I'm fine; some Fringers were late

[barondave]

I found out about the 35W bridge collapse just before I left for the Ootie Showcase, walking along Lake Street and no where near the affected area. Three of the performers were unable to make it, and the announcement was that it was due to traffic and no one was hurt.

That bridge is about three miles from here and I might have taken it if the Ootie Showcase was in the same NE venue as the Fringe-For-All. Probably not (94 is best) but it's a scary thought.

Gov. Pawlenty is known for delaying highway maintenance so he could cut taxes for his friends. I hope Minnesota has learned its lesson: Infrastructure is worth paying for.

Comments

[emiofbrie.livejournal.com]

Agreed!

Michael Rivero even mentioned it too on WRH: "Our nation's infrastructure rots away, while Bush and the Neocons [of which Pawlenty is suspected to be] spend your tax money on wars against innocent people who have done us no wrong."

[calimac.livejournal.com]

I frequently drove the lower level of the Cypress Structure in Oakland at the exact time of day that it collapsed (but could not have done so on that actual day in 1989, as I'd recently moved to another job much farther away). So I know those scary thoughts.

Infrastructure is failing everywhere, so we're going to be seeing more events like this. Lord help us, cause the Republicans won't.

[wyngarde.livejournal.com]

You didn't mention that Democrats keep taking funds away from road work to build pet projects like Lightrail. Or that Amy Kolbalshor (spelling) was on CNN within an hour of the bridges collapsing to smiling away and plug herself.

This state has been run by Democrats for longer than I've been alive. Don't just exclude that and blame a guy who's been in office only a few years because he's Republican. If you want to point fingers, look no further than the mass-transit crowd who let our roads rot. Pawlenty has made the move to rebuild alot of our highways like 494, which has been great every since.

Sorry. I just hate it when a tragedy gets turned political. People need help and support right now, not finger pointing. I worry that we are not going to try and build a better bridge, but go on witch hunts instead so we can feel good about ourselves by blaming people we don't aree with.

[barondave.livejournal.com]

This state has been run by Democrats for longer than I've been alive.

Oh please, Earl, that isn't even remotely true. Until this most recent election, the Democrats haven't controlled more than one house of the legislature or the governorship for nearly twenty years. Pawlenty, now in his second term, lied on national tv about the reports he was given on the bridge (he said the bridge passed; in reality it was rated "structurally deficient" in 2005).

If more money had gone into light rail/public transport, it would have helped the bridge, so kudos to the Democrats on this issue. The only reason we can't do both is the whiny, wild-eyed, politically correct "tax cuts tax cuts tax cuts!" crowd.

Republicans are always quick to politicize any issue, and they're usually lying. The second the finger points the other way, the far right cravenly cries foul. I'm tired of this double standard. We don't know all the answers about the Bridge collapse, but there's no question that maintaining infrastructure is something the Democrats do well, and something Republicans just don't care much about.

Yeah, this is political. And why I'm mad at right-wing loonies who's "pro-life" agenda always seems to get people killed. Please don't be one of the bad guys.

[wyngarde.livejournal.com]

Don't call me a "bad guy" becasue I don't agree with you on everything 100%. Not everybody's going to agree on everything 100% and I do not think that warrents being called a "Bad guy"

Why was the bridge under repair work? maintenance work was going on. I've been over the bridge as they did it. I've been re-routed due to it. It's not like it was just ignored. Obviously it needed work and obliviously some one approved it. The bridge was being repaired when it fell. And people playing the blame game never said anything about it until it happened.

When we know what actually happened, THEN we can play the blame game.

You also didn't comment on the repeated tax increases on gas that do not go to the roads, but to lightrail and other non-road projects, which has not done anything to help traffic and that over 50% of that money has been taken from road repairs to building mass transit. Whose resposible for that?

My point is it's not just the fault of one guy. There are other factors going on here.

You are going to need more than a quote a year ago. There are so many other factors to consider. Pawlenty does not single handedly do everything in this state. We have many groups and committees to look at.

Abortion has nothing to do with this. Don't call me a "Bad Guy" because I'd rather deal with the tragedy than point fingers. And this state always votes democrat, even when the entire country does not. See '84 presidential election. Pawlenty is loosing his Republican base with voters because he sides with the Democrats most of the time these days.

I'm not a cheerleader for either side, as I am disgusted with all of Minnesota's politicians.

Once again, people need help now, not being told how to vote.

[barondave.livejournal.com]

I'm not calling you a Bad Guy, I'm hoping you don't repeat the deathly politics of those who are. I apologize if poor phrasing made it seem like I was lumping you in with them.

We can have a sprightly political debate and I don't expect anyone to agree with me 100%. Heck, I've been known to change my mind in the middle of a discussion. Indeed, I often feel at a disadvantage talking to extremists (of which you are not) because I can be persuaded by a reasonable argument.

The bridge was under repair work for surface maintenance, not structural integrity. Indeed, even though it was rush hour and traffic was heavy, the normally 8 lane bridge was only using 2. There were far fewer cars than there might have been.

I think more money should go to road work, whether it's from the gas tax or in addition to light rail (which I mentioned). The fact that you're talking about one vs. the other and the need for a gas tax is indicative of the need to repeal the Republican tax cuts.

There are and will be many factors to consider. The Weather Channel (on MSNBC) made a point that I haven't seen in other places: Minnesota is in Modest to Severe Drought conditions, and the Mississippi is lower than it usually is this time of year. So perhaps Global Warming is a factor. If so, this bodes really ill for many places.

Abortion politics has everything to do with it. The right wing beats up on anyone who disagrees with them. Your first paragraph should more accurately be pointed at them. They use their Holier Than Thou attitude as a cudgel to elect some of the most irresponsible, sexually decrepit, tax cuttingist reprobates in history. Not everyone who doesn't support a woman's right to choose is a Bad Guy, but the politicians who use this one wedge issue to drive their extremist policies are very bad people.

You said "I just hate it when a tragedy gets turned political". As I finished typing my reply to you, Bush came on tv and bumbled his way through a few remarks of sympathy and then spent the remaining time pointing fingers at the Democrats for not passing his additional spending bills. It was so bad, only CNN (of the people I flipped to) carried the speech beyond the first minute or so. The local stations went back to real news.

Please don't give me the "everyone does it" routine. All politicians are not the same. Minnesota has some great politicians from both parties, but the Republicans have ruled the roost for a generation and we're seeing the crumbling effects of their arrogance. What we can do to help people now is learn from our previous mistakes.