Exactly. The distinction between ‘public’ and ‘private’ doesn’t make a lot of sense when referring to infrastructure that is critical to everyone.

By the way, this has been going on a very long time–back in Reagan’s reign I used to say that ‘deferred maintenance’ was the operational philosophy of the administration. Things got a little better under Clinton (within the constraints of budget-balancing), and now they’re worse than ever–because the vastly greater corruption and costly foreign adventures that are the signature of this administration siphon off a lot more money from the budget.

That’s a good point. I should have been more clear about this when I said infrastructure is government’s responsibility. Certainly, if a private business owns and has sole use of a particular facility, certainly that business is responsible for upkeep. In the case of oil pipelines, there are two concerns that involve government. One is that companies are scrimping on inspection and maintenance of their own pipelines to improve quarterly earnings. I realize that in Conservative Land this doesn’t happen, because companies don’t do things that will hurt themselves in the long run, but in the real world companies sometimes — hell, often — make stupid decisions and defer costs until the absolute last minute. The executives are trying to maximize the quarterly profits by deferring cost and hoping the system won’t go completely to hell until after they retire. Thus, government inspectors and regulations — which conservative ideology says are evil — are necessary evils. This goes for larger pipelines that are owned and operated by consortiums.

The other concern is that oil pipeline maintenance is critical to national security. See this report from Senator Richard Lugar (R) about why this is a big deal.

Re hardware upkeep — I believe in the U.S. most airports are owned by cities, not private companies. And of course security and air traffic control are managed by federal employees. If you are talking about hardware upkeep on airplanes, I don’t consider airplanes to be infrastructure.

Regarding electricity, the big weakness in the system is in the electricity grid, and you can read here about how the deregulation so beloved by conservatives means no one is taking responsibility for maintaining the grid any more.

Also regarding energy, see this article on the Bush Administration’s new source review policy.

And of course many of the infrastructures I was thinking about, like bridges and subway tunnels, are owned and managed by government.

The point is that there isn’t a clear divide between private and public responsibility when it comes to infrastructure. The conservative fantasy that deregulation is always better than regulation, private is always better than public, and market forces will fix everything is nonsense. Most of the time there must either be very strict and rigorously enforced governmental regulation of infrastructure, or else the government runs the infrastructure. Neither of these options is palatable to the Right, however.

Roads, electricity, pipelines, ports etc. may or may not be owned by private companies. But infrastructure is almost always a “natural monopoly” and thus gov’t regulation is required. The Right has expropriated the term “free market capitalism” and applied it to something else entirely. “Free market” applies only when competition is possible.

I might be missing something here, but aren’t all these the fault of private business? Don’t get me wrong, I do believe infrastructure needs improvement, but isn’t a pipeline the responsibility of the oil company? Is hardware upkeep the government’s responsibilty or the airport’s? And I’m sure the spy agency doesn’t produce their own electricity, but buys it from a utility company.

If I am wrong on this, please tell me so and why.

I have long had an image of Bush: Bush is a lousy father who takes food off his family’s table [middle class decline], lets the house deteriorate [witness Katrina], and steals his kids’ savings [national debt] in order to run and play at ‘macho’ big-shot war games with his Republican gang buddies. Would he use income [tax $] to fix the faucet in the kitchen or repair the roof on the ‘house’ or save for his kid’s college? Nope, not when he loves to play king of the hill throwing tax breaks and inside contracts to his buddies.

As The Idiot likes to say: ‘Polertics has conseeeeeeeequinces…’ yep, when the RedAsses in the RedStates wake up one mornin’ and their water is undrinkable I’m sure O’Lielly and OxycotinBoy will blame in on ‘dem Libruls…’ Woan matter none as by that time it will be too, to late for Goober & Co. jes like it’s too, too late for folks in NOLA, ‘Bama and ‘Sippi.

Look Out! Here comes Ernesto!

The idea of taxation was invented for a reason but as long as some folks got da plasma TV and a case o’ beer dey ‘good to go…’

Amurkkka…land of the ignorant.

Whew….think I’ll kick back with 24 Hours and brewski….dis lurkin is ‘hard work’.