A city is properly concerned with infrastructure and the way it affects the environment. There is no doubt that the mayor and city council should be dealing with the rather boring issue of powerlines and roads and parks and their maintenance. However, politicians are driven by "sexy" issues, and repainting things is not sexy. It is easier for a politician to call for a new park than to call for repairing and old one. He shuffles the responsibility for the parks he creates to the Parks Department -- and then forces that department to build ever more new parks without one worry about the condition of the old parks. Plus there is the moral good that would come from repairing parks in poor neighborhoods, but he is driven to ignore poor neighborhoods because they don't contribute as much money to him as rich areas, and they tend to vote less.
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Cities should begin to examine the separation of the sewer systems from the drinking/bathing water systems. While it will be huge expense, involving, basically, installing a second set of pipes, because of the ever growing water shortages the reality is that it will become necessary. Better to start the thinking and planning of this now then to wait until the water shortages are intense. Another water waving measure would be to plant only local native plants in parks and along highways and in other public areas. Only in special botanical gardens should exotic species be planted by the city. This will be a water and maintenance saving measure. xxx |
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Cities should be moving the street lights to a solar powered system. The power could be generated at each light pole. The lights would go out a lot less. There would be less money spent on electricity. The use of solar power beginning here would only cause it to spread as it becaem cheaper to manufacture the components. XXX . |
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City buildings should move to solar power also. It would be a boost to that industry to have test and demonstraton sites. The city would save money. It would be better off environmentally for the city as a whole. This sort of infrastructure changes are costly in the beginning but more than pay for themselves over time. Since the city isn't going anywhere it only makes sense to get started right away. XXX . |
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No city can afford to skimp on bridges and similar infrastructure because of current budget shortfalls or other demands. Indeed, it is one reason that bridges should be moved off budget into an endowment plan. A bridge is permanent -- it will always need to be maintained, and painted. If it costs, say a million dollars to paint every few years then putting aside enough money to constantly provide these funds would be the best way. The money that is set aside would simply sit there forever, returning interest that can be used for the dedicated project it was set up for. No future taxpayers would have to worry about it. Indeed, taxes themselves can come down over the long run with endowment plans for infrastructure. Once sufficient money is put away to run the system then no more money would have to be added to the general fund to take care of the problem. The money would always be there, and instead of being a political choice it would be a technocratic decision. XXX . |
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Endowment funds are the best way for a city to move beyond the political infighting about the budget each year. Sure the fighting makes for great street theater -- but should cities be involved in solving practical problems? These funds would be stashed in save investments, even just a plain old savings account at a bank. There would be a program in the beginning to obtain doanations and some percentage of current revenues would have to be shifted to the fund. And the rules of the funds must be that the principal amounts cannot be touched. Even if it takes 20 or 30 years to slowly shift to this system it is still better to start today and get it done. Cities spend too much effort and money one allocating budget money each year, instead of actually getting projects done. XXX |
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