The Boondoggles Are Back

Early on in Joe Biden’s presidency, left-wing politicians rammed through Congress $50 billion for hundreds of thousands of electric vehicle chargers and a massive program to deliver high-speed internet service in rural locations across the country.

Well, so far, only a handful of EV chargers -- seven or eight -- have been built, and no one in rural America has gotten high-speed internet service. What is going on?

Incompetence is no doubt part of the problem, but it’s not the only problem. The main holdup is ideology.

Both programs are full of DEI -- “diversity, equity, and inclusion” -- requirements and nonsense. In fact, the rural internet project is named the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program. The “E” in DEI is literally in the program’s title.

As for the EV charging program, the Department of Transportation requires anyone who applies for the federal money to build more chargers to “demonstrate how meaningful public involvement, inclusive of disadvantaged communities, will occur throughout a project’s life cycle.” And that must involve “intentional outreach to underserved communities.”

One expert on federal regulations blasted the DEI requirements, saying:

“This all just slows down construction. These ‘public involvement’ requirements are impossible to quantify and even open builders up to lawsuits . . . How these equity requirements are relevant to the construction of a single electric vehicle charging station is unclear.”

One top official at the Department of Transportation, who spoke off the record, actually admitted:

“These onerous diversity, equity, and inclusion requirements handcuff professionals from making proper evaluations and prevent the government/public from funding the most deserving projects, instead funneling money towards less qualified applicants.”

In short, the left’s woke ideological agenda is at war with common sense and practical results.