I just called my Senators about the crumbling US infrastructure

[bleedingheart]

Pennsylvania where I live got a D rating from the American Civil Engineering group regarding its infrastructure, this included bridges, roads, waterways, and wastewater management. Pittsburgh has been called the City of Bridges...with our three rivers and our many hills and ravines...there isn't a way to get to our city without going over a bridge or two or three...and some of our bridges were built in the 1880's

I called to ask. So with this D rating for our infrastructure, what will our Senators be doing? We have money for War...but what about our nation's infrastructure?

Responses...

Sen Specter's office said..."We will pass this along to the Senator"

Sen. Casey's office...well this one was interesting...The young man in his office said..."I wouldn't drive across any bridges in PA"...and I said..."Well that's comforting because I do".... I then spoke about this issue and asked what will they do...and he gave the patent response..."I will pass this along"

Neither office asked for my name...so I guess I know where my comments are going...

I suggest that the rest of you folks call as well....ask your elected officials..."what are you going to do?" "how many more bridges must collapse?"


I am linking to the ASCE report on PA.

The grade overall was a D, but individual rankings are listed.

http://www.pareportcard.org/

<>

[LiberalEsto]

1. All the money goes to Iraq's infrastructure

like gigantic embassies and oilfields. Nothing left for us Americans.

[bleedingheart]

2. I made a point of saying how embarrassing...we pour money into Iraq

and there is nothing left for our nation.

[bdamomma]

6. this regime is too concerned about someone's elses backyard

and not our own, this is any way to support your country and its people a big NO.

[LiberalEsto]

8. They're not concerned for Iraqis

They're concerned with ensuring big profits for giant oil corporations and other multinationals -- like the bastards who have forbidden Iraqi farmers to save and plant their own tomato seeds, forcing them to buy expensive, genetically engineered seed.

They want to fight this war until Iraq is "secured," meaning Halliburton and the other corporations can start sucking oil and other resources out of the country. That's what our tax dollars go toward -- building the giant embassy that will provide safe space for the corporations to do their profit-sucking.

BushCheneyAmerica - of the corporations, by the corporations, and for the corporations, and the hell with the rest of you.

[TommyO]

13. It has to be said

We're spending our money over there, so we don't have to spend it here.

Frankly, we've known about the underfunding of our infrastructure for a very long time now and something like the Minneapolis bridge collapse was inevitable.

[LiberalEsto]

16. My company works with civil engineers

We do some of their publicity for conferences, etc. They have long been deeply concerned with the way America's infrastructure is falling apart and not getting fixed.

I hope this dreadful tragedy serves as a wakeup call that we need to invest our tax dollars here at home, rather than in Iraq's oilfields.

[qanda]

3. Your crumbling is missing an l in the title

Just thought you'd like to know.

[bleedingheart]

4. thanks...too much coffee this morning...typing too fast...

[havocmom]

5. Time for LOTS of LTTE, complete with congressional contact info

Need to get LOTS more folks calling the Hill and putting pressure on Congress to stop funding a war that is just cover for robbing the US Treasury and START funding America again! They won't change their behavior unless WE make it too damned uncomfortable for them not to change.

Pressure, pester, persist -----> 'P' all over them!

How many bridges can be fixed, maintained, rebuilt with the $$ funneled to giant corporations via the excuse of that damned war?

[bleedingheart]

7. Minnesota's report card is not much better than PA...might be worse

http://www.asce.org/reportcard/2005/page.cfm?id=103

[Cha]

9. Recommended!

Thanks for calling your Senators.

[bleedingheart]

10. I am now calling my moronic congressman...

I know it will fall on deaf ears...but hey...he is my elected representative...so I try...

[bleedingheart]

14. Aha...someone in that office actually took my name and said

"someone in Washington will get back to you"...

so at least a response...may still be nothing..but who knows...

[Cha]

17. Good..they shouldn't

say, "someone in Washington will get back to you"..if they don't mean it.

They could just say.."I'll pass this message along".

[Bitwit1234]

11. Do you'all remember during bush's first steath stretch of the presidency?

That they had taken a survey of the inspections and 2/3 of the bridges in this country needed major repair and replacement. And remember all those billions of dollars that went to Illinois, to build another exit off a freeway so access could be made to Hastert's recently purchased piece of property.

[OHdem10]

12. Cutting Taxes for Rich and Cutting spending for the Poor

equals -- no money to repair infrustructure. Gop just as
in Katrina---Small Government means just that--no responsibity
for anything.

20 years of GOP rule in STates and Federal Government is coming
home to rest. With DLC wing running things can there be much
difference?? They vote with GOP on every spencding bill.

When have you heard a Democrat stand up and explain Taxes can\
be used for good.

I hear Dems say--we will cut taxes too.

[Inuca]

15. Related

Infrastructure Bank Proposed

The average traveler in a major metropolitan area is delayed 511/2 hours a year because of traffic and infrastructure-related congestion.

That's the estimate of the Texas Transportation Institute, and it's one reason Sens. Christopher J. Dodd and Chuck Hagel are proposing a national infrastructure bank.

http://www.courant.com/news/politics/hc-caucus0802.artaug02,0,5401731.story (2nd story on the page)

[beastieboy]

18. Same here. Ted Stevens gets a bridge to nowhere and Minnesota gets fucked

[LWolf]

19. Good, thank you. Do you also support

the Kucinich plan to rebuild America?

<snip>

Ironically, at the same time so many Americans can't find work, there is so much work to do. The crisis of our decaying infrastructure is something we see every day when we sit in traffic bound by orange barrels that line our highways. It is something that school children experience at their desks, crowded together under leaking roofs. In cities, municipal sewer systems overflow into rivers, streams, and estuaries. These events occur with increasing regularity as systems age. Infrastructure problems threaten our productivity, our economy, our environment, and our health.

It is time to put America back to work. It is time to address the twin crises by putting unemployed Americans to work rebuilding America's neglected infrastructure. The Kucinich plan will make that happen.

http://www2.kucinich.us/issues/jobs.php

[bleedingheart]

20. to be honest I have tried to stay out of the primaries but the only

candidate who lines up with what I believe is Kucinich.

I voted for him in the 2004 primary...and will probably do it again....at least it is one vote I can be proud of...and ideas like his are the ones that line up more with my style of government...

[LWolf]

21. That is about where I am at, as well.

I would like our domestic issues to start taking priority in the conversation, at least. We can do so much better than this!