Editorial Board
There’s a Better Way to Pay for Infrastructure
One tweak to municipal finance could get more money where it belongs.
Get it done.
Photographer: Edwin Levick/Getty Images
President Joe Biden wants to transform America’s infrastructure. While he’s at it, he should also consider transforming the way state and local governments pay for it.
Washington has long provided incentives for municipalities to invest in public goods. This makes perfect sense, because some of the benefits of things such as roads, bridges and schools accrue to the whole country — in the form of better transportation, a more educated populace, greater productivity.