Originally Posted by ABoyNamedSue

Ah, but you CAN justify inaction, when there's money to be spent elsewhere.

Case in point...in Missouri, our bridges are crumbling. However...
a) our schools are terribly underfunded
b) thousands of folks were devastated by the recent flooding
c) our law enforcement is underfunded
d) our farmers are still reeling from droughts from the last two years.

Now, here's the catch...we only have about 5 or 6 "major" cities in the state. Our average income is probably close to the poverty level in New York City. We simply can not generate the same amount of revenue as an east coast state can.

So...does Missouri still spend those billions of dollars for fixing those crumbling bridges, or do they tackle the other four problems? Remember...there's only so much money to go around. You can't raise taxes, because that would hurt too many folks in this state, because of the lower average wage. Do you fix that infrastructure, and risk a teachers' union strike, or a farmers' revolt? Do you allow your law enforcement to go underfunded, and watch crime skyrocket in your major cities?

Welcome to "Government 101." It ain't as easy as you think it is.