A recent report showed unexpectedly slow job growth over the summer, raising the odds of a stall in the already sluggish U.S. economic recovery. While this in itself is disappointing, the even greater disappointment is the failure to do anything about it, particularly when there’s an obvious and costless solution: borrow hundreds of billions of dollars for essentially nothing and spend it on our nation’s crumbling infrastructure. Doing so would boost gross domestic product (GDP) by far more than it costs and create hundreds of thousands of jobs.

While interest rates remain near zero would be a great time to invest in United States infrastructure. The cost of tax payers would in fact be very low and the return on investment of infrastructure upgrade would more than pay for costs. And, as Fortune says, such an effort would create hundreds of thousands of new jobs!

An Ounce of Prevention

The old saying is that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Fortune says that there are more than 240,000 water main breaks in the US every year. US rail congestion costs US farmers up to half a billion a year due to rail delays. With the average age of US bridges and roads around 45 years it is time for an upgrade across the board. CBS News reports on the storms and floods in South Carolina and asks if the US is ready for more extreme weather as its infrastructure crumbles.

The “thousand year” flooding and dam failures in South Carolina highlight a growing concern: Is America’s infrastructure – such as bridges, dams, highways, and levees – designed to withstand what many scientists predict will be a greater frequency of increasingly powerful storms?

With infrastructure essentially a tax free investment (for taxpayers) it is time to invest in United State infrastructure.

Where Are the Profits for Investors?

When the US congress finally wakes up and addresses this issue, where are the profits for investors? A basic necessity is drinking water. America Blog thinks that as water infrastructure crumbles water privatization is likely.

For many years there has been an organized effort by private actors to move America’s water systems towards privatization.
Some of the biggest players advocating for water privatization in the U.S. are corporate advocacy groups.

Other cheerleaders for the initiative include the poster-boys for the 1%, the billionaire Koch Brothers – who, in 1980, called for “the privatization of the inland waterways, and of the distribution system that brings water to industry, agriculture and households,” along with practically every other major infrastructural element of American society.

Over the years, a plurality of Koch-related organizations have pushed water privatization as part of a wider agenda of supposedly “libertarian” policies.

Although there are many concerns about privatizing water supplies it may be the way of the future if there is no government resolve for a wide ranging tax free investment in United States infrastructure. This may be the investor’s way to profit from government ineptness.

Tax Free Investment: United States Infrastructure PPT

Transportation, the Interstate Highway System, and the United States Infrastructure

All infrastructures, transportation included, need maintenance and replacement. The United States transportation system is no exception. The initial components of the United States Interstate system are sixty years old. It was championed by President Eisenhower who experienced a pre-interstate trip of several weeks by military truck convoy from the East to West Coast in 1921. The United States rail system dates back to the 19th century. Some bridges, like the one in Minneapolis, are falling down.

An efficient transportation system not only benefits the nation, but creates and maintains jobs. Hydroelectric dams provide non-polluting electricity. Mass transit systems save time, energy, and urban space. Modern, well maintained, electrical grids provide the electricity that modern life depends upon without perpetual brownouts.

Fiber optic, as well as old copper wire, telecommunications infrastructure have changed the speed of world communication. United States competitiveness depends upon continuing updates and maintenance to its infrastructure.

The Economic Crisis, Politics, and Long Term Investing in the United States Infrastructure

Over the years much needed updating and maintenance of the United States infrastructure went begging as tax breaks were handed out or money went for military spending and other hot issues of the day.

However, the dismal economy and the need to get people back to work are the issues of today and politicians want to be seen dealing with these issues. An possible ideal solution already being proposed by the Obama transition team will focus on the rebuilding of the United States infrastructure.

Long Term Investment in Companies Involved in Infrastructure Improvements

Infrastructure includes roads, bridges, hydroelectric dams and irrigation systems, railroad mass transit systems, airports, the entire air traffic control system, concrete, steel, fiber optics, computer systems, satellite systems, electrical grids, water and sewer systems, and more.

So, it’s time for a little homework. It is likely that at some level, work on rebuilding the United States infrastructure will be bid on in such a way as to prevent the money spent from going overseas. Foreign owned companies will probably need to manufacture in the United States to be involved in United States infrastructure improvements. So look for US companies and foreign companies doing substantial manufacturing in the United States.

There are two approaches here. One is very generic. There will be lots of cement poured with steel rebar. Thus any well-run company making Portland cement or a modernized, efficient steel company will be a good long term infrastructure investment bet. A less obvious but strong infrastructure investment might be with a company like 3M that creates the coatings for many road signs.

The non-generic approach has to do with anticipating a need and finding and investing in the company that provides the solution. With the continuing issue of homeland security, a computer program that improves the scanning, cataloging, and tracking of cargo in and out of US ports could be a winner. Those interested in long term investing in the US infrastructure are invited to do the research, buy the stock, and possibly prosper for years to come.