McCain Raps Congress for Bridge Collapse
I agree with Senator John McCain any lawmaker who voted for the last few Highway bills filled with pork is 100% responsible for this tragedy.
NPR-Republican John McCain said Saturday that Congress could share in the blame for the Minnesota bridge collapse because lawmakers diverted billions of dollars in transportation money from road work to pet projects.
“I think perhaps you can make the argument that part of the responsibility lies with the Congress of the United States,” the Arizona senator said.
McCain said Congress spent roughly $20 billion on special-interest projects when it approved a new highway bill, signed into law by President Bush.
[...] Wesley Clark Contact the Webmaster Link to Article john mccain McCain Raps Congress for Bridge Collapse » Posted at Control Congress on Sunday, August 05, 2007 I agree with Senator John McCain any lawmaker who voted for the last view Highway bills filled with pork is 100% responsible for this tragedy. NPR-Republican John McCain said Saturday that Congress could share in the blame … lies with the Congress of the United States,” the Arizona senator said. McCain said Congress spent View Original Article » [...]
Hmm, McCain isn’t mentioning the money we are dumping in Iraq. Does he really think that the poor choices made by conservatives is confined to the highway bill? The MN legislature had been after Pawlenty to do something about the infrastructure but he refused until the bridge collapsed. This is what happens when you are more intested in cutting checks to your cronies than taking care of business.
Question posed by liberal Iowa columnist in today’s GOP Presidential debate — ‘Would you support increasing federal fuel tax to raise revenue to pay for infrastructure needs?’
Rudy responded correctly. What say you John?
Under your definition of pork John, targeted money allocated for the purpose of strengthening infrastructure would not be allowed.
How would you choose which bridges get money when so little is available?
Bart
No I want more local control. It gives the local voters more control. And slows down federal earmark trades.
Bart
If the money had gone to infastructure we would not have the problems.
Instead we got bridges to nowhere, rainforest, bike paths, trains, and rock and roll hall of fame…… what does any of that have to do with infrastructure?
That is why the money should never leave the State and local officials should make the call. And if they blow the money they cannot blame the federal government.
You are correct John. The federal government is the problem, not the solution to our decaying infrastructure. However, the reason the Federal government is the problem is because the people in many states thought that dumping their problems on the federal government would be better than fighting local politicians that aren’t always that great either.
As long as we have a nation of voters who won’t take personal responsibility for their own state and community, we will see this problem continue. States have to have balanced budgets while the feds can borrow to spend more than they take in. They can even borrow from the trust funds not count that borrowing as “public debt” even though the money is committed to funding Social Security and Medicare for the future.
That is why the unfunded liability has risen from $20 trillion to $50 trillion and we don’t hear much about it in the media. It is part of the “smoke and mirrors” used to convince people things aren’t as bad as they seem. Until this bridge fell, only a few were talking about the severe decay of our infrastructure.
It took a tragedy to get it on the news. It took the loss of lives to wake the media up to what many have been saying for years.
Jan
I agree!