Inequality at PWX

By Gavin Jenkins, Senior Managing Editor

Years ago, I pitched the idea of a magazine feature about life at a gas station to an editor of a prestigious magazine.

Sitting in his Manhattan office, I argued that his readers would care about the story and its characters because “gas stations are a microcosm for America.”

“Everything is a microcosm for America in America,” the editor said.

I was reminded of his response as I traveled home from Chicago, where I had attended the Public Works Expo (PWX).

Hosted by the American Public Works Association, PWX is one of my favorite conferences of the year. The workers who make up the thousands of public works departments across the country are the backbone of this industry.

At PWX, they gather to learn about innovation and discuss issues that impact their jobs (and our infrastructure).

Two themes emerged from PWX this year: one, thanks to technological advancements, it’s an exciting time to be in public works. Workflows have become efficient, maintenance is more streamlined and safety has improved.

Because of artificial intelligence (AI), many at PWX were optimistic that innovation is going to continue to help improve our roads and bridges.

However: two, many public works departments can’t afford the luxury that technology affords. In fact, some can’t hire engineers because they can’t pay them an appropriate wage. Patty Hilderbrand, public works director in Harrisonville, Mo., told me she can’t even afford to hire a mechanic for her city’s fleets.

If this disparity sounds familiar, that’s because public works departments are (like everything) a microcosm for what’s going on throughout America.

In the United States, the top 20% of households now capture over half of all income, while the bottom 20% receive only a sliver, leaving the income gap wider than it was a generation ago.

The top 1% of households control more wealth than the entire bottom 50% combined, highlighting the extreme concentration of financial power at the top.

It’s an exciting time for those folks. AI might help them live longer, healthier and happier. But for those at the bottom, their jobs are in danger of disappearing, stolen by AI, while prices rise on groceries, health care and housing.

I am not advocating for a redistribution of wealth, raising taxes, or for America to adopt anti-capitalism policies. I am pointing out how lopsided we have become.

We must have honest dialogue about how to solve economic inequality. It has become an infrastructure problem.

If cities and counties in rural areas can’t maintain and repair roads, it can cause deadly accidents, while also straining regional mobility and the supply chain.

Public works departments should be fully staffed with qualified workers who earn a livable wage and have access to technology that will help them keep our roads safe. At the very least, they should be able to hire a mechanic. RB