QUIT SNIVELING AND TIGHTEN THE BELT BUCKLE

In an earlier post from this morning I said in reference to the 35W bridge collapse:

Our newest Senator, DFL'er Amy Klobuchar, wasted no time in making it political. She is a fast learner, I guess. It is so disgusting and disheartening when a tradgedy hits so close to home and then you have to put with this crap - the politics of it. For God's sake, we need adults in office, not spoiled adolescents.

That prompted this comment in the comments section by Ed Kohler:

Are the adults the ones who opposed the gas tax before the collapse but support it now that people have died?

I must say firstly, the premise is faulty. Had their been a gas tax hike, this bridge still would have fallen. To imply otherwise is being disingenuous.

I would submit that the inspections were faulty. People made the decision in 2004, again in 2005, and again in 2006 that the bridge was safe to use.

It appears to me we need better inspection techniques and technology to better scrutinize the safety of our bridges. Or would we rather do away with inspections altogether and for the sake of safety, just replace them all, say............... every 20 years, whether they need to be replaced or not? After all, it's just money and our government cannot ever have too much of that.

We have a spending problem and an inability to priortize and an inability to say 'no'. If we accept the idea that we do not have the money to rebuild our roads and bridges, then we need to stop and/or curtail our "non-road spending" and re-direct it to "road spending".

Let's quit spending our money on the worthless and ill-conceived light rail and spend it on our roads.

You want to give reduced in-state rates for college students who are here illegally? You want to give illegals free health insurance? But you won't spend our existing tax revenue on our infrastructure? What's more important?

My earlier comment remains unchanged: "we need adults in office, not spoiled adolescents". If some of our politicians opposed the gas tax and now support it (Gov. Pawlenty?) because of what happened, then in my estimation they are spineless weasels and fall into the above category.

If some of you out there want to give up 70% + of your income and hand it over to the government, to expand it, so they can wipe your ass for you every morning and wipe your sniveling little nose for you .. fine.. go ahead. But COUNT ME OUT.