The FINANCIAL -- Americans send fairly positive signals about the roads they drive and
the bridges they cross, and for all the talk of infrastructure spending
from Washington, DC, most aren’t confident that the new money will make
things any better.
Just 37% of Adults, in fact, are at least somewhat confident that money spent by the government to repair highways, bridges and tunnels will be properly used, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. That includes only eight percent (8%) who are Very Confident. A sizable 62% lack confidence the infrastructure money will be spent the right way, with 19% who are Not At All Confident.
This is the same level of skepticism that Americans expressed in August 2009 when members of Congress were proposing that more stimulus money be spent on infrastructure projects.
Part of the skepticism may stem from ongoing unhappiness with efforts to ensure the safety of the nation’s infrastructure. Just 27% of adults believe U.S. bridges, tunnels and highways are properly inspected for safety. Thirty-three percent (33%) disagree and don’t think they’re property inspected. Forty-one percent (41%) aren’t sure.
Still, this is an improvement from August 2007 just after the collapse of a major interstate highway bridge in Minneapolis when only 20% thought infrastructure inspection was being properly done, while 39% disagreed.
Sixty-three percent (63%) of Americans now believe infrastructure money should be spent on more inspections and needed repairs. However, nearly one-in-four (23%) say the money would be better spent rebuilding all roads and bridges. Fourteen percent (14%) are not sure which course is better. This reflects a slight shift in support to rebuilding over inspections and repairs from prior surveys.
The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on August 24-25, 2011 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.
As for the current state of affairs, 48% of Americans rate the quality of the interstate highways they drive on as good or excellent, with only nine percent (9%) who view those roads as poor. They’re a bit more critical of local roads: 41% rate them good or excellent, while 18% think they’re poor.
Seventy-seven percent (77%) are at least somewhat confident that the bridges in this country are safe, up from 63% in August 2007. This includes 27% who are Very Confident. Only 20% are not very or not at all confident in the country’s bridges.
Most Democrats (56%) are confident that new government money to repair roads, bridges and tunnels will be properly spent. Most Republicans (79%) and adults not affiliated with either of the major parties (65%) are not.
Roughly 60% of all three groups, however, agree that any new money should go to inspections and repairs rather than rebuilding.
Men express slightly more confidence in interstates, local roads and bridges than women do.
The Obama administration is expected to announce more infrastructure spending as part of a new jobs plan in September, but a plurality (45%) of Americans believes the government should cut spending for roads and highways until the federal budget is balanced. Nearly as many (40%) disagree. Another 16% are undecided.
The president has been touting infrastructure solutions for job creation since before he took office in January 2009. In December 2008, then-President-elect Obama revealed his plan to create 2.5 million jobs in America through massive infrastructure projects including rebuilding roads and bridges, modernizing schools and developing alternative energy sources. During Election 2008, 60% of adults favored the plan, while 24% opposed it. However, last fall, only 40% of voters supported the president’s call for a $50 billion federal jobs and infrastructure program.
www.rasmussenreports.com
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