Thursday, August 02, 2007
Fix The Fucking Infrastructure
When a steam pipe exploded in Manhattan a few weeks ago and sent toxins, steam and asbestos one hundred stories into the air, I wondered just how much of the infrastructure around the country is crumbling and in need of fixing.
When the 35W bridge collapsed yesterday and killed at least 4 people and injured hundreds, I again wondered just how much of the infrastructure around the country is crumbling and in need of fixing.
CNN reported a minute ago that 27.1% of the bridges around the country are considered to be "structurally deficient". The 35W bridge was designated "structurally deficient" back in 2005. Statemaster.com lists the percentage of "structurally deficient" or "functionally obsolete" bridges by state and Minnesota comes in at 49 out of 50. Only 13% of the bridges in Minnesota are considered to be "structurally deficient" or "functionally obsolete." The District of Columbia is number 1 on the list - nearly 65% of the bridges in DC are "structurally deficient" or "functionally obsolete." New York State comes in at number 7 on the list - 38% of the bridges in the state are considered to be "structurally deficient" or "functionally obsolete."
Considering how the roads, bridges, tunnels, railways, subways and ports are all falling to fucking pieces in this country, maybe we could take the money we're spending on the Iraq war (estimated to be close to $1 trillion dollars before all is said and done) and some of the money we spend on overseas aid and FIX THE FUCKING INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE UNITED STATES!!!!!
Charles Dickens said it first - charity begins at home. You have to take care of yourself before you can take care of others and given the frequency with which the shit in this country falls apart, it's time to take care of ourselves. Let's rebuild the roads, bridges, rails, tunnels, subways et al. as part of a Federal Infrastructure Refurbishment program, put Americans to work while we're doing it (and pay them decent wages to boot), and make this country safe again.
And before my winger friends slander me as a Marxist for calling for a Federal Infrastructure Refurbishment Program, let me remind them that much of the infrastructure was built by the Eisenhower administration in the first place.
From what I remember, Ike was a Republican, not a Marxist.
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The day before the bridge collapse, there was an article in the Boston Globe about the dire need to repair the Longfellow Bridge over the Charles, which turned 100 that day.
In those 100 years, the bridge underwent a small rehab project in 1959, and had smaller repairs done in 2002. The conservative estimate to fix the deteriorating bridge today is $200 million, and you can bet it will cost much, much more.
Maintaining structures like these is a lot less expensive than repairing or rehabing them. But that would require sensible, responsible budgeting, and that would require higher taxes. God knows your winger friends won't allow that.
In those 100 years, the bridge underwent a small rehab project in 1959, and had smaller repairs done in 2002. The conservative estimate to fix the deteriorating bridge today is $200 million, and you can bet it will cost much, much more.
Maintaining structures like these is a lot less expensive than repairing or rehabing them. But that would require sensible, responsible budgeting, and that would require higher taxes. God knows your winger friends won't allow that.
# posted by 
: 7:37 PM
: 7:37 PM
No they won't, abi - I can see Rudy and Mitt and Novak and so many of the others licking their lips at the commercials they can run on somebody who says he's going to raise taxes to maintain the infrastructure.
No wonder shit's falling apart.
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No wonder shit's falling apart.
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