This editorial appeared in The Sacramento Bee.

Voters may have voted for "change" on Nov. 4, but for now, they are stuck with the same old gridlock in Washington.

Exhibit A: The economic stimulus bill that the nation desperately needs to soften the blow of a coming recession.

Passage of a bill has been held up since October as Democrats and Republicans dicker over a range of issues, including entitlement spending and a proposed bailout of the auto industry.

With each passing day, thousands more Americans are losing their jobs. Here in the Sacramento region, the latest figures show unemployment at 7.4 percent, up from 5.9 percent last December.

Instead of continuing on this road to gridlock, Democrats and Republicans would be wise to focus on the one aspect of the stimulus bill they both support – investment in infrastructure.

All across the country, bridges, sewage treatment systems, roads, schools and flood-control levees are in sorry shape. Some are literally crumbling, posing threats to life and property.

To read the complete editorial, visit The Sacramento Bee.