MINNEAPOLIS, Aug. 6, 2007 — In the past two years, Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota twice vetoed legislation to raise the state’s gas tax to pay for transportation needs.Now, with at least five people dead in the collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge here, Mr. Pawlenty, a Republican, appears to have had a change of heart.“He’s open to that,” Brian McClung, a spokesman for the governor, said Monday of a higher gas tax. “He believes we need to do everything we can to address this situation and the extraordinary costs.” Even as the cause of the bridge disaster here remains under investigation, the collapse is changing a lot of minds about spending priorities. It has focused national attention on the crumbling condition of America’s roadways and bridges — and on the financial and political neglect they have received in Washington and many state capitals.“The bottom line,” Mr. Schumer said, “is that routine but important things like maintenance always get shortchanged because it’s nice for somebody to cut a ribbon for a new structure.” http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/07/us/07highway.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0What I remember of this incident is an interview of a woman who had lost her husband and a child in this bridge collapse. Apparently there had been a bond measure on the ballet a few years before the bridge collapsed. She was a republican. She said she voted against the bond measure a vote that she regretted. This has always haunted me.
Our current 2 party oligopoly is sort of like a bang-bang control (with no feedback). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bang%E2%80%93bang_control …just going from one ideological extreme to the other without ever solving a problem. If our representatives actually listened to the people (feedback) with a superposition of progressive and conservative ideas (moderation) we as a united state, could do something about our infrastructure, jobs, debt, etc.
That’s the spirit! I should have thought of helicopters in my previous comment! See, together WE CAN DO IT! And President Trump will lead the way! (- (-.We need more exclamation points in enthusiastic national discourse !!!
dear braindead no has cut transportation taxes // now if the e democrats would use it on roads instead of jogging trails// what about all that stim $$$ going to shovel ready projects
braindead Premium Member almost 9 years ago
Not to worry. One more round of tax cuts for the rich will fix everything.
PICTO almost 9 years ago
Living in a “flat earth” society has it’s advantages.
emptc12 almost 9 years ago
If only you people would buy more limousines, private jets, and yachts. And you might get tax breaks for them. It’s win, win, win.
NeedaChuckle Premium Member almost 9 years ago
We can’t waste money on infrastructure when they are so many people to bomb.
moosemin almost 9 years ago
And it will be so, as long as our state & federal congresspersons keep on collecting taxes on gas, trucks, etc, and spending it on “other things”!
PainterArt Premium Member almost 9 years ago
MINNEAPOLIS, Aug. 6, 2007 — In the past two years, Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota twice vetoed legislation to raise the state’s gas tax to pay for transportation needs.Now, with at least five people dead in the collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge here, Mr. Pawlenty, a Republican, appears to have had a change of heart.“He’s open to that,” Brian McClung, a spokesman for the governor, said Monday of a higher gas tax. “He believes we need to do everything we can to address this situation and the extraordinary costs.” Even as the cause of the bridge disaster here remains under investigation, the collapse is changing a lot of minds about spending priorities. It has focused national attention on the crumbling condition of America’s roadways and bridges — and on the financial and political neglect they have received in Washington and many state capitals.“The bottom line,” Mr. Schumer said, “is that routine but important things like maintenance always get shortchanged because it’s nice for somebody to cut a ribbon for a new structure.” http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/07/us/07highway.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0What I remember of this incident is an interview of a woman who had lost her husband and a child in this bridge collapse. Apparently there had been a bond measure on the ballet a few years before the bridge collapsed. She was a republican. She said she voted against the bond measure a vote that she regretted. This has always haunted me.
Not the Smartest Man On the Planet -- Maybe Close Premium Member almost 9 years ago
The perfect GOP solution! And it fits ALL problems!
superposition almost 9 years ago
Our current 2 party oligopoly is sort of like a bang-bang control (with no feedback). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bang%E2%80%93bang_control …just going from one ideological extreme to the other without ever solving a problem. If our representatives actually listened to the people (feedback) with a superposition of progressive and conservative ideas (moderation) we as a united state, could do something about our infrastructure, jobs, debt, etc.
pam Miner almost 9 years ago
We ordinary people are just overusing too many things.Their plan is to get rid of most of us.
emptc12 almost 9 years ago
That’s the spirit! I should have thought of helicopters in my previous comment! See, together WE CAN DO IT! And President Trump will lead the way! (- (-.We need more exclamation points in enthusiastic national discourse !!!
UpaCoCoCreek Premium Member almost 9 years ago
Highway to Hell.
oneoldhat almost 9 years ago
dear braindead no has cut transportation taxes // now if the e democrats would use it on roads instead of jogging trails// what about all that stim $$$ going to shovel ready projects
PainterArt Premium Member almost 9 years ago
And your evidence? because it is just not true.