What a memorial sign on the new Minneapolis I-35 bridge should read...

[Union Yes]

We the people, dedicate this bridge to the flawed policy lobbied for by the Minnesota Taxpayers League.

Don't let Rethugs and their anti-infrastructure lobby do to your state what Governor Tim Pawlenty and Rethugs have done to Minnesota.

Minnesota used to be a beacon of progress. It used to be a state that other states tried to copy. Minnesota had it right. Why? Because they weren't afraid to invest in people.

Then they elected Pawlenty.

In a few short years, TimPee has destroyed the competitiveness of the state.

Owned by the Mn Tax payers league, TimPee viewed investment in infrastructure as "social engineering".

Pawlenty "socially engineered" the collapse of the I-35 bridge.

Please remember, this asshole will be a front runner for the Rethug prez nomination in '12.

Peace.

[bbinacan]

1. How long has

this bridge been neglected?

[Selatius]

3. That's my question as well. A lot of national infrastructure has been neglected for a lot longer.

Especially interstate infrastructure, which is ultimately under the purview of the federal government in the end.

[Union Yes]

4. Deemed structurally deficient since 1990. As are 77,000 bridges across America.

The decay of our infrastructure nationwide is reaching critical mass.

If we want to create perhaps more than a million jobs and the corresponding economic growth, start by repairing our infrastructure.

Now if only Washington would pull it's head out of it's ass and make this happen, nationwide.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

10. So in 2016 will Obama be responsible if they aren't all fixed?

[Zoeisright]

8. Minnesota has suffered for years under repuke neglect.

But Pawlenty and his evil sidekick, Carol Molnau, were especially egregious in trying to ruin the state. Molnau took pleasure in cutting MNDOT (Department of Transportation) funding even though she was supposed to be head of that organization.

I hold Pawlenty and Molnau totally responsible for this. Of course, Ventura didn't help, and before him was lip-licker repuke Arne Carlson. We haven't had a Democratic governor since 1990. The year the bridge was deemed structurally insufficient.

[Union Yes]

9. +1

[MinneapolisMatt]

2. Minnesotans will NEVER let him forget.

Ever.

If he gets the nod in '12, he won't even win his own state.

[bbinacan]

6. The bridge has been fucked

since 1990. Do you blame Clinton?

My God. Is there any sanity here?

[Union Yes]

7. It fell 5 years after Pawlenty first won office. So I'd say TimP owns the disaster.

[Zoeisright]

11. Oh for Pete's sake.

Carol Molnau is directly responsible for MNDOT's troubles.

"MnDOT's own numbers indicate that Minnesota should spend an additional $2 billion a year to keep the system functioning at current levels. But MnDOT's commissioner (Carol Molnau, the Lt. Governor) applauded as Gov. Tim Pawlenty twice vetoed bills that would have come less than halfway in closing that gap -- charging that they were too large."

http://www.startribune.com/opinion/editorials/15454161.html

More about mean Carol:

“Under her leadership, the agency has become demoralized. She hasn’t been an effective advocate for transportation issues in Minnesota. She allowed key positions to remain unfilled. She hasn’t argued for road repairs. Instead, she’s accepted budgets that were inadequate, without objection.”

http://www.mn2020.org/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={A3625C81-07DF-406F-8120-CD2EE2257463}&DE=

Do the math. If you don't know anything about the situation, you shouldn't make comments.

[bbinacan]

13. Welcome to DU.

:toast:

[Union Yes]

14. ..

:applause: :applause: :applause:

:hi:

[bbinacan]

5. So this is a bit dishonest isn't it?

Read the replies.

[Union Yes]

12. Please be specific about anything that's been dishonest in this thread.

[bbinacan]

15. For the slow, I'll repeat

READ THE REPLIES TO YOUR OWN OP. :banghead:

[newtothegame]

16. I don't think it was infrastructure so much as social programs. At least from what I've seen up here

Not that I like the guy, but seems a bit misleading. There's a difference between not wanting to create a safe bridge for thousands of cars to cross each day, and not wanting to give away free stuff to people.

[dembotoz]

17. like the old fram oil filter commercial-pay me now or pay me later

maybe he can point to how many construction jobs were created when the bridge came down.