Maybe a New Year will bring a new result

I suppose it is too much to expect that in an election year (why would it be different??) some sanity would come back to fiscal policy.  That is, with all the GOP candidates promising to cut taxes, .... and continue to ignore the issues like infrastructure, there probably isn't much chance of a change.  The graph below ought to cause at least a reconsideration.  The graph is "Net Government Investment as a percentage of Net Domestic Product (annual data), 1959-2014" and is from moneyandbanking.com.  One can hope.  The authors say:

Switzerland is an amazing place, not least the skiing, the chocolate, and the punctual trains. The latter is part of the country’s exquisitely maintained infrastructure: there are no potholes, and no deferred maintenance of train tracks, tunnels, airports, or public buildings. Few countries go so far, but many can take a lesson: it pays to maintain infrastructure at least so that it doesn’t fail.