Workday Minnesota: Invest in infrastructure now, unions urge

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.workdayminnesota.org/index.php?news_6_3211

Invest in infrastructure now, unions urge
By Barb Kucera, Workday Minnesota editor
3 August 2007
MINNEAPOLIS - Unions that for decades have advocated for investment in the nation's infrastructure hope Wednesday's bridge collapse will finally spur action.

"It's been talked about for years – something's going to happen like a bridge falls down," said Jim Brady, president of the Laborers District Council of Minnesota and North Dakota. Several of his members working on the I-35W bridge were injured when it fell just after 6 p.m. during rush hour in Minneapolis.

"It's not popular to spend money on this stuff," he noted in frustration. "It tends to get ignored. Then something like this happens and you can't ignore it."

A full investigation of what caused the collapse will take many months. But Building Trades leaders say it's not necessary to know the cause to move ahead on needed improvements in roads, bridges, transit and water systems and other public resources.

"There has been case after case after case of infrastructure failure" across the United States, said Dick Anfang, president of the Minnesota Building & Construction Trades Council. "This is a First World country, not a Second or Third World country."


FULL article at link.

[ananda]

1. Not gonna happen.

Katrina was a hundred thousand times worse than MN,
and both were bad.

Everything pre and post Katrina has been FUBAR.
That's how Bushinc operates.

Sue