Edit post

Edit your reply below.

Post Body
Enter your post below.
[quote user="rjemery"] Despite the I-35W tragedy, I take it you feel a (fuel) tax increase is not justified to generate the funds to repair or replace deteriorated or obsolete infrastructure.  [/quote]I feel that the funds can be generated without a tax increase.There is a tendency to use the collapse to promote the premise that all infrastructure is crumbling and in dire need of new funding to fix it.  I hear it ten times a day on the news.  Of course this is nonsense.  Infrastructure is always in need of maintenance and funding is generally made available as required.  Contrary to what we are being told, structurally deficient bridges are not all in need of replacement.  But a state government that is hungry for as much funding as it can possibly get, regardless of need, will exploit the tragedy to stampede the public into the acceptance of an emergency tax increase.  After all, who could be so insensitive to the victims of the collapse as to deny a sweeping fix for our so-called crumbling infrastructure?  Not many would risk the label of insensitivity to challenge the logic.  Not even our governor apparently.  I am not opposed to rebuilding the bridge, and I realize that the public will have to pay for it.  I just don't want the public to over pay.  And that will surly be the result of a tax increase.  They may sweeten the deal by offering a sunset, but they have already predicated the tax increase on a nearly endless variety of infrastructure problems besides the bridge that collapsed.  So, there is a higher probability that a new tax will grow larger rather than be sunset.   One thing we can take to the bank is that this new bridge will be a real hum dinger.  They are toying with a 300 million dollar price tag, but I'll bet it tops one billion. This will be the world's strongest, most over-engineered bridge.  It will be a veritable monument to strength, security, technology, good taste, sensitivity, community art, and diverse transportation philosophies.  It will reach out to those who have been wounded, and it will reach out to the pigeons and spiders.
Tags (Optional)
Tags are keywords that get attached to your post. They are used to categorize your submission and make it easier to search for. To add tags to your post type a tag into the box below and click the "Add Tag" button.
Add Tag