The Cover-Up Continues

The National Transportation Safety Board is ready to release it's final report on the cause of the 35W Bridge collapse last year.

Original designers of the Interstate 35W bridge in Minneapolis likely neglected to calculate the size of key gusset plates that eventually failed, a human mistake that culminated 40 years later when 13 people died after the span collapsed, federal safety investigators have found.

It also listed some of the things that did NOT cause the collapse....

They also have determined that corrosion of certain gusset plates, extreme heat and shifting piers did not contribute to the bridge's collapse on Aug. 1, 2007, according to sources with direct knowledge of the probe.

Notice that they did not rule Carol Molnau, Governor Pawlenty or a lack of transportation funding, as many have speculated. OK you know that I am being just a tiny bit sarcastic with that comment...

The thing is, the gusset plates have long been a suspect in the collapse of the bridge.

In January, NTSB Chairman Mark Rosenker was criticized by U.S. Rep. Jim Oberstar, D-Minn., and others for placing too much early emphasis on gusset plate failure as the potential cause. But the investigators' findings appear to validate Rosenker's early stance.

JRoosh and Ed have thoughts up about the report and they both sum it up quite nicely. After you read them, you might want to remember who had warning (in 2000) about the weakness of the gusset plates.....that would be former Transportation Commissioner and current candidate for the 6th CD El Tinklenberg!

Bridges Falling Down Bureaucrats To Blame

Well, well, well....according to a GAO report we now know what is responsible for the deterioration of our country's infrastructure - and it is not as the Dems said it was....

A government report is recommending closer federal oversight of one of the primary funds for fixing structurally deficient bridges across the country.

The Government Accountability Office report, to be discussed at Capitol Hill hearings today, calls for clearer goals and performance measures for the Highway Bridge Program, the $4.4 billion fund through which states help maintain their bridges....

House Transportation Chairman Jim Oberstar, D-Minn., has been particularly outspoken about Minnesota, which has redirected nearly half of its available Highway Bridge Program money in the past five years for other purposes.

You mean to tell me that it was diversion of monies for bridge repair to things like bike paths and not tax cuts for "the rich" that did this? You don't say???

Another Minnesota legislator deserves credit for asking for this report that uncovered more government waste and mismanagement.

The fund has been the source of controversy as many states — with Minnesota leading the way — have diverted available money for other transportation projects. Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., and others requested the report in the wake of last year's collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge in Minneapolis.

Coleman said the report shows the fund lacks the accountability to ensure it's working to improve the nation's bridges.

"With the absence of accountability, there is neither a carrot nor a stick for states to improve the condition of their bridges," Coleman said.

Roads and bridges are a responsibility of the state AND federal governments. The Federal Government's responsibility is in maintaining the Interstate Highway program. If the Feds can not even manage a vitally important existing program like the Interstate Highway System, I have to ask again - what makes people think that they can adequately manage our health care system?

The Feds need to concentrate on responsibly managing money they already get from taxpayers before they think about taking more from our already stretched pocketbooks.

One Year Ago Today

One year ago today, at 6:01pm - in the height of the rush hour - the Interstate 35W Bridge (aka the St. Anthony Bridge) fell into the Mississippi River. Thirteen people perished - it could have been much, much worse. In the minutes after the collapse, Minnesotans of all stripes rushed to do what they could to help those trapped on teetering slabs on concrete, precariously balanced above and in the river. It was a stellar display of everything that we love about the people of Minnesota.

In the days that followed, many made political hay out of the bridge collapse - preferring to assign blame into the collapse before the bodies were even recovered, much less the official investigation begun. One of the first people out of the gate assigning blame was Elwin Tinklenberg, DFL candidate for the 6th Congressional District. Within hours of the collapse, Tinklenberg was in front of television cameras saying that the collapse was due to malfeasance at MNDOT.

Well a report just came out (in time for this somber anniversary) that sheds a little more light on the history of this ill-fated bridge.

One year after the structure collapsed, killing 13 people, the federal agency is still studying whether photos of critical gusset plate connections taken by inspectors in 1999 should have prompted MnDOT to take action, Rosenker said. The photos showed bowing or warping of the plates.

And just who was MNDOT Commissioner in 2000? It sure was not Lt. Gov. Carol Molnau...

Based on this article in the Strib, it appear as though Elwyn Tinklenberg said no to replacing the gusset plates on the I-35 bridge all the way back in 2000. Here’s what the Strib’s Mark Kaszouba is reporting:

Seven years before the Interstate 35W bridge fell, a consulting firm sent Minnesota officials a proposal to shore up the aging structure that included examining its gusset plates, the connections that federal investigators now believe likely played a role in the collapse.

The preliminary plan from HNTB Corp. of Kansas City, which was buried among hundreds of documents released at a recent legislative hearing, has gone largely unnoticed in the debate over the disaster. The company did its study at no cost in an attempt to gain a state contract for the bridge work but, in the end, wasn’t hired by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT).

A series of follow-up memos in 2000 and 2001 featured drawings of how HNTB planned to strengthen areas immediately surrounding the gusset plates and included renderings of “supplemental plates” and a “new oversize gusset.” Other drawings called for adding supplemental supports in the vicinity of the gusset plates.

This ECM article by T.W. Budig states clearly that Jesse Ventura named Tinklenberg as his transportation commissioner on January 6, 1999. HNTB’s memos were sent in 2000 and 2001, meaning El Tinklenberg had more to do with the I-35W collapse than did the various scapegoats offered by the DFL. Had Tinklenberg listened to the experts, there’s every reason to believe that the I-35W bridge wouldn’t have collapsed.

Elwin Tinklenberg, MNDOT Commissioner from 1999 to 2002. Now he says that he is running for Congress in order to fix the problems that "caused" this bridge collapse. It seems to me that Mr. Tinklenberg was presented the opportunity to fix the bridge back in 2000 and he declined to do so. Why should voters believe that Mr. Tinklenberg will fix the "problem" now when he didn't do it then?

Taxing Horse Carts Is Next

One of the many reasons that green advocates have long used as a "reason" why high gas prices were a good thing is that it would get individuals out of their cars, lessening traffic and pollution and the whole host of other ills that they associate with cars. Well there is one very bad thing about that plan, as today's SL Tribune points out.

Burned by high gasoline prices, Americans are cutting back their driving. In several ways, that's a good thing - less air pollution, less consumption of oil, fewer traffic deaths. But in one way it's a problem. There is less tax money available for the federal and state governments to build new roads and repair existing ones.
That might not be a concern if U.S. highways were mostly new, but they're not. The Interstate Highway System was built half a century ago, and as we are seeing in Utah, much of it is worn out and in need of expansion. Think of I-15 in Utah County.
The federal government reported Monday that Americans drove 3.7 percent fewer miles in May than they did in the same month a year ago. Utahns cut their driving 4.4 percent.
As a result, there will be an estimated $5 billion deficit in the Federal Highway Trust Fund next year. Here's the reason: The federal gasoline tax is 18.4 cents per gallon. As motorists drive fewer miles and switch to vehicles that get better gas mileage, they burn fewer gallons of gasoline, which means less federal revenue for building and repairing highways.

I wonder how that is working out for my friends in Minnesota - remember we had a bridge fall down last year (more on that tomorrow) that was caused (according to local Democrat legislators) by a lack of money for road repairs....

The Minnesota Legislature this year increased the state gas tax by 8.5 cents, which is still being phased in.

Even with the rate increase, Gray said state transportation officials are predicting a drop in gas-tax collection, with a 0.6 percent drop forecasted each year in 2009, 2010, and 2011.

That can't beeeee....they promised us that this would bring more money into the fund....

OK - all snark aside, conservatives warned them this was coming. We said adding to the cost of driving would make people drive less. "That's a good thing" the legislature said. "No it's not" we relied - "gas tax revenues will fall" we said. Well what do you know....they raised taxes and we STILL don't have enough to fix our crumbling infrastructure.

Friday is the 1 year anniversary of the 35W bridge collapse. It is a warning to the rest of the country. However, in order to get more money from the gas tax, you are going to have to encourage MORE driving not less. Which means that you are going to have to tell one of your special interest groups to compromise. Either the environmentalists are going to have to give ground or the road construction unions are going to have to give.

We have to start demanding that our legislatures (state and federal) do what is best for the PEOPLE and not what is best for their special interest groups. It's that simple. Will they do so? Only if "we the people" demand it.

He Said WHAT?

So I am watching KSTP News to see what tonights weather is going to bring (I uncovered my roses yesterday so I needed to see if I needed to cover them up again). Right before the weather, they did a story that just floored me. Apparently, Senator John McCain said something on the campaign trail that upset a couple of folks here in MN.

"The bridge in Minneapolis didn't collapse because there wasn't enough money. The bridge in Minneapolis collapsed because so much money was spent on wasteful, unnecessary pork-barrel projects."

Well you KNOW that State Senator Steve Murphy was not going to stand for that comment.

State Senate Transportation Committee Chairman Steve Murphy, DFL-Red Wing, said McCain "owes the state of Minnesota an apology" for exploiting the bridge collapse for political purposes

.
SCREECH!!!!!! What did he just say? This coming from the man that beat Carol Molnau over the head...POLITICALLY blaming her for the collapse? This coming from the man whose one home town paper took him to task for politicizing the tragedy? THIS is rich!

Congressman Jim Oberstar....he who stood on the banks of the Mississippi River before the bodies had even been recovered DEMANDING an increase in the gas tax, also apparently took McCain to task for his comments, although I have not found a link to them yet.

But the most delicious part is yet to come. While Steve Murphy, Jim Oberstar and Keith Ellison are all excoriating Senator McCain, Sen. Barack Obama used the bridge collapse in a stump speech for political purposes....

Obama opposes it because federal gas taxes go into a highway fund for building roads and bridges.

"Remember that bridge in Minneapolis?" Obama said in Indiana last week. "We're already short on money in terms of investing."

I won't hold my breath waiting for Oberstar, Murphy and Ellison to criticize Sen. Obama. Being the hyper partisans that they are I know it will be a LONG time coming.

UPDATE: Gary Gross sent me a link to a blast from the past.

State Sen. Steve Murphy told Fox News that another bridge collapse is likely. (H/T: MDE) Here’s what Sen. Murphy said:

“We’re going to have to swallow the bitter pill, take the political hit and raise these revenues,” Murphy said, adding that another bridge collapse “is a likelihood, and we don’t want that.”

Senator Steve Murphy....politicizing the bridge collapse before it was cool.....

Bridge Compensation Fund

From Logical Lady Sue Jeffers

As construction of the new 35W Bridge continues ahead of schedule to go up, so does the level of political bickering. About the only thing legislators agree on is it is the other guys fault and MN needs decisive action NOW.

The action called for includes many options, usually Carol Molnau’s job, tax increases, and more spending on transportation. Again, repeat after me: Priority spending must be on Roads and Bridges, Roads and Bridges, Roads and Bridges.

Scott Newman sent a letter to Republican leadership and the media last week. It reads as follows:

Gentlemen:
In deciding whether to proceed with legislation to create a special compensation fund for victims of the 35W bridge collapse, please consider the following:

1. Every victim has available mandatory no fault automobile coverage consisting of medical expenses, wage loss, replacement services or survivors benefits.

2. Every victim had the right to purchase increased no fault coverage over the state mandatory minimum.

3. Every victim has available or had a right to elect to purchase health insurance and disability insurance to cover medical expenses and lost wages.

4. Every victim who has had medical bills paid under an “Erisa” (federal law) health insurance policy will receive bridge compensation funds only after the health insurance company has been reimbursed from the fund for medical bills paid.

5. The government should get involved in disaster relief type payments for the public good only and not be an insurer for damages claimed by private persons.

6. The legislature has deemed it appropriate to cap damages in any single event where the state may be liable, at one million dollars. In this case, legislation to tender the one million dollars to the court would be appropriate. The effect of such legislation would be to protect the state from the cost of multiple lawsuits and would allow the correct branch of government to determine distribution of the funds.

7. We have approximately five million people in Minnesota and about 100 bridge victims. To create a special class of claimants for a small group is an extraordinarily risky proposition with a very real possibility of unintended consequences resulting. This is generally true when the government attempts to treat one group of people differently or provides benefits unique to that group. For example, individual claimants in cases other than the bridge collapse in which the State of Minnesota has potential liability, could request the State to set up a special compensation fund for them as it did for the 35W bridge victims. If the State refused or failed to act, they would have standing to file separate suits in State or Federal Court claiming among other causes of action a violation of equal protection and discrimination.

As outlined above, this proposed legislation is fraught with legal issues, unintended consequences and will set a dangerous precedent. Consequently, I encourage you to carefully research and analyze this bill before lending any support to the Bridge Compensation Fund.

Respectfully Submitted:

Scott J. Newman

(Scott Newman is a former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from Hutchinson)

Blame and Fading Memories

Last week the Red Wing Republican Eagle ran an editorial cartoon that took their State Senator to task for some rather intemperate comments that he has made in recent months.

Aparently Senator Murphy took umbrage with the cartoon (HT Jason Lewis) and he fired off the following letter to the editor of the Republican Eagle.

Your recent cartoon depicting me in a Nazi uniform crossed the line of basic decency. Even to a politician, this is unacceptable. As a Marine, I saw no humor in it. As the chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, I can only say you are doing your readers a terrible disservice by continuously towing the Republican line and viciously attacking anyone with a different opinion. To set the record straight, I have never explicitly or indirectly blamed the governor, Lt. Gov./Commissioner Carol Molnau or any MnDOT employee for the I-35W bridge collapse. Have I called for Molnau’s resignation? Yes, I have been for over a year. But I have done so for a host of reasons, none of which is blame for the bridge tragedy.

SCREEEEEECH!!!!! What - you have never explicitly or indirectly blamed the Lt. Governor/MNDOT Commissioner???? Perhaps you should re-read the editorial that you wrote for the Star Tribune last November....

When asked who chose not to reinforce the I-35W bridge with steel plates, Molnau said "of course I'm not the one making the decision" and said engineers and "bridge people" had worked with the firm that recommended the reinforcement. McFarlin went so far as to call out the state bridge engineer by name as the one ultimately responsible for this decision. This attempt to push accountability from the top of the agency down demonstrates the clear lack of respect these individuals have for MnDOT employees.

So by his own words, the head of MNDOT (that would be Lt. Governor Molnau for those of you from St. Paul) should be responsible for the failing of the engineers to appropriately reinforce the gusset plates on the I-35W Bridge!

Please Senator Murphy - do not insult the intelligence of the electorate in this manner. In this age of You Tube and Google, it is too easy for any schlub with internet access to find this information. Kinda like I just did!

Witch Hunts Continue?

Since the initial shock of the 35W bridge collapse wore off, Senator Steve Murphy and our friends on Portland Avenue have been looking for someone to blame for the collapse. Their target, almost from day one, has been Lt. Governor and MNDOT Commissioner Carol Molnau. The partisan feeding frenzy has been especially harried in the days leading up to the start of the new legislative session (Feb. 13) with elected officials on both sides of the aisle preparing for a battle over "re-confirmation" hearings. Well The New York Times is reporting today that the NTSB is releasing a preliminary report into the cause of the bridge collapse and if their findings are correct, Senator Murphy et al may have been a little premature in their placing of blame.

Investigators said Monday that the Interstate 35W bridge in Minneapolis, which collapsed into the Mississippi River on Aug. 1, killing 13, came down because of a flaw in its design.
The designers had specified a metal plate that was too thin to serve as a junction of several girders, investigators say.
The bridge was designed in the 1960s and lasted 40 years. But like most other bridges, it gradually gained weight during that period, as workers installed concrete structures to separate eastbound and westbound lanes and made other changes, adding strain to the weak spot. At the time of the collapse, crews had brought tons of equipment and material onto the deck for a repair job...“This is not a bridge-inspection thing,” said one investigator, “It’s calculating loads and looking at designs.” The investigator spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss the investigators’ findings before the announcement Tuesday.

Emphasis mine. Even though the investigator said it was not a "bridge inspection thing" the Star Tribune, in its reporting on the preliminary report goes back to bridge inspections.

In 1993, a state inspector found that the half-inch gusset plate had lost nearly half of its thickness in some spots because of corrosion along an 18-inch line, but no repairs were ordered, according to Minnesota Department of Transportation records combed by the Star Tribune.

Now my memory is not as good as it once was, but I am fairly certain that back in 1993 (the year we moved to Minnesota) Carol Molnau was not Lt. Governor. I believe that she had just been elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives the year before and that Arne Carlson was governor at the time......

However, if the esteemed Senator and our dear friends on Portland Avenue are really determined to "place blame" for this tragedy, the Times suggests where they might be able to place the real blame for the collapse.

The I-35W bridge was of a type called “fracture critical,” meaning that the failure of any major member would cause a collapse, because it had no redundancy. The design is lighter and less expensive to build, but has gradually fallen out of favor with highway departments.

Emphasis mine...

As I said earlier, Tim Pawlenty and Carol Molnau were not even in politics at the time this bridge was designed, approved by MNDOT and built. They simply are not to blame for this tragedy. The inital designers maybe....those who approved that the design be built maybe, but no one who ever served in the Governors Office, the Legislature or MNDOT for the last 20 years should be saddled with the "blame" for this bridge coming down.

Rather than gunning after Lt. Gov. Molnau, maybe Senator Murphy should remember his remarks from an August 6, 2007 televised press conference when he said that he bore some blame for the collapse as his committee had oversight over MNDOT. But then again, that would spoil a perfectly good partisan witch hunt and we wouldn't want to do that now, would we?????

Minnesota's Bridge to Somewhere...Please Send Money

I yield the floor to Logical Lady - Sue Jeffers

Dear Congressman Oberstar,

In your Tribune Counter Point comments on Oct. 26 you stated it is “unfathomable to not be moved to act decisively” after the tragedy of the bridge collapse. Well, what are you waiting for?

On August 6 President Bush signed your bill to authorize $250 million in emergency transportation aid and $5 million in transit funding assistance to MN for the collapse of the 35W Bridge. MN needs the remaining $195 million promised immediately. Three months later MN is still waiting for the federal funding while behind the scenes state Democrats continue to play politics with state DOT funding.

As chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee you stated traffic congestion in our metro area is costing the state economy $1.1 billion per year and commuters waste 43 hours and 30 gallons of gas just sitting in congestion. The bridge collapse has significantly compounded these problems in the north metro.As Chairman you know far too often politicians choose to spend our tax dollars on pork instead of priorities. You know we have a Highway trust fund, which gas taxes and other funds are to be deposited. These funds are most often not used for their stated purpose but added to the general fund for spending on pet projects including bike paths and light rail transit. You know our bridge money is tied up in an incredibly expensive transportation bill, so loaded with pork that President Bush is threatening to again veto it. It also includes $250,000 for more bike paths in your district.

As Chairman you know the Federal Highway Administration reported of the 594,000 bridges in the US, about 73,500 (12%) are structurally deficient. These bridges need significant rehabilitation, maintenance or replacement. As Chairman you know the Congressional Budget office reports infrastructure spending has accounted for about 3% of the total federal expenditures since 1987 and will continue to be so through 2009.

Voters still remember the 2005 Transportation Bill, over $286 billion including 6373 earmarks that totaled $24 billion. This bill also included the infamous Bridge to Nowhere, the $223 million bridge in rural Alaska. Rather than fund roads and bridges, your priorities included $16million for MN bike paths and $120 million for your district’s transportation projects and $600 million to encourage kids to walk or bike. Another $3 billion was for earmarked for bicycle and pedestrian projects.

Congressman, your solution, to further punish Minnesota drivers, low income families, farmers, truckers and small businesses who rely on low transportation costs, is raising the gas tax. The public has, in large numbers, clearly stated that we oppose a gas tax increase. How about an explanation as to why the gas tax revenue is so poorly spent?

Congressman, as Chair and a representative for the people of Minnesota we need to know road and bridge safety funding is your priority. We do not need additional gas or other taxes. Federal and state monies must be spent first and foremost on infrastructure including road and bridge safety.

Transportation priorities should include safety, congestion and pollution, not light rail transit (LRT). As chairman you already know light rail transit does not eliminate congestion. LRT can not follow population or job growth and can never compete with the automobile of which 92% of us drive. LRT can not move goods and services or create economic growth. LRT is one of the most expensive and lowest return use of our transportation dollars. The Minnesota Department of Economic Development reports that only 2.8% of the state's commuters ride buses or rail to get to work, yet these projects get up to 25% of the funding.

MN is far from broke, our general fund has grown by over $2 billion in each of the last two budget cycles. Currently it is a whopping $34.5 billion in a state of 5 million people. MN started the year with a record $2 billion budget surplus, and a good economy added another $200 million of unexpected revenue. In recent years over $2 billion in potential funding has been diverted from road and bridge repair to the state’s light (and heavy) rail projects. Higher taxes will not make our roads and bridges safer if we don't spend the money on roads and bridges.

About the only thing both sides can agree on is that in spite of increased budgets, MnDOT has a significant backlog of road and bridge maintenance and expansion projects. Year after year legislators continue fund pork instead of bridges and roads. Money is not spent on roads and bridges but to art centers, zoos, sports stadiums and welfare benefits.

The MN gas tax is accurately called a user fee with 100% of the proceeds constitutionally dedicated to the Highway Trust Fund, meaning that the funds are not used to supplement the general fund or even to pay for mass transit. Ditto for license plate tabs fees. Unfortunately for the last 25 years the Motor Vehicle Sales Tax (MVST) has been raided to supplement the general fund. Federal funding has also been directed away from bridges and roads.

Starting in 2012 the MVST will be 100% dedicated to transportation, the amendment passed in November 2006 has a goofy 60-40 formula for dividing money between roads and mass transit. It could be legally used entirely for mass transit. If history repeats itself, we can count on even more funding to be re-routed to mass transit instead of funding roads and bridges.

Minnesotans are very generous; we are one of the highest taxed states in the nation. Projects are, literally or figuratively, collapsing around us while Minnesotans wait for the promised federal funding. So while we are busy here trying to get our state legislators to make roads and bridges priorities please do your job and send our federal bridge money.

Sincerely,
Sue Jeffers

Journalism 101

Brent over at Anti-Strib points us to an investigative report that recently ran on Channel 9 News. This report digs into a lawsuit that was filed during the construction of the OLD 35W bridge - and sheds some light on a possible cause of collapse!

The lawsuit - filed by the first contractor Hur-Con against what was then the Highway Department - was for more money to cover extra drilling costs. It seems that Hur-Con (the contractor) ran into a problem with the location for Pier 6. As they were drilling core samples, they found granite and limestone boulders that needed to be removed in order to get to the bedrock below. However, the Army Corps of Engineers would not allow the contractors to do the blasting that was necessary to remove the boulders due to the pier's proximity to the lock and dam. Instead of removing the boulders, it appears that Pier 6 was built on or around the boulders (the documentation is incomplete from that era). What makes this information so important? Pier 6 is on the south bank of the river....the very place where investigators believe the fateful collapse may have begun!

Why is this investigation important? It is important because it showcases how our DFL led legislature is more concerned about headhunting for Lt. Governor Carol Molnau than they are about getting to the real answers behind the collapse. They are more interested in playing politics than they are about doing the peoples business.

Brent is absolutely correct when he states:

The lawsuit was settled out of court, and the documents that would shed light on
what was done to address the problem are either missing or incomplete…meaning
that it is entirely possible that pier 6, and maybe even pier 7, are resting not
of bedrock as needed for a stable structure, but rather on granite boulders. If
this is indeed the situation, no amount of funding and no amount of spending today could have stopped the bridge from falling…and it certainly isn’t Carol Molnau’s fault.

Emphasis mine. Lt. Gov. Molnau was NOT MN DOT commissioner back in 1964, when this bridge was built. Just an FYI to Senator Steve Murphy (DFL-Red Wing).

It is nice to know that the Cities have one local media outlet that is willing to investigate reality - not witch hunts. Kudos to Fox 9 and Tom Lyden for a well researched report. That is what journalism is all about!

Embarrassing

Mayor RT Ryback is embarrassed. Not because the crime rate in his city is skyrocketing. Not because the citizens of his city are DEMANDING more cops on the street. No, Mayor Ryback is embarrassed because the state is "doing nothing" in the wake of the St. Anthony Bridge collapse!

Headed to a U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting this weekend to talk about
the collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak said he
found himself filled with dread and embarrassment.

"I'm going to have to walk in there and tell them that our state is doing
nothing" on bridge repair, he said. "Other states are taking this seriously, but
our state, where people died, is doing nothing."

Doing nothing eh? I thought that the state was going through and reinspecting and repairing all fracture critical bridges in the state. I know that the state is working on cleaning up the debris so that reconstruction of the bridge can get going. Apparently that is not enough for the Boy Mayor of Minneapolis.

Last week, the U.S. Senate approved an extra $1 billion bill for bridge
repair. But the end result of the Minnesota Legislature's special session last
Tuesday was a narrowly targeted bill that mainly delivered about $157 million to
the flood-ravaged southeastern corner of the state.

A moment of clarity

That was far less than what Gov. Tim Pawlenty had suggested was in store
when he stood near the fallen span and predicted a special session that could
include a gas tax increase, a transportation bill, a bonding bill and property
tax relief.

So why couldn't Pawlenty and DFL leaders make it happen? Taxes, as has so
often been the case, proved a major stumbling block. Even though Pawlenty said
he would consider a nickel-a-gallon increase, he wanted an offsetting cut in
income taxes.

The next paragraph in the story shows where the blame truly lies in this story.

Even though Pawlenty said he would consider a nickel-a-gallon increase, he
wanted an offsetting cut in income taxes.

That would have provided money for roads and bridges, but would have
reduced funds for health care and schools -- unacceptable to DFLers.

Apparently, the Boy Mayor is not happy that his city was "ignored".

"Nobody's saying there shouldn't have been flood relief," Rybak said. "But how
could we not do anything for bridges? When you step back, it's shocking."

Let's see......we are re-inspecting bridges, we are cleaning up the debris and rebuilding the new and that is "shocking"? Maybe it is shocking...it's shocking that the Governor is actually leading the state instead of deferring his authority to the Legislature.

Here is a thought for Mayor Ryback...why don't you take care of the problems in your city. Put cops on the street...get the criminals off of the street and let the Governor take care of his problems. It's his responsibility to get the bridge rebuilt - something he is doing. Until you start doing your job, your criticisms of people who are doing their jobs only make you look like a partisan hack.

Fortitude?

There is an editorial in today's Star Tribune that really highlights what we are True North are all about. In it James Hovland, the Mayor of Edina, talks about the aftermath of the St. Anthony Bridge collapse and what our collective response should be.

Do we Minnesota voters have the collective financial fortitude to demand that
all of our state elected leaders finally make the transportation commitments
needed to keep us safe and competitive in the future? After two decades of
falling behind, let's hope the vivid memory of a fallen bridge prompts our
governor and Legislature to build a financial strategy that actually achieves
the sound and wise transportation system that we and future generations need.

Do Minnesota voters have the "financial fortitude"????? No, Mayor Hovland it is not a matter of "financial fortitude". As has been said time and time and time again, the problem was priorities! Our past priorities have not been on rebuilding failing infrastructure...no our priorities have been on building bike paths and convention centers and interpretive nature centers in state parks!

The Mayor then goes on to take an obligatory swipe at the lefts scapegoat du jour....Lieutenant Governor Carol Molnau.

Is it wise to have a statewide elected official, in this case the lieutenant
governor, also in charge of running a state agency, in this case the
transportation department? Should Carol Molnau be running MnDOT?

When Governor Pawlenty took office, people like Mayor Hovland cheered when Lt. Governor Molnau was given the MNDOT spot because of her vast experience on transportation issues from her days in the legislature. Now all of a sudden she is an incompetent.

Rather than cast aspersions on the Lt. Governor, Mayor Hovland and the rest of the Metropolitan Council need to take a look at their own culpability! The Met Council has been the organization that has been pushing light rail and pushing the so-called "smart growth" agenda. That agenda has never had room for bridge and road repair. It has only had room for the kind of social engineering that has long been the hallmark of socialism.

No Mayor Hovland - the problem is not that we are not spending enough money....it is and always has been HOW we spend that money! Until we change HOW we spend that money, we are going to continue to have problems. If fortitude is needed for anything, it is the fortitude to finally stand up and tell the government that they need to get their priorities straight! Once that happens, then maybe we can talk about how much is spent.

Insanity

Insanity, they say, is doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result. I think that the comments made yesterday by Presidential candidate (and former New Mexico Governor) Bill Richardson definitely fall into that category. You would think a former Governor would know better than to say something like this, especially so close to the city that finally made bridge repair"sexy".

The United States' transportation system is "fixated on highways" and should
include more emphasis on energy-efficient modes of travel with planning to
ensure preservation of open spaces, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said
Tuesday.

It is thinking like that Governor Richardson that got Minnesota into big bridge trouble in the first place. Instead of repairing our decaying roads and bridges we have been build bicycle paths and hiking trail extensions, bridges to "nowhere" in Alaska and clean air initiatives in California and parkspace from sea to shining sea.

No Governor....we are finally rightly fixated on highways and bridges. It is sad to see that some politicians (including ones in this state) still would rather play politics than do what is right for the people of this country!

Mixed up priorities

THIS is what I was talking about in my post “Priorities”. With the St. Anthony Bridge collapse still fresh in our minds and another bridge closed because a support pier settled, we have Charles Gibson on ABC News talking about taking federal highway dollars to “fight the obesity epidemic”!

"With bridges falling down, it makes sense to spend federal funds on infrastructure projects, but what doesn’t make sense is suggesting the government spend highway money on the obesity “epidemic.”

But that’s what ABC “World News with Charles Gibson” did on August 27 by promoting a report from "health advocates" at Trust for America’s Health.

“The report calls for a national strategy to reverse this epidemic” including the use of federal highway money said ABC correspondent John McKenzie.

“Require that localities build bike paths and sidewalks so it’s possible for people in communities to exercise more,” said Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) executive director Jeff Levi."

Safe bridges and roads??? Nah – we don’t need’em. What we NEED is bike paths to keep the kiddies from getting fatter!

"McKenzie explained that TFAH wants the government to require 60 minutes of physical activity for kids, “impose higher school nutrition standards” and modify Medicaid and other health programs to include “critical obesity and nutrition counseling.”

Let’s also not get into the fact that this group now wants government to mandate how much exercise our children get.

"World News” failed to estimate the costs to taxpayers cost of these mandates and changes to federal and state programs—not to mention the cost of taking highway money away from bridges and roads. No opposition to the plan was mentioned in the segment."

No opposition mentioned? I wonder why?

Is there no part of our private lives that they DON’T want the government to take over? No…don’t answer that….I already know the answer…

Is it just me???

Is it just me or does it seem like every time a Democrat wants to impose something on the rest of us that we don't want, they tell us "there is no debate". Today's "no debate" declaration comes from Senator Taryl Clark (DFL- 15).

"A recent St. Cloud Times Our View argued against the need for a special session to address the Interstate Highway 35W bridge collapse and the overall decay and safety of our bridges and roads. Since that time Minnesotans have suffered through another huge setback. People drowned in flooding in southern Minnesota. Raging waters destroyed homes, businesses, roads and bridges.
There is no longer a debate about whether we need a special session; rather the question is what critical issues we should take care of during that session."

Just as Al Gore does with ManMade Global Warming, Senator Clark has decided that it is time to silence the dissent..... She is done - she can no longer defend her position so she unilaterlly declares the discussion to be DONE!

Well here are a few undebatable facts for Senator Clark to mull over.

FACT 1 - We do NOT know what caused the bridge to collapse. If (as some in the NTSB are positing) the collapse was caused by the de-icing system that was built into the bridge deck - replacing the bridge with a similar de-icing system will be a recipe for another disaster! IF (as another theory indiciates) pidgeon guano could be the cause re-building the bridge without a system to keep the flying rats off of the support beams is another recipe for disaster!

FACT 2 - The state of Minnesota has a 2.2 BILLION dollar budget surplus and more is coming (according to the budget forecasts). Couple that with $250 million that the federal government has promised AND the states rainy day fund - the state has more than enough money at hand to rebuild the bridge and then some!

FACT 3 - We have lots of federal and state transportation money that is going to everything BUT bridge repair. Take that money away from those projects and put it back where it needs to be...that can be done without a special session or raising one penny in taxes.

FACT 4 - With the President declaring parts of southeastern Minnesota and southwestern Wisconsin federal disaster areas, the money to rebuild those areas have been released.

The bottom line is this....if there is no need to rush to rebuild the bridge then there is no need to rush into a special legislative session. If we do need to rush into rebuilding and a special session, then the DFL leadership needs to do what is right by the people of Minnesota and AGREE to the Governor's request that the special session ONLY deal with the bridge and the flooding and that all other legislative agendas are off of the table. If Senator Clark, as a member of said leadership can not agree to that, then we know exactly who is holding up progress!

Bridge or Bike Trail? Which is a priority?

The Wall Sreet Journal laid a smack down (on Saturday) on the Democrats who are calling for an increase in the gas tax (HT Gary at LFR)



"Some things in politics seem to be inevitable--and one of them is that any road or bridge tragedy will be followed by an argument to raise the gasoline tax. That's what is now happening in the wake of the terrible Minnesota bridge collapse, but that state's transportation and tax record shows precisely why voters are skeptical.
The gas tax pleas are coming from the usual suspects, in both Washington and St. Paul. James Oberstar, the Minnesota Democrat who runs the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, recently stood beside the wreckage and recommended an increase in the 18.4-cent-a-gallon federal gas tax, as a way to prevent future bridge collapses. His wing man, Alaska Republican and former Transportation Chairman Don Young, agrees wholeheartedly.
As it happens, these are the same men who played the lead role in the $286 billion 2005 federal highway bill. That's the bill that diverted billions of dollars of gas tax money away from urgent road and bridge projects toward Member earmarks for bike paths, nature trails and inefficient urban transit systems. "



Read the whole thing and read Gary's remarks. Both are excellent responses to the call for more taxes.

Slip of the lip

In an editorial published yesterday, the Star Tribune let slip a truth about the City of Minneapolis' push for putting the Central Corridore line on the new I35W Bridge (HT AAA)

"What is clear, however, is that routing the Central Corridor light-rail line across a new bridge doesn't work. Changing its route would eliminate a critical West Bank station at the University of Minnesota, attract fewer riders and add time and distance to the line. That, in turn, would lower the project's federal rating and risk its funding."

Well golly gee....maybe the editors of the Star Tribune read the Lady's musings.....Nah....I doubt it. It's probably just another one of those blind squirrel moments that our friends on Portland Avenue have from time to time.

Priorities

Much has been said, in recent days, about Transportation and Bridge Inspection. EVERYONE it seems is an "expert" on the issue. There has been plenty of blame laid by the usual suspects. Yet no one seems to be talking about the important issues....where our priorities lie.

Here are a couple of things to think about.

1) The $250 million in Federal Emergency Funds are to replace the bridge that fell, not build an enhanced bridge. Yes it would be nice if there was space for the Central Corridor light rail tracks (more on this later) on the bridge, but if we can not do that there are ways of setting ourselves up for future tracks. Take a look at the new Bloomington Ferry Bridge! Notice the gap between the two spans. What do you suppose could be inserted there should the need arise? I don't know if it was planned that way, but it is possible.

2) The federal funds are emergency funds. If we show that we are not in a hurry to replace the bridge...that it's not an "emergency" to replace it, we could easily lose that federal funding and then who do you suppose will be on the hook for the entire replacement cost.

3) Putting the Central Corridor line on the new 35W bridge will take the train AWAY from a large chunk of their riders (the University). That kinda defeats the whole purpose of the rail line, doesn't it?

Yet given those three things, Mayor Ryback, the Minneapolis City Council and the DFLers in the Legislature are doing everything they can to slow down the process of replacing the new bridge!

"I'm going to need a lot of assurances that building it fast equals building it right," said Sen. Ann Rest, DFL-New Hope."

"U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum, DFL-St. Paul, was even more pointed: "[M]any people have expressed to me their extreme dismay at the frenzied rush to replace the bridge. A tragedy of this magnitude demands that we take a collective breath and assess the shortcomings of the old structure and the challenges of our future transportation needs. ... Unfortunately, it appears haste is governing how we move forward on planning and construction."

Yet these are the same people that are in a hurry to call a special legislative session to raise our taxes. If we are not going to build the bridge in a hurry, why should we be in such a huge hurry to raise the taxes? Ok...that's a rhetorical question...we all know the answer to that...

Some peoples priorities are getting the bridge rebuilt in order to ease the hardship on citizens and residents of the area surrounding the Bridge. Other peoples priorities seem to be in playing politics with the tragedy. I would like to ask that second group of politicians a couple of very pointed questions.

Are our priorities in the right place when our transit dollars are spent on things like rec centers and parks and trains? Are our priorities in the right place when we take money away from repairing bridges in the metro (which see hundreds of thousands of cars and trucks a day) and we put it into upgrading roads that are in good repair outstate? Are our priorities in order when transportation dollars go into museums and cultural centers? I would say the answer to those questions is a resounding "NO"!

We need politicians who will finally stand up and say "enough is enough". We need to put the needs of the citizens ahead of politics. We need to rebuild the bridge now with an eye to the future.

We can rebuild the bridge and make it possible for FUTURE light rail expansion.

For other takes on the last couple of days news on the bridge see AAA, Anti-Strib, Captain Ed, LFR and TvM.

THIS is what is teaching our children

AAA links to an article in todays Star Tribune regarding the talks going on about the replacement to the St. Anthony Bridge. He highlighted one quote in particular that deserves it's own special fisking.

"Judith Martin, director of the urban studies program at the University of Minnesota, said anybody hoping for something grand and fancy should rein in their expectations. Federal highway bridges tend to be "extremely utilitarian" with more attention paid to load bearing ability than design. "Think about all the interstate bridges in the Twin Cities. Are any of them memorable?" she asked."

Think about this Ms. Martin. The St. Anthony Bridge was designed for looks. Do I really need to remind you what happened to that bridge Ms. Martin? Forty year old bridges should not just collapse Ms. Martin - unless they are not designed to bear the weight load of 140,000 to 150,000 cars a day!

Given the choice between driving over a bridge that looks pretty and one that is designed to handle the traffic demands of a growing metropolitan area, I would venture to guess that my fellow citizens would agree with me in this simple statement....

WE WANT A BRIDGE THAT WILL NOT FALL DOWN WITH US ON IT MS. MARTIN!!! I'm guessing that this is a safe assumption to make.

The clarion call

The drumbeat grows louder...the drumbeat against the special session. First there were the posts from AAA, Leo and Gary all pleading with the Governor not to hold a special session. Gary even contacted his rep (Steve Gottwalt) whose gut response was “I certainly hope not.”



Today's salvo comes from Rep. Mark Buesgens (HD35B) and he gives all of the cogent reasons why we should not rush to a special session.



"A special session would not be a magic wand which would suddenly cure all the woes of our neglected infrastructure. Raising the gas tax in September would not bring in huge amounts of revenue before the legislature is set to reconvene in February. Of course, immediate cash is necessary and the Governor has emergency powers to allocate the necessary revenue from any of the numerous reserve funds that the state has socked away for just such incidents.

The main impediment that has blocked a gas tax increase for almost two decades remains unresolved. Currently, the vast majority of the revenue is raised in the highly populated metro area. However, by our state’s dispensation formula, a majority of that revenue must be spent on infrastructure in the out-state. To realize the amount revenue that some folks are saying is necessary for the metro area, the gas tax would need to be increased dramatically. Given the current economics of gas prices, this is simply unacceptable. The issue of how the money is dispersed must be resolved prior to any serious discussion of raising the gas tax.

Raising taxes on our workers and families should never be done in a climate of high emotion where thoughtful and rational debate is rarely possible. Decision making in such an environment rarely stands the test of time and often creates more and larger problems over time then they solved in the near term. Calling a special session now virtually ensures a gas tax increase. All other options, even reasonable options such as re-prioritizing governments current spending habits, trading off one tax for another tax or looking for other means in which government can raise funds without increasing the tax burden, would be labeled as obstruction tactics and quickly shot down. This would truly be an injustice to what should be a deliberative and somber process."



You just can't argue with that logic. Rep. Buesgens then shows something that none of the other "pundits" (like Nick Coleman) seem to have a hard time fathoming.


"Today, Minnesota needs a true statesman at its highest level, not a knee-jerk politician. We need leadership that will act decisively, not rashly. Our state would be best served if our Governor were to, 1) immediately release the funding necessary to deal with this current tragedy, 2) contract with private firms to conduct a thorough evaluation of our past bridge inspections, revisit any questionable inspections and begin repairing serious problems and, 3) demand that transportation leaders in the House and the Senate work with the Administrative branch and the public to bring forward thoughtful legislation in February. Calling a special session to simply raise the gas tax without exploring all other options would be a grave disservice to the people of the great state."



It is representation like this that will keep me in Scott County (and Senate District 35) for a long, long time!