Two not so disparate events happened last week on opposite endsof the country. First, the President speaking from the White Houseproposed a $50 billion program to create jobs throughinfrastructure funding. A few days later a 50-year-old gasmain ruptured in a community south of San Francisco destroying anentire neighborhood. The Obama proposal received lukewarmattention, especially from folks who oppose more governmentspending, while the explosion horrified anyone with gas linesrunning near their homes—many of us. While we shouldn’t panic overSan Bruno-style gas main ruptures coming to a town near you, thetragedy once again red flags the country’s looming infrastructurecrisis—old and inadequate systems face breakdowns, which not onlyimpact economic competitiveness, but lead to direconsequences.

Obama’s latest infrastructure proposal basically comprisesanother round of stimulus spending for ad hoc projects to fixroads, expand mass transit, and build new airport runways inCongressional districts spread from coast to coast. It wouldtemporarily boost public sector construction work, but is a drop inthe bucket given the trillion dollars plus necessary to make a dentin remediating and updating the nation’s ageing systems. And itdoes nothing to address the country’s long-term needs for the21^st century, including creating interconnected,multi-modal regional transport networks serving our primaryeconomic hubs, a new electric grid to replace the currentDepression era system, and regional-multi-state water plans toensure our major metropolitan areas have enough clean water tosustain future growth. After last week, now let’s add rustingunderground gas mains to dilapidated sewage treatment plants andwater lines in need of repair.

The President’s timid program reflects the country’s inabilityto confront its ebbing competitive status. Stuck in our severe debthole, we’re paralyzed as slowly, inevitably systems breakdown—thevery systems we depend on for transportation and basic lifeneeds—water, heat, and electricity. We suffer a levee breach here,a bridge or overpass closing there. A water main bursts floodingout a street, the local treatment plant overflows into the riverclosing beaches. Severe thunderstorms in Atlanta or New York backup flights around the country. And come to think of it, the commuteinto work seems to take longer and longer year after year.