How quickly McCain forgets
One year ago today, when the Interstate 35W bridge in Minneapolis collapsed during the evening rush-hour commute and killed 13 people, the disaster sparked a furious national debate about the crumbling state of our infrastructure. So quickly are such catastrophes forgotten that a major-party presidential candidate can now propose eliminating the tax that pays for bridge repair, and few bat an eyelash.
About a quarter of the public road bridges in the United States are considered functionally obsolete or structurally deficient, according to the American Assn. of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Fixing them would cost roughly $140 billion, but even a modest House bill to provide $1 billion for repair of federal bridges faces a veto threat from President Bush.
The money for things like road and bridge repairs comes from the 18.4-cent-a-gallon federal gas tax, which hasn't been raised since 1993 and doesn't adjust for inflation. With high gas prices prompting Americans to drive less, gas-tax revenues are dropping. This situation will get even worse if John McCain has his way. In one of this campaign season's more revolting pander-fests, McCain this spring proposed eliminating the federal gas tax for the summer. That would cost the government up to $9 billion that would otherwise go to preventing another disaster like the I-35W bridge collapse.
Weird, but it seems like we've been here before; weren't people screaming that New Orleans needed more money for levee repair, just before a great American city was flushed away like yesterday's sanitary napkin? How many more people have to die before Washington gets serious about transportation infrastructure?
* Photo by Jim Gehrz / Associated Press
I cant say enough bad things about McCain, Please O Please GOP, give us a different Nominee. I cant stand to hear him speak, Or talk at his town Hall meetings. I Mean McCain is very hard to watch, but I just found something that was actually easy to watch, Yes It had McCain in it too, LOL- has any one else seen this video with McCain talking to yoda. LOL their talking about getting old. Maybe thats why they are talking about lightsabers. If you want to see video its at http://mccanes.com
Posted by: Peter | August 01, 2008 at 03:45 PM
McCain thinks that "winning" the war in Iraq is more important. If he is elected then he'll probably start a new war against Iran, and then we must defeat the insurgents there because otherwise we'll have to face them here at home.
Posted by: Count Iblis | August 01, 2008 at 04:17 PM
It's easy to talk about eliminating taxes. Please wake up folks. Bush has been spending like a drunken sailor for almost EIGHT years. Then reduced tax collections on the extremely wealthy - "reagonomics" which has left us in a deeper hole then we've ever been. Now he's going to do what Reagan and George H Bush did, leave it for the next president to figure it out!
Posted by: topgun | August 01, 2008 at 04:36 PM
Remember the I-35W Mississippi River bridge that collpsed in 2007. Thirteen people were killed and approximately one hundred more were injured. This is a prime example of money taxpayers are supporting illegal aliens, while our bridges and roads are falling apart. Taxpayers are subsidizing predatory employers and their profits by using illegal labor. No other country in the world, imports poverty like this nation. Then how about the huge taxpayer burden of supporting foreign wars, while other countries sit on the side line and offer no funding.
Illegal Immigration has direct massive negative consequences on today's and yesterdays economy. It is all encompassing!
Overpopulation, congestion, urban sprawl, pollution, environmental damage, diminishing resources, Diseases, lack of affordable housing, depressed wages of US citizens, underground economic, fraudulent documents, identity theft, predatory businesses tax evasion, soaring nationwide crime rate, increased taxpayer burdens, overcrowded schools, uneducated legal children, overcrowded prisons, inadequate health care, the balkanization of our communities and a large and growing population with loyalty to other Nations. Just read this disturbing revelation of costs, that our government skims from our paycheck to support the special interest lobby. (www.eagleforum.org/sources)
When illegal aliens go to hospital for free; (www.townhall.com/columnists/AmandaCarpenter/2008/06/12/viral_video_on_immigration_costs ) The Federal SAVE ACT (H.R.4088) needs to be enacted by all corrupt politicians and you should read the uncensored facts at www.numbersusa.com
Posted by: Carracticus | August 01, 2008 at 06:02 PM
"Weird, but it seems like we've been here before; weren't people screaming that New Orleans needed more money for levee repair, just before a great American city was flushed away like yesterday's sanitary napkin? How many more people have to die before Washington gets serious about transportation infrastructure?"
Of course, LA, being a Gulf Coast state, would benefit greatly in terms of new jobs, economic growth and added investment in infra-structure if off-shore drilling were expanded but apparently, liberal polticis is far greater a concern than the recovery of that region. And, as we have been told ad-nauseum by you people on the left, if you fail to help New Orleans in a timely fashion, that's racist, isn't it?
So, if you're going to play the "if only we had invested" game, how's about we include "if only we had allowed New Orleans the opportunity of new jobs and greater economic growth" game as well? But then, the point here for Liberals is not helping people or solving problems; the main concern is political power for Liberals. Who cares if the people can't pay for gasoline? There are Liberals to elect!!
Mark
Baltimore, MD
PS: I lived in Minneapolis when the 35W bridge collapsed. I saw the aftermath hours after it happened and visited it often as I lived only 2 miles away. As sad as this tragedy was, it was made into a disgraceful political circus by the presence of Liberal activists, like the author here, trying to score political points and get their message onto tv while all 13 bodies were still in the water. There is a time and place for everything but apparently there are those Liberals for whom political gamesmanship trumps even basic human decency.
Posted by: Mark Dixon | August 03, 2008 at 07:25 PM
Mark -- I'll let Dan speak for himself on his political leanings, if he actually has any, but it's worth noting that Republicans are among the strongest advocates of investing in infrastructure. Always have been. And as far as offshore drilling limits go, most of the focus hasn't been on Louisiana. There's no shortage of leases there. The focus has been on Florida's Gulf Coast, as well as the Atlantic and Pacific coasts and ANWR. Even Louisiana lawmakers have been agitating for more drilling off of *other* state's coasts.
Posted by: Jon Healey | August 04, 2008 at 09:22 AM
Mark - your assertions will have more credibility when you get your facts straight, stop making ad hominem attacks, and offer some constructive input. "Conservatism" didn't used to equate to "attack politics."
Posted by: Stephen | August 06, 2008 at 12:36 AM
Woe, woe is we. Oh how we complain about the condition our country is in and how our lawmakers care more for the illegals here and the welfare of Mexico, Iraq,China and other countries who are sending thier poor and drugs into our country. If these problems matter to you then why in the hell are voters so dumb that they keep sending the same worthless leaders back to Washington? This is the worst congress in history. This do nothing congress is controlled by democrats and yet if you believe the polls the american people want to put more democrats into office, As if our great Mrs. P & Mr R. doesn't have enough democrats to screw up our country. If you are a die hard democrat what anyone says or does makes no difference and you will continue to vote a DUMB straight ticket, but if you just don't like republicans then look at the independents. There are a lot of them out there that would work for the good of America and a good example is the mayor in Miami. This year I switch to independent and will not again vote for a party or worthless incumbent. I also buy AMERICAN products and food. I also do not vacation in or do business with those who hire illegals from Mexico. I am tired of american dollars going to the country thats shipping drugs and invaders into our country to kill and rape our young.
Posted by: budswisr | August 06, 2008 at 04:27 AM