Why Obama can't save infrastructure

The author argues for the privatization of infrastructures.

American transportation system is now in desperate need of costly repairs but the political leaders cannot agree on how to pay for them. President Obama just proposed $556 billion in new infrastructure spending over the next six years, including money for road and bridge repair, high-speed rail development, and the formation of a National Infrastructure Bank.
Traditionally, spending on transportation infrastructure was paid for by increasing gas taxes, but today's GOP orthodoxy is to oppose all new revenue generators. Another solution is that state and municipal governments can partially privatize their infrastructure assets. The federal government is like a piggy-bank for local governments, and actual implementation and maintenance decisions should be made by local governments.

The article argues that it is time to get over the exception that the America's transportation infrastructure should be government-owned and operated. The reasons are, first, the current system isn't working and there is huge needs in funding for infrastructure. Second, it's counter-intuitive to think that a private investment firm wouldn't do everything in its power to make its transportation assets safe and efficient. And third, local governments have the ability to structure these leases any way they see fit. Infrastructure privatization provides a solution to the current standoff between Obama and House Republicans -- by providing for investment to repair and maintain existing infrastructure, without requiring tax increases or enabling parochial pork. There are also other benefits for infrastructure privatization: up-front payments for local governments to pay existing project debt and to fund other infrastructure needs.