[Themaintainers] Maintenance for infrastructure policy - your ideas requested

[Jonathan Coopersmith]

Dear fellow Maintainers,

We want to draw on the experience and perspectives of The Maintainers
network (and friends) to inform the upcoming US discussion on a federal
infrastructure initiative.



*Process and Expectations:*

   -

   We are asking that you add your ideas to this Google doc, htt
   ps://docs.google.com/document/d/1KIwcUftbbPFosuCImIgTo9Vi7efjHqwrzLPI-d32NlA/edit#heading=h.sldtfjeu8n39
   <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KIwcUftbbPFosuCImIgTo9Vi7efjHqwrzLPI-d32NlA/edit*heading=h.sldtfjeu8n39__;Iw!!KwNVnqRv!Wa5eXMIDkSjQh8d6_dDL_t8KFwpsj8ARrRo6fV7jE22O2cvLuuhOnuoJXbgmEGvzFaoy$>
   -

   We encourage the use of Google doc features such as comments and
   suggestions to respond and elaborate on the ideas of your colleagues.
   -

   Bookmark this document - come back to it. See how the conversation
   evolves.
   -

   If you prefer not to use Google docs - you can post your idea on the
   Maintainers listserv thread of the same name, and we will add them to the
   document.
   -

   This call for suggestions is open from Tuesday, January 26 through
   Thursday, February 4.  We will send a couple of reminders out to
   everyone during this time.
   -

   Once the call is closed (after February 4), we will take stock and
   discuss options for moving forward.
   -

   There is a section in the document labeled “Contributors” where we ask
   you to add your name and email as a contributor. This is optional;
   however, we will reach out to everyone that has listed their information
   after the call closes in order to update everyone about next steps.


   -

   We do ask that everyone respect one another's ideas and suggestions -
   you may add your own ideas, and make comments and suggestions regarding
   others ideas (make it conversational!) but do not delete others'
   suggestions.

Maintenance and Infrastructure: Community Recommendations to the
Biden-Harris Administration

A few concepts to get the wheels turning:

   -

   Multiple levels or units of analysis: local, state, federal, and even
   transnational.
   -

   Learning from the experience of other countries as well as the United
   States.  Public works projects have a bad reputation for cost overruns and
   delays (
   https://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/01/02/how-to-get-infrastructure-right
   <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.economist.com/leaders/2021/01/02/how-to-get-infrastructure-right__;!!KwNVnqRv!SKUk-Tx0LYGRkjfnuOOb8mEIrYaruX4-hnb7tN4achXjqWbYVBLIG06K9Lpbsq1nMfL7$>
   ).
   -

   Embed maintenance in the planning, construction, and operations.
   Possibly make life-cycle costs a major planning metric.
   -

   How can we encourage people to think expansively about maintenance? What
   suggestions could be made to broaden the definition of maintenance in
   policy and governance?


Attachments a
Stay sane, keep washing those hands, and practice social solidarity as well
as physical distancing,

Jonathan

Jonathan Coopersmith
Professor
Department of History
Texas A&M University
College Station, TX  77843-4236
979.291.2925 (cell)
979.862.4314 (fax)

Engineering elections:
https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/telecom/security/engineering-principles-us-election

Racial disparities in waiting to vote:
https://theconversation.com/it-takes-a-long-time-to-vote-141267

*FAXED.  The Rise and Fall of the Fax Machine* (Johns Hopkins University
Press)
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