It's not just condo boards, it's everything in America... physical infrastructure, corporate R&D, software security bugs. It's more attention grabbing and personally profitable to do something new than maintain something old, so people kick the can down the road and cash in, making the problem someone else's (and a bigger problem). Even worse, America's soft power / cultural influence is infecting other countries wit…
I've come to think of governments/countries as just a very, very extensive, giant home owners association that happens to float its own currency, fund its own schools, etc. The HOA fees are basically taxes and often times fees are accessed by the size of your unit.
Thinking from an HOA perspective - you then become comfortable with all the warts and inefficiencies that a country/government may have.
Serving on the HOA board is quasi-voluntary, tends toward folks with free time and a desire for power, no one is particularly accountable.
The home owners themselves are a fickle and diverse bunch, the vocal ones mostly complain about stuff, the silent ones don't say anything and are just getting on with their lives and all have varying attitudes toward expenses for improvements and investment for the future.