Katie Couric's Notebook: Our Crumbling Bridges
The tragedy in the Twin Cities is a reminder of our fragile infrastructure -- but this bridge may be just one of 80,000 in serious trouble. How long until the next catastrophe?
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I am a big fan of the Evening News. Good comment on the bridges Katie, but do remember the plural for stadium is stadia not stadiums, now go slap that producer of yours.
Gordon Moseley
GUYANA, SOUTH AMERICA
With people like you in the world, it's hard for me to be an optimist. I never said or implied that we wouldn't see a disaster of this kind ever again. My simple point, which apparently wasn't simple enough for you, is that the media are going to blow this out of proportion. One bridge collapse does not prove a "crumbling infrastructure", which is a phrase like "connect the dots" that we're going to hear over and over and over again out of perky mouths.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Minnesota affected by this horrible trajedy. Thankfully, there have also been great acts of selflessness, bravery,and heroism which have saved many lives.
In the excellent news broadcast we saw tonight,we learned the shocking details of exactly how many bridges and other infrastructures in the USA have been labeled as deficient or unsafe, and received low safety rating grades. This issue of the problems of America's infrastructures has certainly not gotten enough attention in the past, and it is unfortunate that, as with many problems, it often takes a horrific trajedy such as this, to bring these problems to national attention.
Today the Department of Transportation in Minnesota ordered immediate inspections of all bridges in that state, especially and firstly, those with a similar structure to the one that collapsed last evening. A similar order should be issued by all states to have all their bridges immediately inspected as well, and federal and state budgets have to expand their budgets to include adequate funding for the manpower necessary to conduct these inspections and make major improvements as needed. Another bridge collapse like the one in Minnesota has to be prevented at all costs.
Again, Our thoughts & prayers go out to all those affected by this trajedy,
Peter
But, alas, that is another looming tragedy that we taxpayers have hidden our heads in the sand about, political suicide for any candidate who seriously wishes to win an election.
A house of cards. We would rather spend our money to respond to a problem than to prevent it in the first place.
Are they state employees that passed a test to obtain this status?
We elect those who tickle our ears. "No new taxes!" If during an election a candidate told us that the cost of repair would require serious tax increases, would we want to hear it? Would he or she win an election?
To save money, these same state and local governments lay off governmental workers to save pennies, the same governmental workers doing necessary jobs like inspecting bridges. So those governmental workers left are overburdened with too much of a workload and twindling funding to do the job they were hired to do.
We all share the blame. Shame on us all.
Eric
PS- If we are totally entrusting the government with responsibility for our protection, we are naive. Every day time and unforeseen circumstances confront us. We must each have a personal and family emergency plan and have adequate equipment, food and water to sustain ourselves until help arrives. Not just in our homes. Not just at work. In our cars as well.
- by phoenixandy August 2, 2007 8:58 PM EDT
- Our infrastructure is bursting at the seams and falling apart. The steam pipe explosion in New York a couple of weeks back is a good example. Another example are power outages. Train derailments are another. I could go on, but you get the picture.
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