One year ago the collapse of the I-35W Bridge in Minnesota sparked a national debate about shoring up our deteriorating infrastructure. Today, the continuing financial collapse has sparked an international debate about shoring up our deteriorating economy.

When the bridge collapsed, repairs were being made to the concrete deck,...

The Securities and Exchange Commission is about to adopt rules for ratings firms that were previously published for comment, but they will not address the agencies' internal compensation policies, which rewarded revenue production over rating accuracy. Nor will they go far enough to eliminate rating shopping, where the issuer hires...