This illustrates perfectly what I was saying the other day about priorities. Yes, we need to spend money on road upkeep, road repair, bridge repair and bridge replacement. The question becomes then, "How do we fund it?"

New and more taxes, making it harder for the average person to make it financially? Or, using our current tax revenue more wisely, and more responsibly? In other words, prioritize our needs and spend accordingly.

This comes from Michael Brodkorb:

Congressman Jim Oberstar, who is chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, did a great job of leading the charge and getting the 35-W bride repair relief package passed in the U.S. House of Representatives. The legislative process worked and every Minnesotan should be proud of how Minnesota's congressional delegation responded to this tragedy.

But I'm curious what people think of this article from the Bemidji Pioneer. I've pulled the below section from the article:

"Oberstar wrote the legislation in 1991 that first allowed Highway Trust Funds to flow to states for bike trails. Until then, the 50 states combined for the past 20 years had spent only $40 million on bike trails.

The 1991 law required each state to have a bicycle coordinator, funded from the Highway Trust Fund, to have a state bicycling plan, and would be given the authority to use abandoned railway grade beds as bicycle, pedestrian and in-line skating trails.

In the next six years, $1.3 billion was invested in bicycling facilities nationwide, Oberstar, an avid biker, said." Source: Bemidji Pioneer, August 9, 2007

What do you think? Should we be focused on bike trails or highways? In my opinion, it's all about priorities. In the aftermath of the 35-W bridge collapse, I think the public will be closely monitoring state spending and watching how politicians spend the taxpayers' money. What should come first? More bike trails or highways?

The politicians know that with each passing year, roads and bridges deteriorate. In fact, in 1990 the 35W bridge was first noted through inspection, that it was structurally deficient. Interestingly, the following year (1991) Oberstar decided bike trails were more important than bridges.

Fast forward to 2007, and its Pawlenty's and Bush's fault that the very same bridge collapses that was discovered to be lacking in structural integrity in 1990.

Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize.