The infrastructure crisis

I was listening to the evening news bemoaning how bad the local infrastructure is and how we must spend billions repairing it.

My response:

1) What percentage of Americans last year died due to bridges collapsing under them?

2) What percentage of Americans died from last year from drinking contaminated drinking water or exposure to untreated sewage?

American infrastructure is decaying and needs maintenance. But so does all man-made things as soon as their exposed to the forces of nature and constant use. Just because something is old and worn looking, doesn’t mean it can’t preform it’s duties within engineered limits. We have to trust the science and continue to learn the limits of materials. We should only upgrade or replace infrastructure when science says it’s necessary or when demands on its use justify the change.