Infrastructure in danger from GOP obstructionists

President Barack Obama's attempts to pass legislation to rebuild our nation's crumbling infrastructure have met obstruction from Republicans in Congress.

These "antis" either claim they are being prudent or they want to hold Obama's plans hostage so they can pass their own often-egregious legislation.

After the Great Depression, billions of dollars were spent on sewer and water systems, schools, parks and other public works projects. Those programs were financed with taxpayer money providing jobs for struggling Americans while at the same time developing our nation's needed infrastructure.

President Dwight Eisenhower was instrumental in building the interstate highway system. Originally developed as "defense highways" planned to move men and equipment in case of war, this transportation system has been vital to the development of our modern economy.

The hundreds of billions of dollars thus invested has been instrumental in the development of the present economy of our nation.

Now these vital entities are showing their age and need to be repaired, replaced, or expanded. These projects are being blocked by Republicans in Congress in the name of "fiscal responsibility."

All Americans have been benefiting from the investment of previous generations, but some in power don't want to do their share (read: pay taxes) to repair and rebuild that same infrastructure.

Today's corporations and individuals use and are dependent upon our highways, sewer and water systems. They are in a sense "mining" the investments made by past Americans while refusing to make their own contributions toward repairing and replacing what is already here and building new facilities for the future.

I wonder if these refuseniks have plans to go to another planet when a crumbling infrastructure makes this one uninhabitable. I have the same question of the climate change deniers.

Karen Wagner

Rolling Meadows