Recommended: The Paralysis of the State

David Brooks has an interesting Op Ed in today's New York Times, The Paralysis of the State. He asks the interesting question of why it is that government (local, state and federal) can't afford these days the projects that the nation really needs. In past decades government managed to build dams, highways, bridges, and other important infrastructure that supported our economic growth - yet today it is increasingly difficult to finance such projects. Why?

His answer is worth thinking about.