Been that way forever ... if it wasn't then the Canals, the Railroads, the Electrical distribution lines, the original "private" roads (before government built roads), and water distribution lines in most small towns and some cities, would never have gotten built.

Historically all that infrastructure that helped advance society and business was built by PRIVATE INVESTORS since the government WOULD NOT build it (the New York State built Erie Canal was when government first ventured big time into building out infrastructure outside of a few major cities - before them virtually nada)

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(the canals are an interesting dynamic in the early years of the United States. NY State risked huge amounts of money building the Erie Canal, but when it was finished it MADE New York City the most important seaport on the East Coast since from there goods could be shipped to and from the interior of the United State ... before then it was almost impossible since ships could not sail up the Mississippi, and the steam riverboats did NOT exist yet.

Virginia tried to do the same thing, but would NOT state finance it, and the PRIVATE canal company building the cross Virginia Canal ran out of money about 5 miles shy of reaching the watershed divide between the Atlantic Ocean and the Ohio - Mississippi river system (the downhill build from the divide into the Kanawha /Ohio River would have been easy and cheap). As a result Richmond Virginia did NOT become a major seaport city with easy access into the interior of the young country ... New York City got all the glory.)