As hard as it is to get support for building major new infrastructure projects, it's even harder to get funding to maintain what we already have - but it's likely more important.
The price tag for 'deferred maintenance,' repairs to existing infrastructure (roads, bridges, buildings, pipes, et al) that are at least one year overdue, is NOT KNOWN. But, nobody in government doubts that the total spending required for deferred maintenance (and remember, this is spending that's overdue - assets are crumbling without this spending) is enormous.
We have to start figuring out how to address this issue, and how to fund it, immediately - it won't get better by itself. This article outlines some initial starting points for how to tackle it.
It is much sexier to build a bridge than to pay to maintain it. The same goes for all public infrastructure. Cash-strapped governments claim that they can’t afford the cost of maintenance so, whether they admit it or not, they take a chance on going without.
https://www.governing.com/equipt/defying-the-deferred-maintenance-dilemma.html
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