"Skimping on maintenance" is capitalisms main and really only play. So many issues (housing, transport, utilities) are because "the market" won't ever pay to maintain.
Agreed. When I moved to the US from Australia 19 years ago, the road condition here blew my mind. The potholes, tree roots, all of that? There'd be protests at City Councils for a fraction of that in Australia. Here, just "the way it is".