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A simple solution is get rid of corruption and the unions who hijack the highway project funds.
You think the same thing doesn't happen in Europe? Why do you think France has transit strikes every two years? Imagine how much better their transit could be if they didn't have civil servants sucking so much money out of the system.
Kinda funny how there's so much disdain for Washington, DC and government largesse on C-D but yet such high regard for European welfare states.
Is the infrastructure in the United States really that bad?
For the distances it has to span, it's actually pretty good, in my opinion. Nothing like I-70 through Kansas or I-94 through Montana in Europe (outside of Russia, but that's mostly in Asia). Also, the climate is much harsher in most of the United States (except coastal California, Oregon, Washington, etc.) than in Europe, leading to premature wear. England is in the same USDA hardiness zone as Alabama, remember. Finally, when I see European roads (and I'm not talking about streets) they are usually much narrower than those in the states. They often lack shoulders, which enable bicyclists and others to use them safely. I saw a picture of one in Sweden - which had a fence dividing the two lanes - and it reminded me of the I-35 Duluth freeway when it is under construction, and the two roadways are combined into one road-way, a concrete barrier separating the two, and a resulting narrowing of the lane ... harrowing to drive on. I know some countries in northern and central Europe has plenty of bike lanes, but I think few exist in Italy or Spain.
You think the same thing doesn't happen in Europe? Why do you think France has transit strikes every two years? Imagine how much better their transit could be if they didn't have civil servants sucking so much money out of the system.
Kinda funny how there's so much disdain for Washington, DC and government largesse on C-D but yet such high regard for European welfare states.
I agree my ex once complained about the city wide strike in Paris when she could not take the subway to get around. I couldn't imagine NY doing this. There are many things (food, architecture, art, fast trains, bike lanes etc) I like about Europe but the smaller roads aren't as accommodating as ours. My girlfriend from England says our roads here are so much bigger and better with less speed cameras to boot. I would never want those kind of roads here as it would be a nightmare. As a trucker it would make my job even harder to get around in traffic.
Infrastructure means many different things....suspect suburban PaloAlto or suburban Dallas dwarfs anywhere on planet for infrastructure...much of why these are world's most economically productive and innovative regions
Compare std of living of equal-income worker of an Apple or Google or Exxon vs comparable worker at Daimler in Stuttgart or BMW in Munich (or Goldman in Manhattan)
Size of house, size of lot, is it new build w/modern HVAC?
What car can he afford to commute in daily?
Where is his suburban home vs his suburban office park?
Are his home/commuter car/office climate controlled, making him relatively immune to nasty cold/hot/wet weather?
Can he telecommute several days/wk, eliminating much silly daily commuting?
Can he shop for mundane stuff on amazon and avoid driving to a Luddite bricks-and-mortar retailer?
What's quality/convenience of local grocer/dining?
Alway amused by notion of long commutes and trains when world's most innovative region is SiliconValley, a classic car-centric, suburban sprawl region where many work/shop/learn online and traffic is some of fastest on planet largely b/c of these efficiencies of modern US suburban life...which also includes Internet and computers....and leafy suburbs w/big yards and decent nearby schools....and nearby corporate HQs
Cost of filling potholes on US roads is trivial....the tax dollars are largely diverted to fact we prob have world's highest paid cops/fire/teachers/prison guards/doctors/hc workers, etc, though w/no better outcomes than peers in Germany (the only other competent industrial economy on planet w/Japan a distant third)....and don't forget fuel in CA costs 50% of what fuel costs in Germany...and a new Mercedes in CA costs ~50% of what same model costs in Germany....no doubt could easily speed delimit CA fwys just like autobahns if we spent a few bucks to repave the roads (and would lose the costs of the useless CHP speed enfcmt meter maids)...and would increase productivity of taxpayers wanting to blitz to office or wherever faster w/o silly speed limits of 50yrs ago when cars were far less safe
The speed limit on US freeways is ridiculously low except for very few places like California, Nevada and Texas. In Washington it is 60 mph (97 km/h) almost everywhere and 70 mph (113 km/h) if you are in a rural area. It is 55 mph (89 km/h) in Oregon and 65 mph (105 km/h) in rural areas. It is the same in New Jersey. The speed limits should be at least 80 mph (129 km/h) everywhere. This is why it is a high speed road.
The speed limit on US freeways is ridiculously low except for very few places like California, Nevada and Texas. In Washington it is 60 mph (97 km/h) almost everywhere and 70 mph (113 km/h) if you are in a rural area. It is 55 mph (89 km/h) in Oregon and 65 mph (105 km/h) in rural areas. It is the same in New Jersey. The speed limits should be at least 80 mph (129 km/h) everywhere. This is why it is a high speed road.
I do remember the 75 mph speed limit in NV. My friend has told me that Montana has no speed limit after 7pm... don't know if that's still true or not.
Granted, the total tax wedge much lower for single parents with 2 or more children and one-coiuple earners with 2 children or more.
Thanks. I was just wondering because when I lived in Germany I paid like 10% income tax and I hardly know anyone who pays more than 25 and since the gross wage is higher than the American counterpart in many cases I didn't feel big of a difference compared to what I made in the US.
Also, if a German works in the US, he will only pay US taxes. If an American works in Germany, he will have to pay taxes to Germany AND USA...
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Can you post any sources?
I was just wondering because when I lived in Germany I paid like 10% income tax and I hardly know anyone who pays more than 25 and since the gross wage is higher than the American counterpart in many cases I didn't feel big of a difference compared to what I made in the US. 
