http://www.infrastructurereportcard.org/
Well one thing is clear is that the US is full of people who want it all, but they don't want to pay for it. This is outside of any discussion of social services such as heath care. This is bridges, roads, and shit like that. I suppose the conservative solution is to privatize all this stuff. Private roads, private bridges. Toll booths everywhere.
I think there are great examples of building a great national resource/infrastructure in the private sector and have it happen in a fantastically efficient way. The Internet is such an example. But the Internet really hasn't been run in a true "private" way. However, it looks like it soon may:
http://money.cnn.com/2010/11/03/technology/net_neutrality_election/index.htm?section=money_latest
Having our country become a mesh of toll booths and private enclaves doesn't sound that good to me.