Dysfunction Is Still a Choice—And We’re All to Blame

Some saw one of my last posts (America, It Doesn’t Have to Suck This Much) as partisan—even though it never mentioned a party or president and was instead about the history of reform movements in the States. That’s telling: even when blame isn’t assigned, we assume it is. But the real story is bigger. The failure to get things done in America—from Washington to our own backyards—isn’t just a failure of politics. It’s a failure of all of us who keep electing leaders who let this happen.

Let’s look at the facts.

Infrastructure: A Nation of C Students—Sometimes Worse

America’s infrastructure just got a C and that’s considered progress. Aviation? D+. Roads? Nearly 40% are in poor or mediocre condition. Bridges, water systems, and public transit all show alarming signs of neglect. The American Society of Civil Engineers estimates we need $9.1 trillion in investments over the next decade just to catch up, but there’s a $3.7 trillion funding gap. This isn’t about one administration or party—it’s about decades of short-term thinking and patchwork fixes. If this were a student, we’d demand better grades. As citizens, shouldn’t we demand better infrastructure?

Big Promises, Small Results

Take electric vehicle charging. The Biden administration promised a massive buildout—$7.5 billion for 500,000 public EV chargers by 2030. Two years in, only a handful of stations are operational. This isn’t just red tape—it’s a system that struggles to deliver, no matter who’s in charge. It’s not just EVs: major initiatives in green energy, broadband, and housing suffer the same fate—grand plans, slow progress, and disappointing results. We have the ideas and the money. What we lack is execution.

Rebuilding After Disaster: Why So Slow?

In Los Angeles, after wildfires destroyed nearly 7,000 homes, only four rebuilding permits had been issued months later. Residents were told it took three months just to get the first permit. The system is slow, cumbersome, and resistant to change. This isn’t unique to California—after hurricanes, floods, and fires across the country, recovery is agonizingly slow. Bureaucracy, red tape, and a lack of clear leadership turn tragedy into frustration. We can do better—and we must.

Cost Overruns and Delays: The New Normal

The Southwest Light Rail project in Minnesota was supposed to open in 2023. Now, it’s delayed until 2027. The budget has ballooned from $1.25 billion to $2.86 billion. Officials say it’s 85% complete, but the delays and cost overruns have renewed calls for reform. This isn’t unique—it’s a national problem. From California’s high-speed rail to Boston’s Big Dig, American megaprojects routinely run years late and billions over budget. We’ve lost the ability to build big things efficiently, and it’s costing us more than just money—it’s costing us trust in our institutions.

The World Is Outbuilding Us—And Our Subways Show It

We used to be the country that built the impossible. Now, only two of the top 25 tallest buildings in the world are in the United States. We’re falling behind in transit, too. While we struggle to keep our aging subways running, other countries are building the future. Istanbul’s Marmaray Tunnel—an 8.5-mile rail tunnel under the Bosphorus Strait—was built in just four years and connects two continents. Cities across India and China are opening new metro lines at a pace we can’t match.

Meanwhile, our subways in New York and Boston are over a century old, plagued by outdated signals, crumbling infrastructure, and frequent delays. Other wealthy countries have modern, efficient, and clean metro systems. In America, we pay more for transit and get far less—fewer service hours, longer waits, and lower ridership. It’s time to stop patching up the past and start building for the future.

What Do Americans Want? What Do We Get?

On gun control, climate change, and raising the minimum wage, the vast majority of Americans want action. Polls consistently show strong support for background checks, climate action, and a higher federal minimum wage. Yet, in Congress, nothing happens. Nothing. And we accept that. Why? We should have a government “of the people, by the people, for the people.” That means listening to what Americans want, not what corporate interests and special interest groups want. Our democracy is supposed to respond to the people—not to the loudest lobbyists or the deepest pockets.

When Government Fails, We All Pay

Remember the disastrous launch of Healthcare.gov in 2013? The website crashed, delays were rampant, and the project was plagued by mismanagement and political pressure. It was a national embarrassment—and a symptom of a deeper problem: a government that struggles to deliver, even when the stakes are high. Every failure like this chips away at public trust and makes it harder to tackle the next big challenge.

Inefficiency and Corruption: Not Inevitable, But Tolerated

Government will always have some inefficiency. That’s the nature of large organizations. But why do we tolerate so much of it? Why do we accept dysfunction as the norm? Because we’ve stopped demanding better. We’ve let cynicism and apathy take over. We’ve forgotten that we, the people, are supposed to be in charge.

The Bottom Line

Dysfunction is a choice. It’s a choice made by both parties, by our leaders, and by us—the voters who keep re-electing them. If we want a government that works, we need to hold ourselves accountable, demand more from our leaders, and refuse to accept the status quo.

Let’s stop blaming “the other side” and start demanding better—from everyone.

We used to be the country that built the impossible. Now, we watch as other countries build the future while we patch up the past. It’s time to do better.