HOME
your socialist home on the internet
ABOUT US
who we are, our politics, and what we do
GET ACTIVE!
joining ysa, getting active locally, making a difference
NEWS & VIEWS
articles, fliers, statements and opinions
THEORY
what is socialism, reading lists and study guides
CONTACT US
our email, snail mail, phone number and club directory
LINKS
socialist, youth, activist, labor, feminist, anti-racist, and other important sites
WHAT'S NEW
listing of what's been recently added
lessons from the blackout
Power Failure Highlights Continuing Deterioration of American
Infrastructure
NEW YORK—At the time of this writing, the cause of the blackout of Aug.
14
is still the subject of speculation. The blackout itself, however,
which
affected 50 million people throughout the Northeast, is a graphic
illustration of the precarious and worsening state of the entire
infrastructure of this country under present-day capitalism.
The big problem with infrastructure projects under capitalism is that,
generally speaking, they’re not very profitable (if at all). Things
like
bridges, dams, and roads rarely pay for themselves in bottom-line
terms,
except for construction companies (often a onetime situation).
Even potentially profitable projects like electrical utilities and
power
plants are highly capital intensive, especially in a situation of
ever-increasing demand requiring ever-increasing capacity. Mounting
investments in this area, however, can cut into profits. As
non-commodities,
infrastructure projects don’t have the turnover frequency needed for
the
high rates of profit that capitalists seek.
As a result, expenditures for actual infrastructure building tend to
get
pushed onto the shoulders of various levels of government, while
capitalist
corporations look for ways to reap profits from the finished projects.
An
prime example of this was Enron, which was an “energy” company which
produced no energy and owned no power plants, but “sold” energy back
and
forth between states, gaining large profits with virtually no overhead.
This poses a continuing danger for working people, who need
infrastructure
as basic objects of use. As government revenues shrink through
corporate
welfare or get redirected elsewhere (for example, for the war machine),
and
corporations increasingly seek to invest only to play a parasitic role,
needed infrastructure is neglected. That which exists is allowed to
decay,
while new construction for future (and often present) needs is
neglected.
The result is a continually deteriorating situation which will lead to
tragic consequences.
The 2001 infrastructure report card of the American Society of Civil
Engineers included the following findings: One third of major roads in
the
United States are in poor or mediocre shape; 29 percent of bridges are
deficient or functionally obsolete; 75 percent of school buildings are
inadequate.
There are annual investment shortfalls of $11 billion for drinking
water,
and $12 billion for wastewater; 2100 dams are unsafe and there is a $38
billion navigable waterway project backlog.
More than 10,000 megawatts of new electric capacity will be needed
annually
until 2008, compared to 7000 added annually in the 1990s. There will be
a
total five-year infrastructure investment need of $1.3 trillion
(coincidentally, the same amount the rich will get from President Bush
through his tax cut).
As can be seen, our country is literally falling apart around us. So,
what
can be done? Socialists, as part of a program of putting human needs
first,
advocate the following measures:
1) A massive jobs program to repair old and build new infrastructure.
This
would also help to end unemployment. The program would be federally
funded
at prevailing union wages.
2) Develop a national plan to be drawn up to determine new
infrastructural
needs in order to have new capacity available when it’s needed.
3) Government ownership of utilities, under workers’ control.
4) Invest in alternative, renewable energy sources (which are less
vulnerable to failure). Replace the country’s coal-fired and nuclear
plants,
as well as environmentally destructive hydroelectric dams, with smaller
non-polluting facilities that are close to the areas they serve.
5) Repeal the tax give-away to the rich. Reinstitute a sharply
progressive
income tax, with no taxes to be paid for incomes under $100,000 per
year.
Reinstate the capital gains tax and an increase in corporate taxes.
This
would pay for the previous points.
6) End the military war budget. Withdraw all troops from overseas. Use
the
troops as part of the labor force on the infrastructure repair and
construction projects.
7) Curtail suburban sprawl and the despoilation of natural areas and
farmland, which adds to infrastructure needs while making repairs more
difficult. Focus on rebuilding the inner cities and, when necessary, on
building new mini-urban concentrations linked by mass transit—instead
of
extensive areas requiring more and more roadways.
These actions would be a means to preserve and improve facilities that
all
working people need, and to avoid future catastrophes that are waiting
to
happen. This plan should be taken up by unions, community groups, and
others
as part of the fight for a better life.
The article above was written by Gerry Fiorri
