By: John Silva – January 2024
Her persona was somewhere between unusual and just plain weird. Sometimes, she was like a large crock full of steaming Jambalaya… intrigue and stealth simmering with the okra and andouille sausage. At other times, she was Mr.Magoo stumbling along blind as a bat or she could be Mission Impossible with a keen sense of split second timing. She was a repository of contradictions… Kojak at times… Mr. Gadget at others. Actually, she was nearly impossible to describe. She was an oddity, and without trying…she became a national hero and when she passed a legend.
When she ran for president of the United States and won, her life and her country changed forever. Her common sense platform was simple, easy to understand, doable, and it was what the people wanted. For example, many voters were tired of an endless procession of wars started under the guise of patriotism and national security, but in reality were really fueled by the greed of capitalism and unrestrained ego. Her solution to this problem was simple. If some country wanted another country’s land or resources they paid or traded for it. They would no longer be permitted to steal it by declaring a war. And, if some deranged demigod still didn’t understand… The “One despot… one bullet” solution would be used which usually solved the problem… there was simply no need to start yet another war.
Rampant corruption and waste were addressed, and although not completely eradicated, it was greatly reduced. Highway construction was a great example; it was a recurrent black hole, a never ending drain on the economy. What could be done?
The National Competition For Better Materials And Techniques For Highway Construction was a huge success. Ideas poured in from individuals, universities, and research labs, and from around the world. Creative prizes and awards were key components in the success of the project. Awards were given for the least costly to implement and the most useful, as well as self-sustaining projects, the funniest, biggest, smallest, most beautiful, and those that produced the happiest results.
Instead of huge cash prizes for individuals, beneficial projects like a new park or a playground for their neighborhood was built. Abandoned land was turned into community gardens, and street lights were installed where community leaders suggested. Not where urban planners thought they should be. Lights for the outdoor basketball courts, a stop sign at a dangerous intersection, and dirt bike trails and bikes were provided. And, when their work was completed, the individual or team that implemented the project, would name the project to honor a hero, a favorite alien, a cartoon character, actor, or actress, city, computer game, endangered species, their pet frog’s name or a favorite aunt. This fostered a great community spirit and gave people the opportunity to have some skin in the game.
One citizen asked, after building roads for thousands of years, why aren’t new and better ideas being used. Every year, thousands of miles of interstate and regular highways are still being torn up? Wasn’t there a better way? What could be done?
Finally, with a new directive, people who had been in a stupor for years began to think again. Better solutions poured in and many were implemented. A case in point, old roads have been compacted by car and truck traffic for years and years, and consequently uneven but extremely stable. There was no need to tear them out. Existing roads, no matter how badly maintained and eroded, were now left in place. Potholes, large cracks, and other imperfections were filled and sealed with high tech fibers and fillers designed to glue any broken pieces of the road back together… stronger than before. Sometimes that was all that was needed. Other times, the repaired road was used as the base for a new hightech road made with a flexible material that doesn’t crack and will last for a hundred years.
Students from a graduate program in construction management suggested that if concrete could flex just a little it wouldn’t crack as much. So, it would last longer. They speculated that it could be made more flexible by replacing most of the stone and sand aggregate with bits of recycled plastic that was headed for landfills and the ocean. They also noted that old tires could be shredded and recycled and used as aggregate for new concrete. Reducing fifty percent of the crushed stone used for new road beds and recycling was a huge step forward to a sustainable future.
Taking a new look at this problem addressed two pressing problems. Disrupting traffic for months or years and spending billions of dollars on repairing and building new roads was no longer considered acceptable
It should also be noted that many different kinds of rewards were given. Money was always the last reward considered because it only benefited a few people rather than a neighborhood, community, town, state, the entire country or even the world. In addition, our sense of purpose and self worth improved.
Another idea that was adopted was when new asphalt roads were built the joints between successive layers were always staggered. Because the pavement joints would last much longer. Also, whenever road construction was done, large empty pipes were always laid next to the road. That way when electrical, gas, and communication lines were needed they simply slipped them into the empty conduits. This solution eliminated digging up the roads for work on utility lines, creating traffic delays, and ridding neighborhoods of vulnerable and ugly electrical lines, poles and towers. Underground utilities practically eliminated electrical disruptions. And when there was a major storm there were no downed power lines and blown transformers. And, the repair crews could focus on the broken trees and the flooded communities.
New inexpensive, durable, and flexible epoxy skim coats were developed to seal and keep micro cracks from forming thereby increasing the longevity of the roads.
With new materials and techniques roads were now lasting for five hundred years. And, they were constructed safer, better, with less expense, and with less new material. Thereby, protecting our natural resources.
Adding to the list, heavy equipment typically used to compact and smooth hot asphalt for new roads were modified so they applied concentrated heat to existing cracked roads and melted the asphalt cracks back together. These melters are now part of the maintenance procedures and operate between the hours of midnight and five in the morning. This keeps the roads in perfect shape for 30 to 50 additional years and doesn’t create traffic problems. What have you been thinking about? What are your suggestions?
The “Helpful Neighbor” awards were televised honoring individuals and groups that made their neighborhoods better and safer. Sometimes, they even had neighborhood parades to celebrate what was accomplished.
Presently, the following suggestions are being considered:
When ideas generated at The National Institute for Great Ideas are implemented, tuition costs for those involved are forgiven.
Establish new policies that encourage new products or procedures that are beneficial. Usefulness is preferred. Profit not so much.
When he used the internet to get everyone involved who had interest and/or expertise to determine important policies, he faintly reminds us of the film Mr. White goes to Washington. However, his plan is more inclusive, practical, and will get things done.
By using the internet, she moved us from a republic to a real democracy where everyone can give input on everything.
A note to the reader: I have shared some of my thoughts and dreams. Care to offer yours?