By Nate Jackson When a puddle pulls down a power pole, we’ve got problems.
On 15th Ave in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle, a power pole finally fell to the ground after what neighbors called a “perma-puddle” eroded its core.
The pole literally rotted from the inside out. Even though inspections supposedly happen on a routine basis, the pole plummeted. Luckily, no one was hurt, but this pole problem shows how far politicians have let our infrastructure sink.
When something as basic as a power line falls to the ground because of a puddle, we have work that needs doing--and we need the work.
Infrastructure is the backbone of any working economy. It’s workers building roads, bridges, water-treatment plants and monitoring power lines. It’s teachers educating our kids and health care workers providing quality healthcare to their patients. When infrastructure is built, repaired and maintained we build a stronger, fairer economy where people have good jobs and a better future.
State, federal and local politicians have not invested in the work that is necessary for our everyday lives. They’ve allowed schools to crumble, roads to shred and hospitals to kick out patients because they’ve decided that banks and CEOs deserve tax handouts more than funding these good jobs and services we need. That’s not right and we should show them where their priorities should be.
There is so much work to be done, but they slip under the radar. We’ve all seen rusted swing sets and cracked pavement. We’ve seen potholes, homeless camping on the sides of freeways, foreclosed homes, overcrowded unemployment offices and patients denied because the hours of hospital staff have been cut. Let’s shine a light on these problems. We can tell our elected officials about the work that needs doing by snapping a photo and telling the story.
We need to rebuild this economy and the best way to do it is for us to get back to work. There is work that is needed and we have the skills to do that work. What we need is for politicians and greedy CEOs to stop scratching each other’s backs and instead invest in the real “engine of economic growth”--the workers.
No more power poles crashing to the ground. No more bonuses. No more tax cuts. Invest in our bridges, roads and schools. Invest in good jobs.