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I am continually disappointed by the lack of intellectual curiosity shown by the news media about infrastructure investment. @MorningEdition @ayesharascoe @NPRinskeep @nprgreene @rachelnpr 1/9
This morning, another story about how Democrats and Republicans agree that they’d love more money to “rebuild the nation’s infrastructure.” But no questioning about whether that is how federal money is currently used. 2/9
Some questions that a good reporter would ask: Have the hundreds of billions of dollars spent over the last decade improved the condition of infrastructure? How much was spent to build new infrastructure? What is the plan to maintain it? 3/9
If more money goes into the program, would Congress and the President require it to be used for repair? Or would they give transportation agencies the flexibility to build more roads while letting existing ones fall into further disrepair? 4/9
Will this money be spent to connect people to jobs and services? Or will it, like many projects have, create barriers to short trips and force more people into cars and into longer trips? Or block them from work and needs all together? 5/9
Will this funding make the roads safer? Or will they continue to get more dangerous for the most vulnerable users (those outside of a car)? 6/9 smartgrowthamerica.org/dangerous-by-d…
The press has never covered substance in infrastructure in my 20 years on the issue – just spending. 7/9
When there were earmarks, the press reported on the number, not if they were good projects. Some were great projects that couldn’t get funding elsewhere. Some non-earmark money was spent terribly and got no attention at all. 8/9
Stop asking if the parties can agree to be excited about spending more money. We know the answer to that question. Start asking what they will actually do with it! @MorningEdition @ayesharascoe @NPRinskeep @nprgreene @rachelnpr 9/9
