"Big-city mayors ask Congress for help; Infrastructure decay has many overwhelmed" by Devlin Barrett, Associated Press | June 13, 2008
WASHINGTON - Big-city mayors told Congress yesterday that they are overwhelmed by the infrastructure needs of their regions and cannot maintain well-functioning water systems, roads, and rail networks without more federal help.... They attributed much of the decay to shortsighted thinking by local, state, and federal officials.
Yeah, every single PENNY is going for WARS and OCCUPATIONS!
That's the short-sightedness that never gets talked about!!!!
The issue of the country's deteriorating transportation systems came under scrutiny last year with the collapse of a bridge in Minnesota that killed 13 people. While experts believe a poor design led to that collapse, the mayors sounded an alarm about decay throughout the system and its long-term effects on the US economy.
Poor design sounds like a cover up; or else, why aren't more bridges collapsing?
Oh, they are, you say.
Well, how come I'm not hearing about it in the papers?
Not as much as basketball or gays or Islamist "terrorists," etc, etc.
Senators on the panel were largely supportive of the mayors' concerns, but one, Thomas Carper, a Delaware Democrat, reminded them, "At the end of the day, we've got to figure out how to pay for this stuff."
Hold on to your wallet, American taxpayers!!!
They won't be taxing oil companies or richers for it, let me tell you!
Michael Bloomberg, New York City's mayor, urged Congress to abandon the tradition of earmark spending, where individual lawmakers often deliver dollops of taxpayer money to small local projects that don't provide much help for the long-term needs of their districts:
"We're as guilty as anybody. We ask for money for things that are totally local, and why the federal government does it, I don't know. They shouldn't be doing it, although we will continue to ask as long as they are giving it out. Our senators have the obligation to bring home the bacon like everybody else does. . . . Seems to me the Senate should get together and say together, 'We're not going to do it anymore.'"
Just like what Ron Paul said!
"We presently follow option number two: everyone seeks to use government to enrich himself at his neighbor's expense...."
The American Society of Engineers estimates that bringing the nation's transportation and resources networks up to a properly functional level would require $1.6 trillion and five years of work. Still, the mayors say, even that wouldn't accommodate the new strains placed on roads in coming years...."
We could have paid for the TOTAL OVERHAUL and STILL had money LEFT OVER if not for BUSH'S LYING WARS!!!!
Sick of eating shit yet, 'murka, or are you going to wait until your bridge collapses?
Hey it will be a great TOURIST OPPORTUNITY!!!
"With bridge closed, a nightmare commute; Minnesota city calls in ferries" by Patrick Condon, Associated Press | June 13, 2008
WINONA, Minn. - Jeremy Smith lives in Wisconsin and works in Minnesota, just a 10-minute car trip across the Mississippi River to his job.
But when the state of Minnesota abruptly closed the Highway 43 bridge that connects the two states - the only bridge for miles in either direction - that dream commute became 70 miles longer. With gas at $4 a gallon, Smith grabbed his canoe and started paddling.
"It was a good workout to start and end the day," said Smith, who just happens to work at a canoe manufacturer that offered the use of boats to its Wisconsin-side employees.
BULLSHIT!!! I rode a bike for 10 YEARS during the 1990s and IT SUCKED!!!
Always getting hot and sweaty on the way to work made showering meaningless and made me feel like scum all day.
Nonetheless, Smith was happy to park his canoe this week when the city of Winona launched a new mass transit system familiar to many coastal areas but rare along the relatively narrow Mississippi - ferries....
State officials moved to close the bridge because of trouble signs in its gusset plates - the same component blamed in part for the collapse of a Minneapolis interstate bridge last summer.... Detours to the nearest working bridges add about 70 miles to get from one side of the closed bridge to the other.
All right, given the safety factor, the extra 70 MILES is acceptable, right?
Keep reading...
The closure wasn't just an inconvenience to workers; businesses feared the impact of lost customers, too.
I'll bet because BUSINESS was concerned, action will be taken (keep reading).
Yup, if the Republican convention is coming work is hurried up; however, if you gotta paddle yourself to work, screw you!!!
The city is charging $15 for a week's worth of rides, or $5 for a day pass, and business started off with a bang.
Oooooooh, so the STATE is going to be MAKING MONEY off of this, huh (keep reading)?
Nearly 2,500 people took the ferries on Monday, the first day, and ridership was even higher the next day. Buses on both sides of the river carry passengers to park-and-ride lots in Wisconsin and along city bus routes in Winona.
Betty Kriesel, a worker at Winona Head Start who lives in Buffalo City, Wis., has the month of June off, but took the ferry for a test run. She said she was nervous, "but this is fun. I packed a portable umbrella and bug spray in my backpack."
Yeah, it's "fun" if you have a MONTH OFF!!!
Monica Hennessy Mohan, the city clerk responsible for setting up the ferry system, said providing the service will cost the city of Winona almost $95,000 a week - money the city hopes to recoup from the state and federal government.
Just like what Ron Paul said!
"We presently follow option number two: everyone seeks to use government to enrich himself at his neighbor's expense...."
Un-frikkin'-believable!!!
Oh, so the BUSINESS LOBBYING must have WORKED!!!
Amazing that they didn't care about the 70 MILES the worker had to eat in gas costs!!
OPEN UP, AmeriKa!
How-to-guide to filling up at the pump:
1. Pull up to pump
2. Get out of car
3. Drop pants
4. Insert gas pump into ass
O.K, ready, set, go!!!!
