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I President Don want you to look at informationon for our budget of 2007 and review all the items our tax money is being spent on. I hope this format is readable, as it should be an eye opener. This is 163 items of in excess of 25,000 items.
Chamber Appropriation Bill Amount
and Project
House TTHUD $500,000
Renovate the Public Pool in Banning, California
House Labor-HHS $175,000
Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy
Senate Agriculture $1,000,000
Mormon Cricket & Grasshopper Activities in Utah
Senate TTHUD $800,000
National Women's Hall of Fame, Seneca Falls, New York
House TTHUD $500,000
Traffic Calming, Windermere, Florida
House Commerce $250,000
Montana World Trade Center
Senate Labor-HHS $1,000,000
Clinton School of Public Service, Little Rock, Arkansas. (WHY?)
House Labor-HHS $75,000 Arts Quest—The Banana Factory, Bethlehem,PA(WHY?)
House TTHUD $700,000
Parking Lot Repairs, Asnuntuck Community College, Enfield, Connecticut
House TTHUD $150,000
Mt. Zion Federal Credit Union, San Antonio, Texas
Senate Commerce $575,000
Detroit Renaissance, (Private Hotel in Downtown Detroit, WHY?)
House Agriculture $365,156
Potato Breeding, Aberdeen, Idaho
Senate Agriculture $842,000
Alabama Beef Connection
Senate Agriculture $227,000
Dairy Education in Iowa
House Agriculture $387,976
Manure Management Research, Ames, Iowa
House TTHUD $400,000 Signal/Intersection Improvement, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Senate Interior $250,000
Mother's Day Shrine Building, Grafton, West Virginia
Senate Agriculture $591,000
Montana Sheep Institute
House Agriculture $392,832
Citrus Waste Utilization, Winter Haven, Florida
House Interior $250,000
Capitol Music Hall, West Virginia
Senate Agriculture $573,000
Food Marketing Policy Center,Conn
Senate DC $350,000
National Council of La Raza, Washington DC
House TTHUD $250,000
Construction of a Park, Portland,IN
House TTHUD $500,000
Intermodal Parking Garage, Fitchburg, Massachusetts
House TTHUD $1,000,000
Xerox Area Road Improvements, Monroe County, New York
Senate TTHUD $200,000
Tom Green County Library, Texas
Senate Commerce $300,000
City of Columbus Train Depot
House Agriculture $603,409
Pecan Scab Research, Byron, Georgia
Senate Agriculture $587,000
Ohio-Israel Agriculture Initiative
Senate Agriculture $6,371,000
Wood Utilization Research in 10 States
House TTHUD $100,000
Signage & Streetscape Improvements, Fashion District Business Improvement District, Los Angeles, California
House TTHUD $300,000
Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center,CA
House Commerce $750,000
Fairplex Trade & Conference Center, Pomona, CA (privately owned)
House TTHUD $100,000
Convert the Coca-Cola Bottling Plant into a Culture & Arts Center, Romney, West Virginia
House Labor-HHS $50,000
Documents & Artifacts Relating to the Public Service of Sens. Francis Case & George McGovern, George & Eleanor McGovern Library, Dakota Wesleyan University, Mitchell, South Dakota
Senate Labor-HHS $250,000
Jazz Education Programs in Alaska Schools, Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, Washington, DC
Senate Labor-HHS $250,000
Jazz at Lincoln Center, New York, NY House Labor-HHS $200,000
American Jazz Museum, Kansas City, Mo
House Labor-HHS $100,000
Toledo Jazz Society, Toledo, Ohio
House Commerce $200,000
Oil Region Alliance of Business, Industry & Tourism
Senate Agriculture $350,000
World Food Prize
House Agriculture $628,843
Grape Genetics, Geneva, New York
Senate Energy & Water $500,000
Green Shingle Initiative, Tennessee
Senate TTHUD $2,500,000
Tongass Coast Aquarium, Ketchikan, Alaska
Senate TTHUD $750,000
Repaving the Battleship New Jersey Access Road (Clinton Street), NJ
House TTHUD $250,000
Paving of SD 34 East from Madison, SD House Agriculture $3,743,014
Formosan Termite, New Orleans, LA
House TTHUD $150,000
Demolish Abandoned Church, Raytown,MO
House TTHUD $500,000
4th Street Underpass, Monroe, Louisiana
Senate Energy & Water $1,750,000
Mine of the Future, New Mexico
Senate Agriculture $198,000
Horn Fly Research, Alabama
House TTHUD $250,000
Library Construction, Miami-Dade College, Florida
House TTHUD $400,000
South Valley Community Dental, Albuquerque, New Mexico
House TTHUD $450,000
Expansion of Southfield Road, Southfield, Michigan
House Labor-HHS $300,000
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati, Ohio
House Energy & Water $750,000
Sewer Project, Guernsey County, Ohio
House Commerce $300,000
Bronx Council, to Market Local Business Arts Initiatives
Senate TTHUD $800,000
Build a Cobb Performing Arts Centre, Cobb County, Georgia
Senate TTHUD $200,000
Build a Downtown Parking Structure, Provo, Utah
House Labor-HHS $200,000
National Teachers Hall of Fame, Emporia, Kansas
Senate TTHUD $200,000
Daly Mansion Preservation Trust
Senate Agriculture $232,000
National Wild Turkey Federation
House Labor-HHS $300,000American Ballet Theatre, New York, New York
House Agriculture $1,913,866
Bovine Genetics, Beltsville, Maryland
Senate Agriculture $495,000
Citrus Canker, Florida
House Labor-HHS $150,000
Fair Play, Girl Scouts of the USA, Washington, DC
House TTHUD $150,000
Greenpoint Manufacturing Design Center, Brooklyn, New York
House TTHUD $1,500,000Construction of the William Faulkner Museum, University of Mississippi
Senate TTHUD $400,000
Four Bands Community Fund, Eagle Butte, South Dakota
Senate DC $50,000
Youth Baseball Partnership with Payne Elementary School, Washington DC
Senate Labor-HHS $200,000
Monterey Bay Aquarium, California
House Interior $400,000
Tennessee Civil War Heritage Area
House Commerce $150,000
Local Business requirements & Improvements, Arthur Avenue Retail Market
House TTHUD $250,000
Construction of a Facility, Bogalusa, Louisiana
Senate TTHUD $1,000,000
Port of Anchorage Road Improvements, Alaska
Senate TTHUD $200,000
Hudson Valley Community College Model Automotive Dealership, Troy, New York
House TTHUD $250,000
Renovate the Diamond Bar High School Community Sports Field, Diamond Bar, California
House TTHUD $350,000
Streetscape Improvements & Off-Street Parking, Valdosta, Georgia
House TTHUD $500,000
Bridgeview Bridge Bike Path, Michigan
House Commerce $1,000,000
Southern & Eastern Kentucky Tourism Development Association
House Labor-HHS $300,000
Play It Smart Program, National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, Morristown, New Jersey
Senate Labor-HHS $750,000
Ed Roberts Campus, Berkeley, California
Senate TTHUD $200,000
Development of the Performing Arts Centre, Temple, Texas
House Interior $75,000
Tom Custer House, North Carolina
Senate Commerce $300,000
Central Alabama Woman's Business Center
House TTHUD $400,000
Pedestrian Trail Extension, Hammond, Indiana
House Interior $8,754,000
Water System, Death Valley National Park, California
House Interior $100,000
Gold Bug/Meagher House, California
House Labor-HHS $150,000
History Museum of East Otter Tail County, Perham, Minnesota
House Commerce $50,000
Community Development, Out-of-Doors Program, Bronx, New York
House Commerce $50,000
Economic & Community Development, Thorpe Family Residence, Bronx, NY
House TTHUD $500,000
Renovate the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library, Hyde Park, NY
House TTHUD $500,000
Next Generation Hybrid Electric Transit Bus, Broome County, New York
House TTHUD $100,000 Mac Arthur Park, Los Angeles, California (Drug hangout, 100% Hispanic area)
House Labor-HHS $100,000
Youth For Tomorrow, Bristow, Virginia
House Interior $200,000
Opera House Theater, Texas
House Interior $250,000
Maverick Concert Hall, New York
House Interior $100,000
Brown Mansion, Kansas
Senate Labor-HHS $500,000
Sister to Sister—Everyone Has a Heart Foundation, Washington, DC
Senate Labor-HHS $200,000
Western Folklife Center, Elko, Nevada
House TTHUD $150,000
Brays Bayou Hike & Bike Trail, Houston, Texas
House TTHUD $1,500,000
Sawyer County Airport, Wisconsin
House TTHUD $500,000
Belleville Road & Ecorse Road Intersection, Michigan
House TTHUD $250,000
Convert the Strand Theater Arts Center Into a Performing Arts Center, Plattsburgh, New York
House TTHUD $500,000 WAMC
Northeast Public Radio, Albany, NY
House Interior $50,000
Spencer Ice Plant, West Virginia
House Interior $200,000
W.A. Young & Son's Foundry, Penn
Senate Interior $250,000
Forsyth, Georgia City Hall
House Labor-HHS $100,000
Cyber Seniors, Detroit, Michigan for the Experience Senior Power Program
House Labor-HHS $100,000
Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, Tri-County Educational Service Center, Wooster, Ohio
House TTHUD $200,000
Buses, Gainesville Florida
House TTHUD $180,000
Recreational Park Road, Kentucky
House TTHUD $50,000 White Plains Youth Sports Complex, Calhoun County, Alabama
Senate TTHUD $3,000,000
Carson City Freeway-Phase 2, Nevada
House TTHUD $300,000
Pedestrian Walkway/Streetscaping, Ellenville, New York
Senate TTHUD $200,000
Construct a Multi-Generational Recreation Facility in North Las Vegas, Nevada
House TTHUD $200,000
Franklin Streetscape, West Virginia
Senate Labor-HHS $140,000
Sports Done Right, University of Maine
House TTHUD $3,225,000
Bus Replacement, Detroit, Michigan (City owned?)
Senate Labor-HHS $250,000
Carnegie Hall, New York, New York
House TTHUD $50,000
Field Improvements, Fairfax County,VA
House TTHUD $400,000
Chassahowitzka Refuge Access Road Improvement, Florida
House TTHUD $250,000
Alpine Traffic Relief Route Study in Texas
Senate TTHUD $750,000
Acquisition of the Ward Cove Cannery Property, Craig, Alaska
Senate TTHUD $200,000
Hawaii Nature Center, Honolulu, Hawaii
House TTHUD $500,000
Rehabilitate Kapiolani Boulevard & Atkinson Drive, Hawaii
House TTHUD $50,000 Community Theater Renovations, Lineville, Alabama
House TTHUD $100,000
Industrial Park Development, Birmingham, Alabama
House TTHUD $600,000
Isanti Bike Trail, Cambridge, Minnesota
House TTHUD $150,000
12th &14th Avenue Road Reconstruction, Madawaska, Maine
Senate TTHUD $200,000
Stadium Theatre, Woonsocket, RI
House TTHUD $250,000
Construct a Business School at Shenandoah University, Winchester, VA House TTHUD $1,500,000
Pinellas Bicycle Trail Extension, FL
Senate TTHUD $200,000
Historic Plaza Theatre, Laredo, Texas
House TTHUD $1,000,000
State Street Improvements, Madison,WI
House TTHUD $450,000
Regional Bus Replacement, San Diego Co, California
House Commerce $800,000
JARI for a Regional Business Incubator
Senate Interior $250,000
Polish American Cultural Center,PA
House Labor-HHS $125,000
National Museum of Industrial History, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
House Interior $150,000
John Henry Historical Park, WV
House TTHUD $1,000,000
Diley Road Improvements, Pickerington, Ohio
Senate Agriculture $300,000
Medusahead Research, Burns, Oregon
House TTHUD $400,000
Shaw Road Extension, Puyallup, WA
House Labor-HHS $100,000
Phillips Collection, Washington, DC, for its National Summer Teacher Institute
House TTHUD $100,000
Community Center Construction, Marin County, California
House Labor-HHS $300,000
Guam Memorial Hospital, Tamuning, Guam
House Energy & Water $1,000,000
City of Orrville Water Main Replacement
House TTHUD $800,000
Devils Lake Airport, North Dakota
Senate Commerce $400,000
City of Pascagoula Economic Development
Senate Interior $500,000
Beaver Creek Watershed Restoration Project, Knox County, Tennessee
Senate TTHUD $200,000
Providence Performing Arts Center,RI Senate Agriculture $361,000
Center for Rural Studies, Vermont
House Labor-HHS $650,000
Virtual Vietnam Archive, Texas Tech University, Lubbock
Senate Interior $150,000
Big Timber Carnegie Public Library, MT
House TTHUD $450,000
Demolition of a Structure in Fort Dodge, Iowa
House Interior $450,000
Automobile National Heritage Area
House TTHUD $1,700,000
Chesapeake & Delaware Canal Recreation Trail, Delaware
House TTHUD $500,000
Construct a Multipurpose Athletic Facility at Crafton Hills College, Yucaupa, California
House Labor-HHS $100,000
PRONTO of Long Island, Inc., Bayshore, New York
House TTHUD $250,000
Ossian Park, Fairfax County, Virginia
Senate Agriculture $150,000
Shellfish Genetics, Oregon State University
House Commerce $350,000
National Center for Community Renewal
Senate Interior $250,000
Grand Opera House, Iowa
House Labor-HHS $75,000
‘‘Building Foundations’’ Project, Women’s Center of Beaver County, PA Senate TTHUD $300,000
Reconstruction of the Robert Frost Farm, New Hampshire Dept. of Resources & Economic Development

Very Sad-our Congress held up funding for FaHA for two years 2005-2006 over pork, and increased retirement for themselves.

Florida now says that bids over 10% engineers estimates are non responsive. So more than $2 billion , bid and not awarded.

Cost's money to bid, a lot!

No wonder we spend so much on gasoline, sit in traffic most of our day.

We need to get rid of incompetant, layered, bureaucrats retireing in FL on our money! Then replaced by more stupid.

Why worry about bridges when we have saving Iraq?

Please vote locally, and nationally when you can.

Mike Young

I love the comparisons between the war and infrastructure. Seeing as how we are paying for the war with funds borrowed from China, would you have preferred we put ourselves in debt to fund the infrastructure?

I knew you liberal morons would equate this that Bush sucks somehow.

Congressman, Senators and your local reps handle this type of stuff (exclusive of party) and in fact there was bridge work going on at the time.

In Mass we have tolls that were supposed to go way years ago, but have remained in place to COLLECT BILLIONS so we can SUPPOSEDLY pay for repairs.

Anyone drive in my state lately, the roads suck period.

The money is there, but gets misused by HACKS from BOTH side of the aisle.

Don't kid yourselves liberals that this is a Republican problem, BOTH of the do-nothing parties are accountable not for the bridge collapsing, but for wasting monies that could go to paying for upkeep and repairs being done.

To appease you losers, Bush is indeed and idiot, feel better?

Country needs to stop wasting hundreds of
billions in Iraq and apply that money to defending our ports and borders and fixing our rotting infrastructure.

All we need is another $1.6 trillion to fix our nations bridges, but good to know Sen. Reid.

Hey Harry I'm all for spending more money on infastructure but you like all your other friends in congress are a day late and a dollar short. Like all you congressmen and senators you guys are America's biggest problem next to our President. I've been a Republican for thirty years and I'm going to fight to get them out of office this election but I'm not really sure you dem's are any better we need another choice someone who's not a lawyer or political someone who is really for America.

I have been saying for years that our infrastructure is in need of attention. Every city in the US is grossly jammed with traffic. Rush hours and now about 6 hours. And it is not only our highways. Our health systems is a dismal, the electrical systems are failing, remember the wide systemic outtages? Our education system has been failing as schools require overhauling. And the environment has been failing for 50 years and we all know it but now we are at a point where if we do not address the way we use oil energy our planet is going to let us know that we have gone too far.

What must be done? We all must use very small cars. Smart highways can be built easily and inexpensively elevated above or along existing highways. We use the proper car for the proper purpose and get out of those 5,000 pound SUVs that take one person to work. The US must begin to think smart as we have been very stupid. Example: Why do we have only one gas or diesel engine? Electice motors are quiet, extremely simple and more powerful that those stinking gasoline and diesel engines. OIL!!! Pledge to buy a small car and make it electric if you can and get the government to build nice small roads for only them. This will take many people off those crowded highways and reduce pollution.

Colin of Milwaukee must've fogotten the buckling of and the subsequent blasting of an entire section of the Hoan Bridge over the Milwaukee Harbor...luckily no one was injured or died...it easily could've been just as much of a tragedy as the collapse of 35W in Minneapolis.

I spent a week in Stockholm this summer. They have a fantastic high speed train from the city to the sirport, and the airport serves both Stockholm and Uppsala. When I arrived at OHare I thought I was in Mexico.

Dingy Harry should be impeached.

Those dumb Europeans and Canadians: they tax motor fuels and grossly excess income to invest in their nations' infrastructures. We provide huge tax cuts for the wealthy and allow our infrastructure to crumble to pay for those tax cuts. So, our pigeons are finally coming home to roost from the Reagan Revulsion and subsequent NeoCon dynasties....aw heck now I'm gonna need an SUV just to get around on our "Third World" roads....in a gas sucking 4WD setting. I smell a conspiracy......

I live 1.5 blocks from the 35W bridge and was on the scene 5 min. after trying to help (along with speckles of other early onlookers). There were a good many i noticed in action and passing conversation who were anxious to aid. Cool-headed but compelled to run towards the water. Everyday people, if presented with the opportunity, often show themselves to be heroes. I saw many heroes in action from the NE riverbank under the 10th st. bridge. Our political leaders can only speachify it seams. They arrive after the fact for a camera and attempt to claim a glimmer of the greatness displayed ignominously by average joes live and have history with the community for more time than it takes to touch down and convene a photo-op.

It's a tragedy now, but wait a short while to process all this, find out some more, and this incident, like Katrina in NOLA, will be indicative of our disrepair here at home.

Neglect is something every person can recognize, and more and more Americans see it around us and feel it in our collective, national soul. Though some time off, 2008 WILL indeed be a change reflection. No amount of forseable circumstances nor poor, contrived, tired/fearmongering, talking point, excuse or "I don't recall" can change this irrevicable factor for the GOP.

I genuinely cannot believe what I'm reading. Are all you people really being brainwashed by this media spin? There was one bridge collapse...ONE. How many bridges are up and running with no problems whatsoever?

One bridge falls and all of a sudden every road in the U.S. is about to crumble and is being held up with duct tape as far as you all are concerned. If this bridge hadn't fallen, you all would still be debating over who looks better in a dress....Hillary or Obama. Now, all of a sudden, crumbling U.S. infrastructure is a National epidemic.

I feel sorry for all of you. You are out of it mentally. Get a grip...get a grip....get a grip!

American infrastructure is in bad shape, having been neglected for decades. It started in a big way with Reagan and the anti-New Deal backlash, with its hostility toward the whole idea of our having a government. This is what happens when people "starve the beast" that is our own government. Anyone who thinks that 3 decades of tax cuts hasn't impacted our ability to maintain our basic infrastructure is indulging in wishful thinking. Grownups don't expect government to be anything but imperfect, often infuriating, often wasteful or misguided–just like the private sector can be. We're stuck with imperfect human institutions as a necessary means of taking care of ourselves and each other. We've got to start raising taxes again and funding maintenance of infrastructure.

And once again we have "Jon from Sacramento" the official fact twister from the GOP! No Jon the money we are spending in Iraq is not going to our troops – it's going to Halliburton and the other GOP front companies ripping off the American Public. Jon – you obviously have enough money to live a very comfortable life and your spending a lot of time trying to convince ordinary Americans that our tax dollars should only go for the GOP's favorite Pork Barrel projects! Well – we don't believe you – so go to the country club and quit your lying!

These people denouncing comments about examining our crumbling infrastructure are the same idiots who shut down the sports leagues for a week after 9/11. They pick and choose their distasters to clean up after based on politics. They probably work for FEMA and the White House.

Stop using the Iraq war as an excuse for this. This is what educated people call... DENIAL

To those pointing a finger at Bush and the Iraq war for our failing infrastructure is pure comedy...

IT HAS BEEN FAILING FOR 30 YEARS.... If you point and blame one man, then you're too dumb to breed in my opinion.

Everyone is at fault, from the politicians to our government to ourselves demanding so much in return for giving so little...

Someone earlier commented on how great Germany is when it comes to their roadways.... yeah they toll them and they spend their tax money well..

In this country, we hardly do either. Oh yeah and it's a $500 dollar fine to curse of flick off a motorist in Germany. Talk about balancing the stupid budget here in our country if we could implement that law!

[...] Reid: Country needs to look at infrastructure WASHINGTON (CNN) - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, said Thursday that the Minneapolis bridge [...] [...]

one question: how many people who got tax cuts were commuters in the Mpls collapse?

I do not know about the infrastructure across the entire country, but in Hawaii. . . there was a busted sewer pipe in Honolulu that flooded an area of the bay resulting in beach closings, pollution of the ocean, and lots of money to repair AND a failed earthen dam that washed down the mountain on Kauai during a wet period and killed some. Here are two recent examples of failing infrastructure on a local level. This is the beginning of the end for America. Our economy is faltering, people cannot pay for homes or credit cards, we do not generate our own goods and are dependent on other nations for our 'toys', and politicians and CEOs look for ways to insulate themselves from the chaos rather than taking action to improve the situation. Maybe it is too late and we should all wake up and take notice of the writing on the wall – which is now at the bottom of the Missippi River.

Infrastructure=taxes. It really is that simple. Years of intentional cutting by the right and fear to be labeled tax and spend by the left (and ignorant in the center) presages such events – Hopefully future collapses will not overtake the news like this one has

The right wingers on this blog are completely ignoring the total waste of money in Iraq, what with no bid contracts that are stealing our tax money, the missing tens of millions in Iraq, the subsidies for the oil companies back home, and the tax cuts for those who don't need them – corporations and individuals.

Neocons don't want you to know anything about that. But it's so easy to find out all about it.

Neocons on this blog are spouting off about what our gov't 'should' spend our money on. Not having a clue or at least ignoring the gross waste of money their taxes have been squandered on so far by this most inept administration with their 'philosophy of smaller gov't'. Spouting off tirades when Dems address REAL issues. Trying to tell us that reality makes not a difference at all – but that tax cuts do.

Civics 101, morons. Gov'ts are in place to provide for INFRASTRUCTURE. That's where our money should go. If you want a tax cut and you fall to your death on a collapsed bridge, remember – you can't take your tax cut with you.

Events such as these will only increase in occurrance as America's infrastructure slowly degrades in the coming years. Testaments to our apathy – it is not a contemporary American interest to fix something that isn't "broken". We should get used to these kinds of things happened and being publicized (and we should hope that they remain publicized and not become numb or boring stories for the media outlets). Signs for us to wake up! If we don't watch our health, we surely will decay. Yes, America needs to brush its teeth twice a day now.
Also, I do believe in the next decade we will have to see a NEW new deal, as our roads, sewers, lines, electricity age and require urgent maintenance and attention!

Is there anybody else out there that is getting tired of hearing from our government, "lessons learned, a mistake was made, we'll do better from now on,...."
We as a people are being overtaxed, lied to, neglected, and played like violins! The infrastructure in this country is failing due to being antiquated and neglected by our government while it steals, embezzles, wastes, and gives away to our enemies!
It is way past time that we the people of this country takes back our government and elect representatives that will strive to do what is right for Americans!

VOTE OUT ALL INCUMBANTS!!!!!!

Our highway system was started in 1951, and has rotted away since then. Bad pavement, bad bridges, poor highway layout, all 55 + years old, when Don Cordell is elected President in 2008, new highways for Trucks, total repair of our infrastructure. NO more aid to foreign nations, America first. NO more imports from China, Made in America, hire Americans, return jobs to America. 2008 will give you the chance to save America, if you care. No Republicans, no Democrates vote for Independent candidate for President, and turn this country around.

Anyone who is old enough will remember that it was Ronald Reagan who said government was the problem. Since then we have cut spending (and taxes) for all domestic concerns – health care, infrastructure, environment, food safety, education – all under the guise of smaller government is better and privitization of everything is the answer. Well it's not better. This is not a state vs. federal issue – we all live in this country together. It is our country. Just who should pay for the upkeep of bridges and roads. Just who should pay for health care in this country? No one wants to pay taxes either on the state of federal level. Where do we get the money to take care of our country? We have spent 27 years cutting taxes and the only time we had a balanced budget was during the Clinton years. We have saddled the future generations (my children and grandchildren) with unbelievable debt for this war but we can't provide them with doctor visits. Oh that's right providing that would be SOCIALISM or better yet COMMUNISM. Let's all duck and hide. And for all of you collecting your V.A. benefits and Medicare benefits, you could never pass that legislation today. Nor could you pass social security (of any kind) today. We are too selfish. Every since 1980 it has been me first and the hell with everyone else. The roosters are beginning to come home but by God there will not be gay marriage in this country and we will outlaw abortion. I think we should outlaw divorce too and then all the Republican candidates would have to actually stayed married to one spouse.

Instead of bickering about whether the president or any of congress is the issue here, wake up and realize that many of the maintenance issues of infratructure are at the local and state levels. Just because we have a maintenance budget doesn't mean that it is sufficient. How many times are our schools left falling apart because no one wants to pay for upkeep, they just want shiney new buildings...

I love people like RightyTighty and the like, who criticize Reid as a fast spending democrat. He says Harry likes to spend our money. Let's ignore the fact that the Republican Administration and Congress took us into a war that is now looking likely to cost over a trillion dollars.

The Right side of the aisle has lost all credibility in any further argument regarding spending. Just sit down.

Hey likwidshoe:

Could you just take 5 minutes to research what you're saying?

In 2006 the actual spending for the department of defense was 550 billion. That doesn't include spending for Veterans Affairs which was 750 million. Also not inlcuded in president Bush's budget was the cost of the Iraq war. This is why he gets to blame congress for not giving him his emergency appropriations. To date the war is estimated to have cost 456 billion by the end of September. In the news recently: Joseph Stiglitz, a Nobel Prize-winning economist puts the final figure at a staggering $1 trillion to $2 trillion.

By contrast the entire 2006 budget for the Department of Health and Human Services was 67.2 billion (a 1% decrease from 2005). That includes the following: Medicare, Medicaid, State Children’s Health Insurance Program, Health Centers, Marriage and Healthy Family Development, Bioterrorism, and Health Care Information Technology.

But I guess if Rush says it, it must be true. Right?

And one more thing.

You said, "And stop lying about “tax cuts for the wealthy” (in reality they pay almost all of the taxes)"

The Urban Institute-Brookings Institution Tax Policy Center has produced estimates of how the benefits of the income and estate tax reductions enacted in 2001 and 2003 will be distributed among households at different income levels in coming years, if these tax cuts are extended. More than $1 trillion in tax cuts would go to the top 1 percent of households, a group with annual incomes above $400,000 in 2007. The highest income 1 percent of households thus would receive nearly one third of the tax cuts’ total value. The bottom 60 percent of households would receive 12 percent of the tax cuts’ value, or well under half the amount that would go to the top 1 percent.

And if you don't like the Urban institute (from Businessweek):
"A recent study by the bipartisan Congressional Budget Office confirms that the 2001 and 2003 Bush tax cuts have disproportionately benefited the wealthiest households. The tax cuts have boosted the aftertax incomes of the top 1% of households, with average incomes in excess of $1,000,000, by 10% - compared with a 2.3% increase for middle-income families with average incomes of $57,000 and a 1.6% increase for the bottom 20% of families, with average incomes of less than $17,000. The tax cuts for millionaires alone have reduced government revenues by $90 billion a year, more than the lost revenues from tax cuts for the 80% of families making less than $100,000. As an intended consequence of the Bush tax cuts, the share of federal taxes paid by the bottom 80% of taxpayers has increased, while the share paid by the top 1% has dropped. And that's before the elimination of the estate tax scheduled to take effect at the end of the decade, which will further reduce taxes on the wealthiest households."

It's not just about who pays what, but as the ancient Romans used to say, "quisnam beneficium" – who benefits. I don't know if you're one of the wealthiest 1%, but it always amazes me how people currently get screwed by unfair tax policies that benefit only the wealthiest in America cry for them. Your naivete is mind boggling.

In 2005, this bridge was rated as "structurally deficient" by the Federal Inspectors. However, Gov Tim Polenta continues to veto the bi-partisan-passed bills for road/bridge improvements in Minnesota so he can live up to his pledge of no new taxes and further his national political ambitions as a Republican Governor who has held the line against the Democratic tide. I am not saying the bridge collapse was his fault. I am saying the infrastructure in Minnesota continues to decay because of him and our once nation-leading programs for children and in health care are now years behind. Most of us do not like taxes but most of us are also willing to pay our fair share to bring Minnesota back up to its historic position as leading the way in many areas of quality of living. When you look at the picture of Governor Wendell Anderson on the cover of Time Magazine years ago with the headline "The Minnesota Miracle" and the state of the State today, it is hard to believe this is the same place. The politics of division and exclusion practiced by the current regime along with poor financial policy have taken a deep toll.

Why does it take a tragedy like this to wake people up to what has been FACT for many years now? Our infrastructure has been in dire need for at least 30 years now. I can remember NYC Mayor Koch warning people of this in the early 80's but as usual, no one was listening. When will we get our priorities staight in this country? Why are we spening a trillion dollars in Iraq when we need to be spending it right here? Most of our country's public works were built in the 1930's during FDR's presidency through his WPA program. I have long held we need to bring back the WPA to create jobs AND rebuild our country. It's all about priorities, and always is!

Who get's elected by saying,, "I'm going to make your bridged stonger." They get elected on the issues of abortion, gay marriage and prayer in school. If people weren't so busy sticking their noses in everyone elses business maybe our politcians would have time to focus on what government is supposed to do.

Ok so since none of you seem to understand how one billion can create 47000 well paying jobs let me explain. In economics it is called the multiplication factor. Each worker hired to do infastructure is paid. They then spend some of that pay creating demand and jobs in the food, housing, entertainment or in America health industries. Those people with the jobs created by workers spending also spend and so on. I can't guarantee 47000 jobs as it depends on the spending to savings ratio of the people involved. And as a bonus you get safer streets, water systems etc.

The power outage on the East Coast a few years back, the awful levees in the Gulf Region, this crumbling bridge in Minnesota, these are just a few examples of America's infrastructure breach. In particular, this is shameful when juxtaposed against the billions upon billions being spent to wage a war on "terror" in the Middle East. To call this alarmist, is to quickly sidestep the reality in our face. If you have to ask yourself what is the connection between this crumbling and the wars in the Middle East, then you don't really need to or want to know.

Hi to Colin, the very first post. Hi. Um, Colin, you are right. We should all take a deep breath and relax. The sky isn't falling, just an odd bridge, steam pipe, sink hole, refinery tank... etc...

If we would all just chill more we could also stop worrying about global warming, too.

Now what makes a person so eager to post such an ridiculous comment so quickly? I think I know. Fear. The same thing keeping "rightytighty" so puckered and ready to punch those keys.

How do we combat this fear? Do we need to combat this fear? Can we move forward without combat?

In case you never understood what FDR meant, he meant: "watch out for fools like Colin, RightyTighty and the rest".

This is the ultimate terrorism. Allowing our infrastructure to go in such decline. Lets do like the Republicans and say it is for the children's protection.

Let see, we have had steam pipes exploding in downtown Manhatten, Gas tanks exploding in Dallas, Bridges collapsing in California and now Minnesota, but Colin doesn't see any evidence of our infrastructure crumbling... what does it take to convince you?

The facts have been in for decades. The US infrastructure has been in rough shape for many years. In 2000 Al Gore wanted to invest in infrastructure and was labeled – no make that ridiculed – as a tax and spend liberal. When you elect people who don't believe in government to run the government, don't be surprised when a) they don't allot money to government programs, and b) those government programs subsequently begin to fall apart.
You wanted a country run like a corporation with a CEO – you got it.

Just forget for a minute that Harry Reid is a democrat. Ok, I know for some of you thats impossible.

Quit making this a partisan issue. Its not, and the infastructure does need improvement, and thus far, warnings have gone unheeded. It makes me sick to see people using this to call democrats whiners, or to blame welfare. Personally, I'd prefer the money to go to education, so I don't have to hear all of the mouth breathers regurgitating party lines and Limbaughesque trash.

Hey, Colin,
Harry Reid is right ... need I remind you of New Orleans and the levy's are still not repaired for the next big storm. If THAT wasn't a wake up call what do YOU need?

For decades there have been reports of the serious need for repair of vital infrestructure. Unfortunatley, it takes something like this to get action. I applaud Mr. Reid for pressing the issue. If we can get out of this stupid occupation we can start rebuilding America.

To Colin, Barabas, and the rest of you Darwinian do nothing free market whackos who still think that anything critical of the government and its promotion of corporatization and globalization is just left wing hate mongering partisan propaganda: 2003 black out, Katrina, NYC steam pipe, Minneapolis bridge, etc. are the tip of the iceberg.

Depending on the month, we here in Southeast MI have the highest unemployment rate, highest foreclosure rate and depending on the study Detroit has one of the lowest graduation rates in the country.

Come drive on our expressways and look under our overpasses. The majority are lined with plywood to keep some of that crumbling infrastructure from falling onto motorists and the roads.

It doesn't take a genius to connect the dots (Reagan's deregulation of the airline industry, trickle down economics, the wholesale give away and exodus of the country's manufacturing base in exchange for slave labor in so-called free trade agreement countries, HMO's, tax cuts for the rich, No Child Left Behind, the fiasco of the Iraq War, etc.) left behind by a cabal of the power elite to realize the U.S. is well on its way to being a bankrupt shell of its former self unable to help the common citizen. When you take complete economic ecosystems out of the melting pot you end up with vast areas of near-wasteland like much of Southeast MI. It's like cancer that spreads and spreads unless it's addressed. Sometimes, like cancer, nothing can be done.

You still adhere to the myth that this is a land of opportunity and that any governmental regulation is tantamount to Marxism.

What do any of us worker bees have in common with immoral, lying, cheating trust funders who perpetuate their system of controlling the nation's wealth?

I don't understand how you idolize these people who consider you cattle, lemmings and canon fodder. When are you going to wake up and realize that striving to be one of them, supporting their policies and alienating yourselves from the majority middle of the road citizens of this country only furthers the divide and decline of this country?

I love seeing the posts from supposed "fiscal conservatives". Here are some actual facts.

The Cato Institute, a bastion of conservative think, recently had to admit that cutting taxes in fact does not cut Federal spending. In fact for every 1.5% tax cut, spending goes up by an equal amount.

How can this be? Because conservatives like you get used to the Federal government providing you with certain services. Police, fire, federal bail out money in times of floods, earthquakes, etc.
When the Federal government raises taxes by 1.5%, Federal spending actually goes down by the same amount.
How can this be?

It is like shopping at Christmas with plastic instead of cash. When you pay on credit you can think about the actual cost later and the oversight is next to nill. When you pay in cash, you know what the "true" cost is and you do expect a full and fair accounting.

When the Federal govt. cuts taxes, it means less money for the states. Money that could be used to make improvements and repairs to infrastructure in those states. However, when the Federal monies dry up, and being that states cannot be in deficit, state sales taxes, property taxes, licensing fees, etc...all get raised to pay for the Federal shortfall.

I would rather know that lets say $8billion dollars in unaccounted for funds to aid in Iraqi reconstruction, actually actually had gone to something tangible and useful. Something that would keep us safe, like port security, improvements to our nations' electrical grid system, security at nuclear and chemical sites, etc... Instead you have a state like Indiana (with its Republican governor) who actually wanted to sell his states toll roads to a French/Spanish conglomerate so his state can make alittle money. Gee, I thought Bill O'Reilly said that France was bad!

Wake up and be an adult. Government works. Republicans say that government does not work and then, like a self-fufilling prophecy, go out of their way to make sure it doesn't work. Oh, it can work. Just not with Republican's at the helm.

Roger Lancaster ~ DC,

You shared, "The needs of improving our entire infrastructure (bridges, highways, dams, water systems, etc.)up to standard is around $1.6 trillion…the amount we have spent so far on the Iraq war—$1.6 trillion….hmmmmmm. Wonder sometimes where our values lie"

You DO know the vast majority of our expenses in Iraq have been the salaries of our soldiers, right? So equating the "cost" of Iraq to some other project is apples and oranges. Or were you suggesting we eliminate our intire military?

Just trying to get what you're saying here.

Becca ~ Sacramento,

You wrote, "$250,000.00 per Minute of our Tax Dollars are happily spent attacking a Country that never attacked us or threatened to.

Ask for a little bit of our Tax Dollars to be used at home for the good of the American Infrastructure and you’re an alarmist liberal.

Where has Common Sense & Logic gone?

-------------

Gee, Becca – do you pay the same gas tax (state and fed) I do here in Sacramento?? Funny I didnt realize all those tax dollars went into the Iraq War chest.

And did you pay income tax like me?? For some odd reason I thought those dollars were used for domestic programs as well as the military budget.

How naive of me! Thank you for not being an alarmist and using common sense by asking for a "little bit" of our tax dollars to be used at home as opposed to paying our military.

To Colin in Milwaukee and all the other idiots who blather on about "spending our money". So you'd rather spend it on needless, endless war? So you'd rather let this country fall apart then to give up your tiny $300 tax cuts? WTF? No wonder our country has gone to hell. I say we ship you all off to an island, put barbed wire fence up and let you form your own country. You can take all your guns and your fearless leader, George W. Chimp, with you. We can call it something like, say, Stupidstan. England did it to the Puritans. Why can't we do that here?

Hey all you Minneapolis...here's what you do...Do what was done in California, Recall your Governor! Read your states constitution....Just make that connection and do what was done in California...RECALL!!!!

Even if they has the funds to do the infrastructure building so desperately needed, this administration would outsource the materials/labor/contractors/planners...etc, because we American's just don't jobs like this!!! And even if we tried China has the market cornered on materials needed to do such jobs and they (china) has the The United States by the B#lls!

Who are we to trust anymore???

Republicans don't want to spend any money on infrastructure. They want it all spent on failed military adventures in third world basketcases.

The trillion dollars ($1,000,000,000,000.00) that we spent on Iraq (for haliburton's profit) could have and should have been spent here at home on infrastructure, health care, social security). COngratulations to all of you conservative compassionate republicans...good job!

Broken infrastructure, porous borders, hopelessly outdated air traffic control...welcome to your world, brought to you by the "no new taxes" republican leadership.

(Oops...but we have 1 trillion dollars to invade a country that didn't threaten us.)

HAD ENOUGH????????

This is what happens when we are more concerned about tax cuts for the wealthy than providing basic services for the good of all citizens. Our Republican governor (Pawlenty – an aspiring GOP VP wannabee) killed by veto this year a bi-partisan bill to raise money for transportation and repair of infrastructure. We find unlimited money for our idiotic military adventure in Iraq, but can't seem to find the resources to protect our citizens here from things like falling bridges.

As one who lives in the Twin Cities. Much of our infrastructure budget had been gutted by the Polenty administration. He is our current governor. Ever since he took office. The snow plowing has been slow, construction slow, child services reduced. But hay, the state taxes didn't go up.

We need to build bridges in Iraq, so Iraqis can blow them up, so we can rebuild them, so Iraqis can blow them up, so we can rebuild them...and so on. Jay-zus will protect our bridges.

Amazing how many posts there are here about how Harry likes to spend our money or Harry doesn't even want to wait for an investigation...

Are those the the White House talking points for this issue? Seems to me the money to upgrade our infrastructure is being spent somewhere else, employing people somewhere else.

But, I'd hate to go against the White House talking points...

**

Please stop pointing fingers to blame. Everyone in politics is to blame, and we are to blame for voting them into power.

The point is... what do we need to do to get things like this changed?

Do we need to step up and run? Do we need someone to stand up for the people?

Yes!

I wonder if recent cuts in Federal funding due to the Iraq war forced the state to make choices between school lunches and highway and bridge maintenance.

Cost of the war in Iraq-1 trillion dollars.

Cost to fix the infrastructure in this country-1.3 trillion dollars.

It seems to me that our hard earned tax dollars could be better used fixing roads and bridges rather than on killing 600,000 innocent Iraqis and almost 4000 American boys and girls.

I work in the transportation field, and there is simply not enough money for construction and repair costs.

Taxes (federal, state, and gasoline) must be raised a decent amount to cover this.

Question is, are you ok with that?

If you are, then gas will be at least 1 dollar more expensive than it is now...

I love how this gets spun into a reason to "Vote Democrat in '08." They're one in the same. The only difference is how they want to spend your money. Vote on the issues. Listen to "fringe/lower-tier" candidates and find out what they have to say before throwing your vote away to the lesser of two evils.

People have been crying "infrastructure" for several years now. It's just sad that it has to come to this before people wake up.

With all the billions per month going to Iraq, you'd think we could re-route some of it to domestic housekeeping.

Ironic that a Conservative Blog was just yesterday morning patting the Repub. Governor of Minneapolis on the back for vetoing an apparently much-needed transportation bill:

http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=21658

Reid is right- I am literally appalled at the state the roads are in- it's like driving over the surface of the moon. I'd like to see tax dollars go to improving OUR nation's infrastructure, as opposed to building it for other countries. Am I crazy for wanting to see something tangible come from my hard-earned tax dollars? And to criticize spending? The war machine does not benefit most of us outside of defense, but improved surroundings do.

Uh, Senator Reid?

I don't know what you've been smoking, sir, but the last time I looked, dividing 47,000 into $1-Billion comes out to about $21,276 per job.

High-paying indeed.

I heard President Bush this morning spend about 20 seconds with a message to the people of Minneapolis. He then went into a diatribe on how the Democratic Congress will not pass his spending bills. As if any of those bills do not affect bridges except in Baghdad.

The wonderful governor of Minnesota vetoed a spending bill that would have addressed the crumbling infrastructures in the state. The Democrats in the Minn. House and Senate passed the spending bill but as usual, the Republican vetoed it.

This is just another excuse for the reich wing fascists that want to turn everything over to private business. When actually it's time for Americans to tell the fascists to stop spending money on an oil war and use the money to help America.

As an "anti-automotivist" and advocate for mass transit and compact, pedestrian-based city development, I would like to know exactly how much this country spends each year on highway, freeway and road construction and maintenance.

No matter how many different sources I access on the internet, no single figure is available, leading me to conclude that it is being deliberately obscured, perhaps by the right wing-owned auto, oil and weapons companies who stand to gain so much from the nation being hooked on their product, the automobile, and the oil wars cars require.

If Americans knew that we probably spend as many hundreds of billions of dollars per year on roads that we do on the military, we might seriously begin to question just how warped our spending priorities, our cities and our foreign policy has become because of the car.

The fact that the we are witnessing the collapse of the exponentially costly road network may be the first sign that the twin spending behemoths of roads and the military might finally be at odds with each and, clearly, the military is winning.

The silver lining on this dark cloud might just be that we won't need oil wars anymore if the roads to drive cars upon have crumbled away and the masses move back towards the compact, sustainable, walkable cities of yesteryear.

I think we should continue to ignore the infrastructure of our country. It leaves more money for corporate subsidies, more money for war, more money for privatizing important government work, such as our military and national intelligence work, hell let us have a party. Gut the middle class by the time we are done we will all be dead so what if our grandchildren live in poverty, so what!

Rev. Dr. Gregory Wilson

Oh. My. God.

People would rather attack Reid than acknowledge the obvious: that neglect and underfunding have deteriorated our infrastructure to the point where things are literally falling apart.

Put aside the party loyalty for a minute and actually LOOK AT THE PROBLEM. Gah.

Our nation's infrastructure is crumbling, and the Democrats are going to do something about it, and yet people STILL find a way to attack Harry Reid for wanting to address this problem? We are doomed as a nation because we hate each other. We've let politics turn us into enemies. We've forgotten the fact that we're all Americans. Enjoy your partisanship while our nation dies.

Anybody on the highways who is over 40 knows we're not taking care of infrastructure.
I drove from CA to CO using I15 and I70 recently... work being done everywhere, but too little too late.

Yes, state and local governments are responsible for the repair and upkeep of their bridges, highways, etc. But they can't afford it alone, and in order to get Fed money they have to raise matching funds, which means raising tax dollars to do so. And we've all been brainwashed... TAXES=EVIL.
It's time we (that goes for the wealthy who get all the tax cuts) to pay our share!

Uh, the infrastructure IS crumbling, Colin. Not that the Democrats here in Taxashusetts have gotten it right–perhaps you haven't read about any of the Big Dig problems?

There is such a thing as the "Civil Engineers Report Card."

It addresses Infrastructure throughout the country, ie:
Roads, Bridges, Electrical Grids, Sewers, Fresh Water, Contaminated Water Treatment Fascilities...etc.

This report is provided to Congress.

They know that the repeated results of the "report card" has been a failing grade. They know that infrastructure is in a critical state of deterioration.

That Mr. Reid feels the need to pipe up is not surprising.

What you can do is call your Congressman/Woman, your Senators and ask them what the hell they intend to do. You might also ask them when they are going to do their job.

State Government is also responsible, and you have Reps and Senators to holler at.

All said and done, who is going to do the work? We need to revitalize the core groups. And who is willing to sacrifice a perk or several for a solid, unified country wide infrasture with the right redundancy, the right plan?

Call your folks and raise hell.

Bridges aren't a government problem? You HAVE to be kidding, right? Have you priced a bridge lately? They're quite expensive. Or would those who think that this is simply some kind of jobs program prefer no bridges? Or perhaps you'd like Wal-Mart or Chevron to build and maintain the bridge for you? They'd charge, you bloody well know, and lots.

The anti-government, "free market" attitudes are going to lead this country to the poor house while Europe and China eat our lunch. They don't have such stupid arguments–they build and maintain things. In fact, the French build BEAUTIFUL bridges!

$250,000.00 per Minute of our Tax Dollars are happily spent attacking a Country that never attacked us or threatened to.

Ask for a little bit of our Tax Dollars to be used at home for the good of the American Infrastructure and you're an alarmist liberal.

Where has Common Sense & Logic gone?

Some have commented that Reid is jumping the gun in calling for infrastructure spending. Incorrect. Reid is right on target. We have known for some time about deteriorating bridges and other parts of the infrastructure in the U.S. A good source is the recent Urban Land Institute report. Read it and weep: http://www.uli.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Search&section=Policy_Papers2&template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentFileID=27598

This is the kind of story that makes the righties complain about the "liberal media bias." Yes, this incident should be used to draw attention to our infrastructure, but this bridge didn't collapse from a lack of money – it was thought to be in good shape.

On the other hand, screw Bush for saying "our report told them so," and blaming it on the state. He was the first to jump on the blame game, and that makes me sick.

If only the money spent on the war (or a fraction of which) is used instead to, not only repair the infrastructure, create the best infrastructure in the world. How a country that boasts to be # 1 in the world, has roads that are sometimes even worse than that in so called 3rd world countries. Just look at the federal highway conditions in the Detroit area.

Hey Minneapolis:

I'd say that that ONE major grid failure 4 YEARS AGO isn't that bad. There are not many things that last 4 years without having problems. Again, why is this a government problem? Oh yea....it's because Democrats want everything to be a government problem so they can blame it on the republicans.

There are bridges in Baghdad that need our urgent attention and schools in Iraq that need to be painted by our highly trained US military. Priorities people.

It is a Party Issuse. How much more proof do we need of the total and utter FAILURE of the Conserative Republican agenda? From poison food do to the lack of inspectors, to our border safty and now our infrastructure, all because of their unreasonable attack on taxes (which every Christian knows that Jesus endorsed, read da Bible) and their fear of talking about the real issuses, not the made-up ones they use before a election (gay marriage, years ago it was term limits) that they forget about after the election. When you always ONLY react we will always be behind but when you are proactive, you fix things before they get bad. Republicans = reactive & Democrats = Proactive. Which would you rather have....?

To the near-sight folks here...The infrastructure wasn't pristine in 2000 and suddenly "in dire need of attention" in 2001. This has been going on for years, not since GWB (Not George Washington Bridge). But it's always a hoot to see the implications that it's all HIS fault and not Clinton for the previous 8 years. The bigger problem is relying on the Government to bail us out of this one. DOT is a slush fund for the idiots in Congress and the White House. Just another way to tax us to death and spend OUR money on a few pet projects. DOT is not required, mandated or even mentioned in the Constitution. Tell me why , again, we are continuing down this road (pun intended)?

I work as a city planner, and public works engineering magazines and journals have been discussing this for decades. Everyone wants to build stuff, but few want to spend what it takes to properly maintain that stuff. And those who properly point out that the immense sums being pissed away in Iraq that are not being spent in America are exactly right.

1,000,000,000/47,000 = $21,276.59

Is that what Harry considers a high-paying job? What about everyone else…, are we “the rich”??

----–

You obviously don't understand how money flows in the economy – the billion dollars is not divided among the workers directly, it pays their salaries and tehy in turn buy food and clothes, etc. Every dollar has more than $1 worth of impact.

I agree with Steve. It seems to be the GOPs desire to let only the ultra-rich ever get anything out of our government. Ask the Deep South and Katrina victims.

They've cut Veteran's Health Care, Children's Health Care, Pell Grants and everything conceivable to try to hurt Americans.

They want to get rid of Corporate Group Health Insurance plans altogether and force everyone to pay 3 times as much for private Health Insurance plans. They want to get rid of Social Security and MedicAid.

The Republicans motto for '08 ought to be "Steal from the needy and give to the greedy!" Wait... That's already Rush Limbaugh's motto. Isn't it?

In that case, I guess they'll just have to stick to their current motto: "Death to America!"

You republicans whiners have to look beyond the immediate. Look at the massive power grid failure 4 years ago. Whats been done about it? NOTHING!

This is GOP govt in action... or INACTION rather.

Nice way to assume that this is a government problem. He's just trying to win over people to get votes by acting like he is "protecting" them. When was the last time you heard about a bridge just collapsing on its own? This was probably a fluke event caused by some worker's oversight. This is like saying that we need to "take a long hard look" at repairing every airplane in America because of the last plane crash, when there are thousands of flights every day that take off and land with no problems. What a gross exaggeration of a non-problem that is only meant to scare people. Give me a break.

He's right about the infrastructure. I never realized how bad it is until I recently traveled to Europe. Germany, in particular, is in much better shape in terms of public highways, transit systems, and public buildings. Heck, just drive over the border to Canada, and it's amazing the contrast.

Our Infrastructure is falling apart. Didn't we learn that with the levees in New Orleans after Katrina?

Instead this administration would rather spend money in a big sink hole like Iraq, where everything is just going to be blown up anyway. I am tired of all our tax money going to Iraq.

A civilzed country means GOOD government, and a decent infrastructure. That is why we have the FDA, so we are not eating unregulated food like they are in China (even though we have been importing it).

What I don't get is: if Republicans like Mitt Romney do not like government and an infrastructure, like say -schools, stoplights, air traffic control – and only like spending money on weapons – why don't they just move to a country like Somalia? Maybe they would be happier in a place with no government or no infrastructure at all! (but lots of weapons)

Hey Colin, not sure what country you live in, but mine is in dire need of repair. In my native Pennsylvania, the roads and bridges are some of the worst in nation and nothing is being done about it. Sadly, these matters are never in talking points for politicians and even Reid will forget about this in a few weeks.

"Nothing like shooting off a "our infrastructure is in dire need of attention' before even having proof of the cause."

Are you paying attention? The bridge received a 50 out of 120 rating for structural stability two years ago. TWO YEARS!!

Just like New Orleans, the federal government knew there was a problem, yet did nothing about it.

I would ask Colin whether the story about Harry Reid's comments on the tragedy in Minneapolis included the assignment of any blame. The answer is simply no. Anyone who lives in the United States should be conscious of these problems and Reid merely reminded us of something that the Bush administration would never do unless the Chickenhawk crooks who run and support it could profit from it personally.

The needs of improving our entire infrastructure (bridges, highways, dams, water systems, etc.)up to standard is around $1.6 trillion...the amount we have spent so far on the Iraq war-$1.6 trillion....hmmmmmm. Wonder sometimes where our values lie...

Harry's right, if a little late. I've been saying this at my blog for about two years, and repeated it again a couple weeks back when a steampipe blew up in New York, about three blocks away from where I'm sitting, killing one and injuring 30. What if we used a tenth of what is spent on Iraq and rapacious corporate contractors (in Iraq and elsewhere) to monitor and repair our own country's infrastructure? Oh, I see, that would be socialism; excess government; but starting and funding a useless war while pushing your country into second-class nation status is democracy. Oh, I get it now...

I read a previous comment about this story and I just had to stop and go Wow. This has been a growing problem for years, but like driving a car and never checking the oil and water things that are unpleasant will happen. Many of us have known that the electric grid is in bad shape yet nothing is done, roads and highways falling apart the states do what they can with very little help. Bridges and and becoming more unsafe, but to fix any of this would take real commitment and some sacrifice. So while these issues are not a look another celebrity in trouble kind of story, they are disasters in the making. Not worthy of attention even on a slow news day, but heck 6.8 million elderly and disabled having their health care in jeopardy is not worth a mention, but now back to short attention span theater, oh look shiny object.

I don't know that it's fair to accuse Reid of "alarmist statements," not when the State of Minnesota saw fit to let motorists continue to drive across a heavily traveled bridge that received a 50% rating from inspectors two years ago. And not when Minnesota's governor tried to downplay the decision not to repair the structural deficiencies because there are so many thousands of bridges across America today with similar structural deficiencies.

I'd say it's past time for us to get alarmed and to insist that our politicians do more than bemoan our "crumbing infrastructure" around election time. And, yes, that may mean more taxes or wiser (though less popular) use of tax monies than constructing sports stadiums or building pork barrel bridges to nowhere in Alaska or not recklessly invading Middle Eastern countries to "spread democracy," which seems to result in a trillion-dollar quagmire.

Can we please have some pragmatic and responsible leadership in this country?

You're exactly right. But the other unspoken issue behind much of the crumbling infrastructure is due to taxes or lack thereof.

There was a special news segment on America's crumbling roads on CBS recently and it was said the problem started roughly 25 years ago. Interesting to think that Reagan reduced the top marginal tax rate from 70% to 28% by end of his tenure and yet people don't connect the two.

You don't have to be an economist to understand that we lost BILLIONS and BILLIONS and BILLIONS of dollars in revenue, revenue that could and should have been used in part to maintain and improve our fundamental infrastructure.

Then again why should we expect any different if we elect people who have open contempt for government and government programs and who say things like "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help-Ronald Reagan'."

What incentive do they have to ensure that government programs and projects are well funded and excuted efficiently and effectively?

If these programs fail, rather than take accountability, they can simply shift the blame to "government" as a whole and make the push for privatization.

http://www.theyoungturks.com

ASCE's 2005 Report Card for America's Infrastructure indicated that between 2000 and 2003, the percentage of the nation's 590,750 bridges rated structurally deficient or functionally obsolete decreased slightly from 28.5% to 27.1%. However, it will cost $9.4 billion a year for 20 years to eliminate all bridge deficiencies. Long-term underinvestment is compounded by the lack of a federal transportation program.

» To learn more about the Report Card's assessment of bridges, click here.
» For more information on ASCE's 2005 Report Card for America's Infrastructure and our Infrastructure Action Plan, click here.

Lets see now; we know for sure that a Trillion dollars of war money was NOT spent on American Infrastructure. This is what tax cuts get you.

Colin in Milwaukee has his head in the sand! How many bridges must collapse and how many steam pipes must explode before our President focuses on the needs of this country and rebuilding its infrastructure over that of Iraq!

Will someone please tell Harry that he is already getting a 75 cents a gallon road tax. Is he advocating raising it??

Metal fatigue that propogated stress fractures during the peak load period(rush hour)will be shown to be the cause of the bridge's failure. But go ahead and wait for 'proof' of what caused the failure, I suppose some wayward repair worker happened to loosen just the wrong bolt that set off a catastrophic series of events. Stop panicking about a tax increase when you should panic about become the next victim of habitual neglect. $600 Billion + has flown out of the woodwork to fund the war in Iraq, that if my recollection serves me right was supposed to be paid for by Iraq's oil revenues. Funny how that worked.

Senator Reid, if you really feel that is the case then my suggestion to you is that you can propose a law to make illegal ANY AND ALL EARMARKS, and use that money to spread evenly thoughout this country to support and repair infrastructure and stop with the stupid bridges to nowhere. No earmark should be allowed that does not comply with that.

"Look into it"???? How about FUNDING it instead of all the political squabbling and pork barrel spending to insure re-election! When are the leaders of America going to focus on protecting us instead of sound bites and re-election agendas for them? Get off your million dollar backsides and pass the legislation to improve this country without all this mess!I wonder where America would be today had the Founding Fathers spent their time fussing and pointing fingers at each other instead of working to forge the most unique country in the world. Anyone remember "Keep it simple, stupid"??? Maybe we need to take a closer look at the wasted time and money the members of Congress have taken from the American citizens for their pork barrel projects. Let's take a long hard look at what We the People have allowed to take place in the Congress and the priorities there. How about listing each and every spending item as well as the name of supporting Senator or Representative. No more hiding these things within the bills sent to the President. Print it in every paper in America so we see for ourselves in simple language what is going on.

C'mon, people, this is not a party issue, experts have been warning about the crumbling infrastructure in this country for years. I guess it will never be addressed, though, as long as no one can see it as an "American" issue, but only a Repub vs Dem one. Time for the American public to grow up...

A 2005 report called the bridge 'Structurally Deficient'. Sounds like a dire need for attention to me.

Don't forget the sewers and the fresh water pipes leading into our homes and businesses full of lead solder etc..... Especially, Washington DC! It is full of nasty corrosion and toxicity in oh so many ways....

http://www.epa.gov/dclead/corrosion.htm

Yes, since Reagan, America has taken good care of its wealthy at the expense of the streets, highways, bridges and sewers. But the wealthy don't have nearly enough alternatives to the infrastructure we're all stuck with. Won't this admiinistration do something to prevent raw sewage backing up in the basements of the most fabulously expensive homes in America? What can we do to protect $100,000 cars that have to use derelict streets and highways? Subsidize private jets? Oh wait they need airports, more infrastruture in disrepair.
But why should the few pay for any of that repair? Why can't this nation get that money from tens of millions earning a minimum wage? Anybody for a poll tax, flat tax? With every citizen paying $2,000 annually what could be more fair?

Where does reid get that 47,000 jobs figure? From the illegal alien who's last name he wouldn't divulge in the senate?

This was probably caused by an excess of idling cars just sitting on the bridge during rush hour for years and years. Methinks more money should be filtered to public transit, more compact development, and pedestrian-friendly environments and not wasted on rehabilitating a failed system of bridges, highways, and byways.

Colin in Milwaukee said: "Nothing like shooting off a “our infrastructure is in dire need of attention” before even having proof of the cause."

Just how dumb can you be? What do you think the "cause" is? "Libruls"?? Not only is it well-known that politicians have been neglecting infrastructure for years, there was a REPORT ON THAT BRIDGE, calling it out as "structurally deficient", over 3 years ago.

Neglecting infrastructure is STATE-SPONSORED TERRORISM. As you can see, Muslims with explosives would have done less damage in this case.

Colin:

The White House said an inspection two years ago found structural deficiencies in the highway bridge that buckled during evening rush hour Wednesday, killing at least four people and sending dozens of cars plummeting into the Mississippi River.

The Interstate 35W span rated 50 on a scale of 120 for structural stability, White House press secretary Tony Snow said.

Hey Colin,
There's plenty of studies that show how much our infrastructure needs repair. Fixing streets creates jobs, and will also save us some money from damage to vehicles caused by potholes, etc. Simple logic and observation shows our houses and cars need to be maintained. Same goes for our roads, bridges, damns, etc. I guess you already forgot about Katrina, whose damage could have been minimized if the Bush Administration had not cut money to fix the levies. Just like in healthcare, PREVENTATIVE fixes are CHEAPER than waiting for something to break. That bridge is going to cost a bunch to fix, and it would have been much cheaper to fix before it fell down. And that's not counting lives that would not have been lost.

I understand President Bush is promising whatever help is necessary to the people in Minneapolis. I'm sure many are comforted by his words. Speaking as someone from the Gulf Coast I can safely say, "Minneapolis, don't hold your breath..."

Colin, had you been driving on that bridge when it collapsed, you'd probably avoid highway bridges for the rest of your life, had you been lucky enough to survive.

Infrastructure is suffering, along with many other things in this country, while we all contribute to corporate welfare and tax cuts for the rich, not to mention the Iraq war and whatever new war they choose to start before we finally get rid of Bushco.

Calling in sick is a luxury not offered to those trapped in cars 9 feet under. Wake up, stupid.

Our infrastructure is in crisis, and has been so for many years. The news just doesn't report the daily travails on roads, bridges, railways and even airports unless there is a major devastating event.

What troubled me about Harry's words were the ones that stated "We need to look at it." Harry, what we need to do is take action!

We need to reinvent Eisenhower's National Highway system, revamp and in many cases redo our national highways.

We're dumping billions into Iraq on a monthly basis while our infrastructure crumbles. It's time to put America, and American's first!

No the Bush answer so far is it's the state's fault. Dollars to donuts the state couldn't do anything about it cause they would have had to decide between lunch rooms for school kids or infrastructure from some cut the Feds made to keep taxes low.

What about Katrina? The Big Dig? Is anyone denying that we needed some major infrastructure improvements. And we are supposed to be scared of terrorists that maybe are here and maybe are planning something big. Maybe we should take a look at our shortcomings before we have another disaster and more human life lost. Instead we are spending billions on rebuilding a country we destroyed to begin with. Duh.

Not to worry, Colin. Since the GOP lost control of the congress, Bush has suddenly discovered his constitutional authority to veto. He'll veto any infrastructure measure that is passed by a Democratic congress, claiming that he does not support "socialized" infrastructure.

Steve, Oregon, WI – how about spending our money better? We had million dollar bus-stops and a bridge to nowhere in the last transportation bill. There's not enough money?

And stop lying about "tax cuts for the wealthy" (in reality they pay almost all of the taxes) and the cost of the Iraq war. Get real Steve. This nation spends more on welfare than it does the Constitutionally mandated military.

Also, I guess some need reminded that it is CONGRESS, not the President, that sets the spending. Bush and every other President have NOTHING to do with this bridge collapsing.

1,000,000,000/47,000 = $21,276.59

Is that what Harry considers a high-paying job? What about everyone else..., are we "the rich"??

I would argue it's time to fast forward and look at how Japan and Western Europe has used more investment in rapid mass transit, high speed commuter trains and more efficient transportation systems.

Let the states take care of their own infrastructure modernization but the federal government should focus on more
progressive public transportation systems.

I am pretty sure there are local and state agencies that are in charge of maintence of these types of things in all cities. Bad things happen for no reason sometimes. A few years ago in Kansas City we had a bridge become "unhinged" on one side, thus making it unuseable. It had passed inspection just a few months prior to the problem. I feel bad for the people that lost loved ones, and pray for those that do not know the fate of the missing people.

This is just the tip of the infrastructure iceberg. Starting with Reagan approving increased axle loads on trucks beyond roadway design limits in exchange for Teamster support for the GOP. Followed by years of GOP borrowing and tax cuts for the richest of Americans we now have crumbling roads, rusting bridges, overloaded "deregulated" energy system, etc. Just wait until we get a Democratic President and then the GOP cronies will start pointing the finger at him for all these "problems on his watch"

Don't confuse them with facts, Harry.

We're now spending $4000 a second (literally) in Iraq. Imagine home many highways, bridges, dams and jobs that could create here at home.

This bridge collapse is yet another reason to vote Democrat in 2008.

“For every billion dollars we spend in our crumbling infrastructure, 47,000 high-paying jobs are created,”

Yeah, and thats a billion dollars every year from now on.. Harry sure likes to spend our money, he doesn't even need an investigation.

Our infrastructure is in dire need. The steam pipe explosion in New York and now this – it is obvious that we have not maintained our infrastructure. Beginning with Reagan on forward, we have directed all our funds to tax cuts for the wealthy and now the Iraq war. Other countries maintain, not wait to repair, infrastructure. I guarantee the answer from the current administration will be that we need to privatize our roads. Wrong answer!

Nothing like shooting off a "our infrastructure is in dire need of attention" before even having proof of the cause.

I'm not saying that our infrastructure couldn't use some improvement, but come on Harry!!! I thought alarmist statements like these were reserved for Bush administration officials. Statements like these also cause at least a few Americans to call into work today and tomorrow and say "I'm not coming in to work today because I have to cross a bridge and I'm afraid it will collapse while I'm on it", albeit probably to the relief of said person's coworkers.