America's Highways in a State of Disrepair

We sure have some messed up highways in this country. Lets look at some of them for a moment shall we? How about the NYC Toll Ways? But to be fair the 101 and 118 in California are about as bad ever since the North ridge Earth Quake and they are freeways. Also the I-10 East of Houston all the way to Lake Charles, LA are utterly horrendous. The I-20 and I-30 Freeways in Arkansas are a fine how do you do to travelers and the Wal-Mart trucks.

There is no excuse for such roads in such a modernized country and definitely not for the United States of America, with the largest economy by 5 times the number two player. To even think this might be acceptable only proves that some have never known any better, meaning this lackadaisical attitude in these places and agreement to live in mediocrity has gone on for generations. Surely we can fix the roads and prevent equipment failure for a smooth transportation flow.

In these areas mentioned we see the traffic is very bad due to people slowing down to 35 miles per hour in places to negotiate the potholes, ripples in the road and constant bumps. The current bidding process for road projects is also flawed due to the mandated minority bidding requirements. The HUB process is also flawed and the entire idea of minority bidding quotas is a politically correct notion, which is incorrect thinking. In fact it has become used and abused and fails to even come close to providing minority businesses with opportunity. The theory was ill though and now the public pays for it over and over again with projects, which are in default of contract, take extra months and years to complete and are awarded to those who cannot perform and have little track record of ever performing.

All these delays cause a restriction of flow, artificial choke points, continuous detours and costs to companies which are passed onto the consumers like an additional tax on society. After the North Ridge Earth Quake there was a company who hired a black guy to be the minority bidder, gave him title of President had him drive around in a pick-up truck which said supervisor, yet he had no more to do with the project than name and of course a high pay check. Turns out there were no black businessman for that bidders type of contract except this guy who could not do it, so he hired out the larger and more experienced construction company. This hardly seems right. No one ever talks about this stuff, but it happens every day in government contracts all over America all in the interest of political correctness. It is a waste of money and rewards mediocrity. The best person should get the job regardless of race or color. So much is at stake in our infrastructure for transportation in America it requires reality based thinking, not political correctness without consideration of performance risks.

Lets stay reality based and fix the roads, without all the BS and Politically Correctness. America does not deserve potholes. Think about it.

Lance Winslow - EzineArticles Expert Author

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