I cannot better Patrick’s splendid exhortation to move from the Dark Age of government highway financing to the Renaissance of toll roads. But maybe he will allow me to nit-pick his children’s description of our current highway problems as a “First World Problem.”

Patrick's children obviously know that, in the Cold War period, the “First World” consisted of the wealthy, capitalist, countries, and the “Second World” of the communist ones, dominated by the Soviet Union. While the US today still has many First World characteristics, does not the socialistic ownership, management and financing of most of its roads belong in the Second World rather than in the First?

Kudos to Patrick and the IBTTA for their efforts to steer US roads from the Dark Ages of socialism to the Renaissance of an all-tolled US highway network, in which transport services are provided — by both public and private entities — in response to direct consumer payments, rather than in response to deals made by governments at taxpayer expense.

Fawn invites us to tell sob stories about what happens if the federal-aid highway program fails. This is what my high school and college-age children describe as a “First World Problem.” It’s the kind of problem you experience only if you live in a place that is among the richest and most well-educated 5 percent of the world’s population. In other words, America. Not being able to watch your favorite TV show because the cable is down or running out of battery power on your iPhone are other First World Problems.

Meanwhile, more than 1 million people in low income countries die each year from lower respiratory infection according to the World Health Organization. And nearly 1 billion people – that’s one in every seven people in the world – go to bed hungry each night according to the World Food Programme. Those are Problems. With a capital “P.”

Of course, we don’t want to diminish the challenges associated with the collapse of the highway program. If Congress fails to extend the program, then states would lose about $100 million a day in uncollected federal gasoline and diesel taxes. That would severely hamper the ability of states to build, repair and maintain vital roads and bridges across the land. And possibly lead to massive layoffs in construction and engineering jobs. Bad.

But maybe, like the title character in the movie “Life of Brian,” we should look on the bright side of life. A friend who’s an art historian once relished the possibility of a return to the Dark Ages. Why? I said. “Imagine the renaissance that would follow,” she responded gleefully. Hmm. Perhaps we should consider that.

I think the renaissance has already begun in states that recognize we are in the Dark Ages already. They know that the federal government’s help in paying for road infrastructure is not long for this world. They are pulling themselves up by their bootstraps – in creative and artistic ways – to find new money and new financing techniques to build and maintain their road infrastructure.

The Washington Post reported this week that “Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley has joined a wave of Democratic governors gravitating toward the privatization of government facilities. A bill proposed by O’Malley and being shepherded through the legislature by Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown (D) follows laws approved recently in California and Illinois and under consideration in a half-dozen other Democratic-controlled states. In the name of job creation, it would make it Maryland’s policy to seek out private partners to build, operate and maintain roads, bridges, schools, government buildings and most any other public asset.” The practice, the Post reports, “could allow Maryland to move forward with billions of dollars in projects that, because of debt limits, the state could not otherwise afford.”

Virginia, Texas, Indiana and Colorado are among several other states that allow concessionaires to operate toll facilities.

I cite the Post article and Governor O’Malley’s actions not because I see privatization as a panacea. I cite it because he and other state governors are striving to solve a big problem by taking matters into their own hands. They are seeking and finding inventive ways to rebuild their states’ infrastructure. They are turning to tolling and public private partnerships. Why? Because they are methods that work in the current environment of rising demand for services and a reduced appetite for raising taxes.

Let’s stop telling one another sob stories. Let’s put the Dark Ages behind us and create the next Renaissance.