While it is not unheard of for highway bridges to
collapse, the loss of the I-35W bridge over the Mississippi River in
Minneapolis, Minnesota, has received major media coverage. The moment
of destruction was even captured by security cameras. Given the recent
steam pipe explosion in New York City that an provided eerie reminder
of 9/11, new attention is being focused on the aging infrastructure
upon which we all rely.
Estimates are that nearly a large number of the 600,000 bridges in this
country –– about 80,000 –– need to be repaired or replaced. (See
here.)
Add to that number deteriorating water and sewer systems, crumbling
highways, levees, and outdated airports, the future looks ripe for
other unpleasant –– and ultimately unnecessary –– incidents such as the
one that occurred in the Twin Cities. The cost to complete all the
required upgrades would be in the thirteen-figure range (that’s
trillions, folks).
Meanwhile, the State has spent nearly 500 billion dollars of our stolen
tax money in Iraq, with no end in sight. The trillion dollar mark will
likely be reached in the not too distant future. (See
here.)
While I don’t sanction the theft of anyone’s money, especially not by
the State, frankly, I would rather the money wasted in Iraq to kill
people and blow things up (like
300,000 bullets per enemy killed! See
here.) be spent on shoring up bridges and such, actions that might actually save lives.
Of course, even better, sell all the bridges, roads, water and sewer
systems, and airports (and parks, while we’re at it), use the money to
pay down the national debt, cut departments and budgets, and let
private investors deal with such life and death issues.
Because I can guarantee you one thing: when the choice is between the
life and death of its citizens, whatever the State does is more likely
to end in the latter than the former.
(from
Don't Get Me Started!, 8-02-07)
