In a 2011 Harvard Business Review article, management guru Rosabeth Moss Kanter and author of Confidence: How Winning Streaks & Losing Streaks Begin & End, said

Why do too many so-called leaders think they can get by with assuming the status quo and doing the minimum, rather than striving for excellence even when they think they can get away without it? Putting off actions until disaster strikes makes it too late. This is how a losing streak begins in any system. A slow accretion of neglected repairs, postponed upgrades, or reductions in training and education weaken the organization, or nation until decline becomes inevitable. The opposite is also true. A gradual accumulation of innovations, however small, prepares any system to respond rapidly to crises or demands for change.

This is the situation with our transportation infrastructure.  Our roads and bridges are in a sorry state, and we’re falling behind economically as the trend toward innovation hubs and transit-oriented development makes New Hampshire a less attractive alternative for businesses and young professionals looking for a place to grow.  Do we have the political courage to do what it takes to become winners?