My first job out of law school was for Joe Stettinius. If you recognize that name, his father was Secretary of State under FDR. Joe gave me authority over a line of credit and a check book and told me to develop the last section of a residential subdivision. I had no clue how to do this, but I learned. One thing that surprised me, and likely will surprise most folks is that pretty much all infrastructure comes from the private sector. I learned how to build roads, a sanitary sewer system, storm water and drainage systems, sidewalks, water lines, etc. Not a dime of these costs came from the government. The expenses to maintain this infrastructure also comes from the private sector in the form of connection fees and various utility and excise fees. All the engineering is also borne by the private sector. Only after all these things are in place, engineered and inspected to exacting standards (almost always over engineered to meet government standards) are these assets turned over to a government entity to maintain.
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