I did a little bit of investigating (well, not that much…about 1 minutes worth!) in regards to the American Society of Civil Engineering’s (ASCE) report card that we have all come to love so much. Since it’s inception in 1988, there have been 5 complete report cards (at least that I have found) and one trend report. When growing up, I wonder if I brought home a report card this poorly, time and time again, if my parents would’ve awarded me with nice stimulus package? Ha. The only stimulus I would’ve received would have been to my backside from the likes of a wooden spoon!
Take a look:
1988
1998
2001
2003 Trend
2005
2009
CATEGORY
Aviation
B-
C-
D
↔
D+
D
Bridges
C+
C-
C
↔
C
C
Dams
N/A
D
D
↓
D
D
Drinking Water
B-
D
D
↓
D-
D-
Energy
N/A
N/A
D+
↓
D
D+
Hazardous Waste
D
D-
D+
↔
D
D
Navigable Waterways
N/A
N/A
D+
↓
D-
D-
Public Parks & Rec
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
C-
C-
Railways
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
C-
C-
Roads
C+
D-
D+
↓
D
D-
Schools
N/A
F
D-
↔
D
D
Solid Waste
C-
C-
C+
↔
C+
C+
Transit
C-
C-
C-
↓
D+
D
Wastewater
C
D+
D
↓
D-
D-
I know that if my kids came home with these grades one marking period, you would be darn sure you would see improvement the next. And then, as a parent, I would work with the teacher and school to learn the root of problem and then make the necessary changes that would breed long-term success. Finding short term solutions and putting a band-aid over the situation does not lead to good news down the road. Regarding our infrastructure, according to Wayne Klotz, ASCE President, we have been using band-aids, or what he refers to as the “patch-and-pray method” for too long:
I believe ASCE and its members to be an upstanding and successful organization with a lot to offer. But these thoughts have to cross your mind:
What would happen to the civil engineering industry if all these categories were given A’s & B’s?
Would funding for infrastructure projects disappear until lower grades were given?
And if that was the case, would ASCE be doing their members and the industry a dis-service, by reporting anything other than a crumbling infrastructure?
Would ASCE really mislead the government and the U.S citizens by being over-dramatic with their evaluation of the infrastructure in order to spend tax-payer money on civil engineering and infrastructure projects?
I would say, ‘probably not.’ Have you seen the news lately with the bridge collapses and the water main breaks? And of course there are all the roads and bridges and underground utilities that were built decades ago that were not meant to handle the capacity of today. Not to mention all the new environmental issues coming into play. There is an interesting point of view on this very topic that argues, though ASCE is a beneficial organization for issues like education and professional development, it is stepping out of its bounds by producing such abysmal reports and lobbying the U.S. Government for funding. To read this point of view check out this blog:
I realize that we have so much money invested in our troops in the Middle East, but with such bad report cards for over 10 years now and no apparent improvement, is ASCE not doing enough to get its point across? Or has our government just been pre-occupied with other issues? Will we likely see this same report card every four years just to keep building and re-building for the benefit of the civil engineering industry? Or are the roads and bridges and dams and airports really that bad? If by chance you do agree with the commentary from the blog that you can read via the link above, who do you believe then would be best suited to produce the Infrastructure Report Card?
What is your opinion?
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Tim Dickinson has written an excellent synopsis for Rolling Stone magazine on President Bush’s final legacy and good-bye gift to us for our future. The title is somewhat rough for some of you, so I won’t put it here, but I offer to you the link:
As it is expected that every outgoing president has implemented 11th hour regulations, “Bush is rolling them out at a record pace — nearly twice as many as Clinton, and five times more than Reagan.”
Here are just a FEW of his final goodbye gifts to all of us (with a few of my thoughts included!)…
Considering that my livelihood depends a great deal on infrastructure development, I read his last minute regulations with interest. “Under a rule submitted in November, federal agencies would no longer be required to have government scientists assess the impact on imperiled species before giving the go-ahead to logging, mining, drilling, highway building or other development.” I can’t say that I have ever described myself as a live or die environmentalists, but at 47, I find this unsettling at the least! You only need to read my earlier BLOG discussing my obsession with the movie “Soylent Green” to know that this is beyond worrisome!
Typical of the Bush presidency, he has made sure that the coal industry has no problems depositing their waste from mountaintop mining into streams and valleys. Additionally, he has lowered air pollution regulations near our national parks, permitted for nearly 2 million acres of lands for the mining of oil shale — “an energy-intensive process that also drains precious water resources” and he has deregulated farming pollution. He has circumvented the Clean Water Act and dismissed EPA leaders dissents. This is just more of his legacy he has solidified for his future grandchildren and yours.
The Rolling Stone article details so many other last minute, little front news regulations, that I am too troubled to even list them all!
All of us will be affected by his decisions. Involved in our industry, what do you think? Please comment!
