On Local Government
Why infrastructure matters Residents of the City of San Bruno thought that either an earthquake had occurred or a plane had crashed at nearby San Francisco Airport when their world was shaken by a natural gas explosion last week. At least seven people are dead and others still missing. One of the great frustrations for me during my eight years in public office in Redondo Beach was the inability to get anyone interested in the decaying infrastructure which was affecting our daily lives, and will affect it more so in the future. That’s because infrastructure is not sexy. Elected officials would rather get their names on plaques for buildings a community may or may not need than spend political capital on preventing sewer spills or explosions like the one that devastated San Bruno. Just look at all the volatile infrastructure we have around us. Refineries, power stations, airports, shipping facilities, sewage treatment, etc. all make for a potential lethal mix when the pipes that are carrying the stuff they produce or need to operate ages and fails. It is a time bomb. However, rare is the government entity that has in place a reasonable program for upgrading or replacing this…
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