Millman nods:
The United States has among the highest infrastructure construction costs in the world. Higher than Japan, than Germany, than Switzerland – other developed countries with high wages and concern for both environmental quality and property rights. I’m increasingly convinced that America’s big problem here is political. The right is primarily focused on promoting the interests of developers, while the left is primarily focused on promoting the interests of public-sector unions. It’s crony capitalism versus “socialism in one contract,” and the one thing all sides can agree on is continually escalating costs.
The Dish 