[Porsche-O-Phile]

Two words: "deferred maintenance"

In other words politicians have put off maintaining infrastructure (see also "kicking the can down the road") so they could spend the money that should have been spent on such things (and often involves misappropriation of funds earmarked for those things in the first place) on more visible vote-buying schemes and pork projects targeted at groups most likely to vote for them as a result.

The whole system is so inanely corrupt. We desperately need an across-the-board, lifetime limit on government service which would solve most if not all these sorts of problems. I propose a lifetime max. of 20 years of government service in any capacity - appointed, elected or hired. Exception for military service only. Applies to federal, state and local - once you've done 20 years in any capacity, that's it - you're done. Go get a real job in the private sector.