Does anyone else see this as a sign that the standard of living here in this country is trying to be lowered?
Yep.
Contra point of view,
I live in a rural area of Oklahoma where the County Commissioners want to get re-elected. They take a huge hunk of one-time grant money, pave country gravel roads so developers can make big money developing “estates” in the country without being in the city. (Rural development grants, rural water district grants, 911 terrorism grants for law enforcement funneled to Sherrif’s offices all makes this attractive and unrealisticaly lowers costs to the developers and county dwellers.)
There is NO WAY the commissioners can maintain the roads they pave. But they don’t care. Their real estate buddies get them re-elected and they all live happily. The developers could care less about how pot-holed the roads becomes after they sold all their new houses. (Except the road to their personal residence!)
I would far rather drive on a well maintained gravel road and put up with dust and rocks, than drive down one of these pot-holed paved monsters in the rain. It’s bad enough when you can SEE the potholes.
My view of government is that no matter what they build or start, needs to be sustainable with the expected revenue stream. These roads have no chance from the outset.
Just my opinion.
Oldplayer
“Does anyone else see this as a sign that the standard of living here in this country is trying to be lowered?”
I see it. Can anyone yet see how the last war will be fought with horses and bows and arrows and swords, according to the Bible?
All are demonstrative of democrat/union/statist policies in action. Civilization is fragile. These cities and states show that like 5th century Europe, civilization can retreat in the modern era as well.
The standard of living inside the Beltway is better than ever.