Jewitt, don't be so hard on yourself even though you were only slightly off topic. Greater fouls have been committed in the past.
There is more than a shred of truth about your observations, and I worry how the US industry is ever going to crawl out its funk. Money that should have been earmarked for aviation improvements has been spent elsewhere over successive Administrations, notably the Aviation Improvement Fund dating back many years. The FAA generally do a commendable job despite this.
Indeed, much of the infrastructure and equipment is elderly and crumbling, (myself included!). All the junior personnel have been furloughed; there are precious few orders for new aircraft and the US pax fleet is ageing, with only a couple of airline exceptions adding up to perhaps 20% of the fleet. Taxi down the taxiways at Newark, LGA, JFK, DFW, LAX, DET and try avoiding all the potholes, metal planking, inop. blue lights, etc.
It can't go on, but "W" would rather continue spending on his Holy Wars than look to looming domestic issues.
