Breaking: Bridge Collapse in Minneapolis

KSTP TV 5/ME | 8/1/07 | Me

[Shelayne]

Oh goody.

[Enchante]

"When I think of the hundreds of bridges built like this in the sixties and seventies, possibly with poor design and substandard materials, by unions rife with corruption and fraud..."

There was an anecdote about an astronaut back in the '60s being asked by a reporter what his thoughts were just before lift-off. Supposedly he replied (don't know if this is apocryphal or real anecdote): "Millions of parts proved by the LOWEST BIDDER"

From now on, every time I cross a bridge I'll be thinking "this structure may have been built by corrupt unions protected by Demagogues."

Since the left already wants to politicize this tragedy, let's ask why Minn. as one of the 3-4 most liberal states, dominated by the Demagogues for 40+ years, preferred a pricey light rail boondoggle over upgrading this bridge and other infrastructure??? It's always sexier for politicians to go for fancy new projects instead of routine but crucial maintenance of existing infrastructure. Both parties are liable to this failing, but the Demagogues are usually much worse, and only the Demagogues love to rush to politicize tragedies even when THEY are likely to be more responsible (e.g., Katrina and local 'RATs who failed for decades to prepare for major hurricanes, etc.).

[BurbankKarl]

did that guy just say the MN pol was in Bejing?

good grief.

[Shelayne]

Preferably, George Bush.

What does he have to do with the bridge collapsing?

[DCPatriot]

I don’t know....that sure looks like the rear of a Jaguar Vanden Plus (XJ). ;^)

[Enchante]

"60% of the funding came from the Federal government under mass transit grants"

That means 40% of the funding came from state/local sources? That's one heck of a lot of money that could have gone to other uses..... and even federal funding only goes to "mass transit" because enough people in Congress choose that appropriation over other possible uses of the funds, so the comparison between bridge/infrastructure maintenance and the light rail spending is still relevant. The Demagogues always want to deny any responsbility for THEIR political and budgetary choices while ranting and demagoguing against Republicans. As in the countless billions of local, state, and federal monies that the Demagogues never spent to prepare for an event like Hurricane Katrina.

[BurbankKarl]

That bridge wasnt on a list to be upgraded anyway. Airport money isnt going to go for a bridge.

[Abigail Adams]

The gov and lt gov have taken several trips overseas exploring commerce opportunities. Not a strange thing around here.

[acoulterfan]

I am giving up on listening to the “News Conferences” by the experts.

They have become total C Y A!!

[Spktyr]

Jaguars don’t have full width taillights, nor do they impinge upon the trunk.

You’re looking at a Lincoln Continental.

[BurbankKarl]

They are lining up contractors to build a new bridge...with lead paint!

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

I am afraid that you are correct.....

[jacquej]

I realize that President Bush is truly walking the walk now. He is not making a show of his faith in public, but quietly, as Christ told us to to do, keeping our goof works secret.

Thank you for posting this. I truly didn’t know.

[BurbankKarl]

77,000 bridges of this design in the U.S.!

[Abigail Adams]

LOL! And with melamine just to make it stronger.

[Spktyr]

Sorry, not a Continental, but a Buick, probably a late model Regal like this one:

[Abigail Adams]

I don’t know why people keep saying CYA is going on. We are very straight-forward around here. Just because people would be CYA somewhere else, or in other circumstances, doesn’t mean it’s happening here. I think everyone involved is doing their honest best to give information to reporters in a timely and accurate manner. That’s how we do things around here. It shows in how people responded when it happened. You didn’t have people running around histerically in helplessness. People calmly assessed what happened and jumped in to help others get out of harm’s way.

[Shelayne]

I don’t know, I didn’t catch that.

Which MN pol?

[DCPatriot]

ROFL! I’ve been frantically looking too!

[Abigail Adams]

Expert saying that engineers did not consider fatigue to be an issue with bridges before the late 1960s. They were obviously wrong. Truckloads over time contributes, and temps may be an issue over time as well.