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Reviews
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“Too Big to Fall is too important not to be read by elected and government officials and anyone who cares about the health of our cities, states, and country. LePatner, by concentrating on a major element of public works—our country’s 600,000 bridges, brings into focus the causes and solutions that, if followed, in the long run would actually cost less and expose us to less risk. The release of this book could not be more timely. Thousands of local and state officials are facing record deficits. The easiest areas to cut are the nearly invisible activities of preventive maintenance. No large constituencies will be marching on city halls or statehouses to clamor to save the jobs of bridge painters or oilers. But at least government public works managers and citizens now have the source to educate elected officials and their bean counters in the penny-wise-pound-foolish choice of cutting maintenance now, only to face bigger costs and higher risks in just a few years. I was in charge of New York City’s bridges after the fiscal crisis of the 1970s. On my watch in the 1980s, we had fatal collapses on the Brooklyn Bridge and the elevated FDR drive, as well as emergency closures of more than a score of other bridges. LePatner offers us a better choice.” —Sam Schwartz, Sam Schwartz Engineering “Barry LePatner has emerged as one of the nation’s leading advocates for infrastructure reform. Too Big to Fall provides a thought-provoking examination of America’s infrastructure dilemma. It is eye-opening and sobering. Hopefully this work will resonate with those in authority to heighten their sense of urgency to aggressively address this threat to our nation’s future.” —Gary La Point, Assistant Professor, Supply Chain Management, Syracuse University “This book needs to be read by all those concerned about our transportation infrastructure, but especially those who are starting to realize that business as usual, with Uncle Sugar providing massive doses of feel-good funding, is over. The time for optimizing long-term transportation funding has begun, providing beleaguered taxpayers with much-deserved relief and achieving better results, supported by innovative technologies and enhanced business methods.” —Peter J. Vanderzee, President and CEO, LifeSpan Technologies “Barry LePatner makes an airtight case in Too Big to Fall that our nation ’s road infrastructure is becoming a liability, a drag on our productivity rather than an asset. His heavily researched book aptly warns us that if our nation’s infrastructure continues to fail, so too does America. With China’s rise, this book sends a timely warning of our need to compete with the East. LePatner’s ultimate optimism and professional experiences lead us to a solution that we need to take to heart.” —Dan McNichol, bestselling author of The Big Dig, The Roads That Built America, and Asphalt in America; Columnist for Rebuilding America’s Infrastructure [34.207.137.245] Project MUSE (2024-03-29 08:54 GMT) Too Big to Fall ...