Third World America - Arianna Huffington [101]
50 By the year 2000, each day, 3.5 million: Nick Paumgarten, “There and Back Again: The Soul of the Commuter,” 16 Apr. 2007, www.newyorker.com.
51 One in eight workers—17.5 million Americans: Hope Yen, “Recession’s Impact: Census Data Show Longer Commutes, Delayed Marriage, Fewer Immigrants,” Associated Press, 21 Sep. 2009.
52 Robert Putnam, a Harvard political scientist: Nick Paumgarten, “There and Back Again: The Soul of the Commuter,” 16 Apr. 2007, www.newyorker.com.
53 A study by Swiss economists: Alois Stutzer and Bruno S. Frey, “Stress That Doesn’t Pay: The Commuting Paradox,” Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA), Discussion Paper No. 1278, Aug. 2004, www.iew.unizh.ch
54 America’s railway system is speeding down the tracks: Tom Vanderbilt, “Stop This Train!” 15 May 2009, www.slate.com.
55 At the moment, the only high-speed train: Chris Dolmetsch, “Amtrak Cuts Acela Train Fares to Attract More Leisure Travelers,” 17 Feb. 2009, www.bloomberg.com.
56 While in theory the trains: Nicole C. Wong, “Will Stimulus Funds Put Rail on the Fast Track?” 25 Feb. 2009, www.bostonglobe.com.
57 Meanwhile, countries such as Japan, France, and Italy: Mark Reutler, “How America Led, and Lost, the High-Speed Rail Race,” 31 Mar. 2010, www.progressivefix.com.
58 For example, the six-hundred-mile ride: Randy James, “A Brief History of High-Speed Rail,” 20 Apr. 2010, www.time.com.
59 The stimulus bill included $8 billion: “Obama Wants Nationwide High-Speed Rail System,” 28 Jan. 2010, www.cnn.com.
60 $1.25 billion going to a high-speed rail corridor: Michael Cooper, “Stimulus Plan for Rail Line Shows System of Weak Links,” 22 Mar. 2010, www.nytimes.com.
61 Of course, high-speed rail systems: Matt Van Hattem, “High Speed Rail in the Northeast: Beyond the Corridor, Slow Trains Get Some Help,” Trains Magazine, 28 Jan. 2010, www.trains.com.
62 So while this new investment is a start: Tom Vanderbilt, “Stop This Train!” 15 May 2009, www.slate.com.
63 According to the Department of Transportation: American Society of Civil Engineers, “America’s Infrastructure Report Card for 2009: Bridges,” 2009, www.infrastructurereportcard.org.
64 The problem is pretty basic: The average bridge: Ibid.
65 It was May 2002, and Webbers Falls: Tim Tally, “Up to 12 Feared Dead in Bridge Collapse,” 27 May 2002, www.bgdailynews.com.
66 Down in the river, towboat captain William Joe Dedmon: Magnolia Marine Transport Company v. State of Oklahoma, U.S. Court of Appeals (10th Cir. 2004).
67 Up above, a six-hundred-foot section: “Divers Find 3 Victims from Bridge Collapse,” 27 May 2002, www.cnn.com.
68 In an instant, the Arkansas River turned: Kris Glenn, “Oklahoma Faces Bridge Tragedy,” 29 May 2002, www.oudaily.com.
69 “Officials set up a morgue inside city hall”: Tim Tally, “Up to 12 Feared Dead in Bridge Collapse,” 27 May 2002, www.bgdailynews.com.
70 Indeed, the state had the dubious distinction: Justin Juozapavicius, “Nearly a Quarter of Oklahoma Bridges Need Overhaul or Replacement,” Associated Press, 25 May 2008.
71 In August 2007, the Interstate 35W: Steve Karnowski, “Contractor Settles with State in 35W Bridge Collapse,” 19 Mar. 2010, http://minnesota.publicradio.org.
72 The bridge had been inspected: Elizabeth Stawicki, “Why Did the Bridge Collapse?” 2 Aug. 2007, http://minnesota.publicradio.org.
73 On March 16, 2006, the Ka Loko Dam in Kilauea, Hawaii: Craig Gima, “Ka Loko Settlement Is Reached,” 30 Oct. 2009, www.starbulletin.com.
74 The breach created an ecological disaster: Diane Leone, “State Keeps Eye on Dams,” 16 Mar. 2006, www.starbulletin.com.
75 According to Hawaii congresswoman Mazie Hirono, it was not: Joint Hearing on National Levee and Dam Safety Programs, House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, 8 May 2007.
76 There are more than 85,000 dams in America: American Society of Civil Engineers, 2009 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, www.infrastructurereportcard.org.
77 It would take $12.5 billion over the next five years: Ibid.
78 Plus, of our 85,000 dams, the federal government regulates: Ibid.
79 In 2007,