then renewed, even the inner city, but what I was referring to was the bleak desolation of much of America's suburbs and cities. Not so much run down, just space used very poorly. Parking lots as big or bigger than the stores they serve, the dearth of good running and biking paths, the hostile attitudes of city planners towards pedestrians in general.

Well, any area will get blighted and then renewed, even the inner city, but what I was referring to was the bleak desolation of much of America's suburbs and cities. Not so much run down, just space used very poorly. Parking lots as big or bigger than the stores they serve, the dearth of good running and biking paths, the hostile attitudes of city planners towards pedestrians in general.
Okay - well that make more sense to me.

Fuck,theyd kill for more parking spaces in this country.
The roads arent that bad,there has been big investment there,also they are tarmac covered.
Rail is like a third world system.
Airlines,you can get out of this dump every five minutes, no probs.
Sewage system is victorian,tho some investment is being done now.
Dams,fuck knows.

Be careful what you wish for, paul, you might change your mind when you realize just how ugly all those big box retailers make your landscape. You find that parking space is at a premium no matter how much of it is available. So the lots just keep getting bigger and bigger until they swallow you up whole. Retailers hate it when people use their parking lots for reasons other than spending money in their stores. So you have Target and it's huge lot, then across the street you have Best Buy with a parking lot just as big. Course, that's suburbia where the land and gas is much cheaper. But urban areas aren't much better, where you have to pay half a week's groceries for one person to park for a few hours in one of the ubiquitous paid lots.

Our rail is like a third world system too. Is it too much to ask to require all retailers over a certain footprint to put their parking garages underneath their stores? And to turn parking into a municipal problem, instead of a profiteering clusterfuck?

Well,being a small country,land is at a premium,and planning is very tough.
In Dublin,they built the LUAS,which is a tram car system for downtown,seem to be very trendy in cities these days,and ofcourse Dublin has no subway.

The Dublin Port Tunnel did open last year,eventually,along with the new motorway heading north,which eases traffic in that city,whic is cronic at the best of times.
The new road is being linked up to the motorway system in the north,the bit overlapping the border was put off for a long time,due to the conflict,but you should be able to get from Dublin to Belfast in about an hour and a half. Most goods wagons coming into Ireland go thru Belfast from UK ships.

This country hasn't even been a COUNTRY as long as some bridges have existed in Europe!

One bridge fails and all of a sudden we're crumbling.

Not saying the whole list is hype, but the rails, roads, schools require and get constant attention... and the drinking water is the safest in the world. Nothing 'crumbling' about that.

Just so much BS, for sure.

;)
SMW


I don't think paul was comparing US and Europe. When did we start comparing ours standards to another country? If we need an upgrade, then we need an upgrade, regardless of if we are better or worse than Europe, Japan, or whatever...

I don't think paul was comparing US and Europe. When did we start comparing ours standards to another country? If we need an upgrade, then we need an upgrade, regardless of if we are better or worse than Europe, Japan, or whatever...

Well said... I dont care whoes bridges are better or worse... i just want the fucker to still be there while i am crossing it.. fuck comparing..

Well said... I dont care whoes bridges are better or worse... i just want the fucker to still be there while i am crossing it.. fuck comparing..
Oh so true.

good. crumble away. then maybe all these spoiled brats who don't belong in west virginia will move back to the flatlands where they came from.

Yeah!!!! :mad: :rolleyes:

What are the main run down areas,inner city.
You know, Paul - we were talking about movies (films, as you people say), and being that for the most part, they'll showcase a city here in the states, I've got a recommendation if you wanna see an excellent depiction of what Chicago looks like during the winter months; it's directed by Gore Verbinski (of Pirates of the Caribbean fame) and it stars Nicolas Cage - "The Weather Man". I enjoyed it, although it received mixed reviews. It’s a very honest film, and for that, I loved it. Check it out if you want.

While I can't speak for every single inner city in America, Cleveland is absolutely garbage. Segregated, (where I live it's about 80% white, I can drive 5 miles east and it's 70% black) ridiculously poor, (33% in poverty) property isn't worth shit...

Well, that's what you get with older industrial cities. At least you have Detroit beat. Chicago rules, but I digress. ;)

Yeah seen 'weatherman' while back.
The cold there would kill me.

I saw Weatherman. I didn't really like it. Isn't that the one where his daughter always had a camel toe??

I saw Weatherman. I didn't really like it. Isn't that the one where his daughter always had a camel toe??
Is that all you took out of it??? That's pathetic.

On the ball very early today mac,what gives

Paul,

Your thread title was purposely provocative and then you seemed to have a problem with the people you provoked.

Yes, American infrastructure has problems. Some of these problems need to be addressed in a more timely, more precise and more in depth manner. That is beginning to be done.

The problem is not uniquely American though and is basically endemic in all developed countries of the world.

Traffic congestion in our major cities is horrendous but it is the same in major European cities. London charges private automobiles eight pounds to drive into the central city in an attempt to lessen congestion. That is a huge price. New York City is proposing the same type charge at a lower rate.

Our airports are overcrowded not because they are poor airports but because more Americans can now afford to fly and are swamping facilities built for a population that did not have the money or the time to travel so extensively. At Chicago's O'Hare and New York's JFK and LaGuardia airports 35% of the planes have delayed takeoffs. The problem comes about because of increased air traffic and something is being done about it. Smaller, regional airports like Long Island MacArthur airport are being upgraded. New jet planes able to land and take off on shorter runways are being developed. A plan is in its initial stages to imstitute fees based on time of flight.

Our bridges have been sorely neglected but that is changing. Standards are being tightened, inspections are being fast paced and repairs are being made.

While our roadways are not a perfect as we would wish they are still the best in the entire world. We are the only large nation where it is possible to drive more than 1,000 miles without seeing a single traffic light. I have driven a distance of 1,300 mile with fewer than ten traffic lights during the entire trip on roads where the average car was driving over 75MPH. The roads rival autobahn which I have also driven.

Water in the United States is better tasting and safer than water in almost any other place in the world. It has to meet very high safety standards.

I have traveled fairly extensively and can say without fear of contradiction that our infrastructure is at least as good as that in the rest of the developed world. Congestion in our major cities comes nowhere near that of Rome or London, our roads are far better than any found in Italy, the people in our slums live better lives than those in Palermo and there is less racial tension than in Marsielles or Berlin.

Your right about the provocative headline,its an eye catcher,I am only going by what the Engineers were saying Frogger.
I find it amazing that you can drive 1300 miles anywhere,coming from a country 350 miles long and 250 miles wide,thats like me driving to Southern Spain or Portugal.
Im glad to hear that congestion is not as bad in US as in Europe,I lived in London and know what you mean,on a positive note,if any country can sort out this type of problem,its the United States.

I'm going to be in your city on the third and fourth of this next month. What do you recommend I see?

I was thinking of ditching the tour group I am with, hopping on one of those double decker hop on, hop off buses and doing the sights; Tower of London, Tower Bridge, London Bridge, Big Ben, Hyde Park, Globe Theater, Big Eye, stuff like that.

Any good, cheap places to eat lunch? I just purchased some pounds and got about eighty six of them for two hundred dollars. The exchange rate really sucks at present. I did better on Euros and figure I will do better picking up Swiss francs from an ATM in Switzerland.

I'm going to be in your city on the third and fourth of this next month. What do you recommend I see?

I was thinking of ditching the tour group I am with, hopping on one of those double decker hop on, hop off buses and doing the sights; Tower of London, Tower Bridge, London Bridge, Big Ben, Hyde Park, Globe Theater, Big Eye, stuff like that.

Any good, cheap places to eat lunch? I just purchased some pounds and got about eighty six of them for two hundred dollars. The exchange rate really sucks at present. I did better on Euros and figure I will do better picking up Swiss francs from an ATM in Switzerland.
Shit Frogger,I lived in London twenty odd years ago,tho that said.
Yes you can get a London Transport Day Ticket,which allows you on the Bus and tube all day.
Dont know about eatig,but sightseeing hmmm,
The Imperial War Museum is in Lambeth,not far from Westminster,just across the river,tho I dont think you can get a tube,some interesting military stuff.

The Tate Gallery is worth a visit,excellent paintings.Not far from Westminster,same side of river.

I hear the London Eye is a rip off.

If you fancy a sketch,get the tube to Green Park,there used to be street artists who would do a drawing or portrait reasonable price,very talented guys.

London Bridge and Tower of London are beside each other,so thats handy.