I blame it on gravity

It's his pork, not my pork that is causing every problem known to man. My pork = good, his pork = bad.

This country needs an enema.

This country needs an enema.

Posted by Lipzoidial at 2008-05-01

Start the insertion in the Oval Office.

And eliminating the gas tax which funds road repairs is a great idea....right John?????

It is pretty foolish him to be against "pork" even as the war he supports drains the treasury. I wonder how many bridges could have been fixed for 500 billion??

Republican John McCain said Wednesday that the bridge collapse in Minnesota that killed 13 people last year would not have happened if Congress had not wasted so much money on pork-barrel spending.

LarryMohr waddling across didn't help either.

I thought it was pigeons poop, not pigs.

Bush has cut money to the states for infrastructure building/repair every single year he's been in offce and especially made drastic cuts since 2003 telling the states he needed the funds for his war in Iraq. How many bridges and highways in the U.S. could have been repaired and/or built with the trillions of our tax dollars Bush has stolen from our Treasury to pay for his war.

If you vote in McBush as President he'll blab he's "tough on pork" but then he'll say he needs those millions he considers "pork" to instead continue to keep on paying for the neverending wars he plans to continue "a la Bush."

Ah, does anyone here think when your own homestate politicians request a few million to repair and/or rebuild some crumbling bridge or unstable overpass in your own state it's nothing but "pork" (as McBush calls it) or do you think it's a worthy project -- something important for the safety of you and your family and friends who drive on that crumbling bridge and unstable overpass?

To McBush -- a few million $$$ for badly needed improvement of U.S. infrastructure is considered only as "pork"

To McBush -- trillions for the Republican donors' warprofiteering, cost plus, no bid contracts for infrastructure in Iraq is considered justified.

Amazing how all the infastrucure has suddenly crumbled in the last 7 years. As though all these improvements were on the table and ready to be implemented and because of Bush and the war they were scrapped? Hell we had a surplus just a few short years ago and didn't here word one about the infastructures.

" Hell we had a surplus just a few short years ago and didn't here word one about the infastructures."

That's because if you fix the infrastructure, you can't give 60% rate cuts on dividends to the wealthiest among us. Priorities, man.

That's because if you fix the infrastructure, you can't give 60% rate cuts on dividends to the wealthiest among us. Priorities, man.

Posted by Danforth at 2008-05-01 03:39 PM


Nothing about the previous Admin. and their surplus?

"Nothing about the previous Admin. and their surplus?"

Who said the roads were neglected under Clinton?

"Nothing about the previous Admin. and their surplus?"

Who said the roads were neglected under Clinton?


Who said they happened under anyone? As much as we like to pin the blame on one single person (for sheeple, that's usually the one whose party they hate) the truth is that infrastructure collapses take years and decades.

The blame-game is so much fun to play, but why don't we play a new one for a change: Fix the shit.

"the truth is that infrastructure collapses take years and decades."

Yes, and seven years of neglect will eventually catch-up with us. McCain thinks pork brought down the bridge, but Boy George's Operation Iraqi Liberation had no effect?!?

"Nothing about the previous Admin. and their surplus?"

Who said the roads were neglected under Clinton?


Posted by Danforth at 2008-05-01 03:46 PM |

My point was the previous administrations surplus to fix the infastructure.

"My point was the previous administrations surplus to fix the infastructure."

What are you saying...Clinton should have foreseen bad governance and made sure all the roads & bridges were new?

Yes, and seven years of neglect will eventually catch-up with us. McCain thinks pork brought down the bridge, but Boy George's Operation Iraqi Liberation had no effect?!?

Seven years, 15 years, 25 years of neglect. Yeah, it all catches up. I don't know if the Iraqi war had an effect. I would take a think take with many brains and more knowledge than this single goat has to answer that question.

However, it doesn't take a think tank to figure out the blame game doesn nothing but make people feel smug about themselves while the bridges are still rotting.

Many years ago I was working on a digital cross connect switch in Chicago from my home in Texas. We had lost several DS3s worth of traffic. It was late at night. While furiously trying to determine the problem and fixe it, I was ordered to stop and get on a conference call with a bunch of suits. "who did this?" "Why wan't this done?" "Who is to blame?" was all I heard.

Finally I said, "who's going to be to blame when we miss the last flight out of Dallas to Chicago with the part we need because your engineer is being sidelined to help you all lay blame?"

The phone line went quiet. A few seconds later my boss said, "_______, get back to work on the switch." I found the problem and got the part ordered and on the last flight to chicago.

The next day I was threatened with a write up for insubordination, but I got the problem fixed.

The moral of the story: Fixing stuff is more important than blaming those who are at fault

What are you saying...Clinton should have foreseen bad governance and made sure all the roads & bridges were new?


Posted by Danforth at 2008-05-01 03:59 PM |

Yeah Danforth thats what I am saying. Thanks for ignoring the point and by all means continue to blame it all on Bush. Happy? Go back to your 3:46 ridiculous post.

"Fixing stuff is more important than blaming those who are at fault"

We agree there, but fixing blame is also important, to ensure we don't make the same mistake(s) again. For better or worse, Presidents get the nod, and this one happened on Bush's watch.

For better or worse, Presidents get the nod, and this one happened on Bush's watch.

Posted by Danforth at 2008-05-01 04:14 PM | R


Just like the levees in NO?????

We agree there, but fixing blame is also important, to ensure we don't make the same mistake(s) again.

Bush will be out of office in a few months. If it collapses again, I doubt seriously if he will be at fault. (that's not to say he's at fault for this one) So why are we still trying to blame him for this Minnesota bridge? It's past. Let's fix this bridge and move on.

"Just like the levees in NO?????"

It depends...did he cut vital funding? IIRC, even had we done everything wanted by the pros, Katrina would still have wreaked devastation. I don't blame Bush for the levees, although history will always note it was, again, on his watch. Of course, the response afterward was...well...a heckuva job.

Yeah Danforth thats what I am saying. Thanks for ignoring the point and by all means continue to blame it all on Bush. Happy? Go back to your 3:46 ridiculous post.

Posted by crispee_oc at 2008-05-01 04:12 PM | Reply | Flag:

YEAH! Clinton made the Pigeons shit on the bridge...it's all his fault!

"Thanks for ignoring the point and by all means continue to blame it all on Bush. Happy?"

Did Bush neglect the roads or didn't he? Simple question.

If the gas tax is a dedicated fund, like it was, then the war spending should have nothing to do with anything. Part of the gas tax if federal and part is state.

MN had money for a new sports stadium but it can't afford to fix their bridges. Go figure.

Bush has cut money to the states for infrastructure building/repair every single year he's been in offce and especially made drastic cuts since 2003 telling the states he needed the funds for his war in Iraq.

Posted by CalifChris


Let's be truthful here. Where's the link?

I don't like Bush and his pet war, but the way that the taxes are set up to pay for roads and bridges seems like a good idea. Everyone pays tax on gas and the money goes to the Feds to pay back to the States so that they can maintain their Federal roads and bridges.

If I were in State government, I'd be fighting for as much of the pie as I can and spending it on expensive items for my State. Exmaple, Boston's $3 billion Big Hole In The Ground.

The moeny is not appriated correctly.

Same thing in Louisiana. Federal money is just poured into a bottomless pit.

The US Dept of Transportation needs to be revamped or shut down. It doesn't work.

"The US Dept of Transportation needs to be revamped or shut down. It doesn't work."

Typical Republican playbook. Claim "government is the problem", get in power and do you damnedest to prove that mantra right, and then claim "see, (fill in the blank) doesn't work; let's shut it down."

Eisenhower is rolling over in his grave.

"Thanks for ignoring the point and by all means continue to blame it all on Bush. Happy?"

Did Bush neglect the roads or didn't he? Simple question.

Posted by Danforth


no, he didn't. The "system" that we have set up did. This is a problem that's been going on from the beginning of the agency.

I wish we'd get off the Bush rant. I don't think anyone cares anymore.

By February, '09, everyone's going to be jumping all over Obama and how he can't handle the job.

Danforth,

are you trying to retort? I missed it. Typical republican? What? Doesn't make sense. You want to elaborate?

www.defazio.house.gov

Posted by Danforth


And your point is...


I have to retort with the trite "And Democrats solution is to throw money at the problem..." so that they can't be blamed for not trying :)

"You want to elaborate?"

What don't you understand? Bush underfunds it, righties use that as proof it "doesn't work", and then you come along suggesting we eliminate the Department of Transportation. Grover Norquist would be proud.

www.ccm-ct.org

Posted by Danforth


what is your point?

"And your point is..."

If you don't get the point, you're not paying attention. Reread the thread.

"And Democrats solution is to throw money at the problem..."

Yeah...that's called funding it, versus underfunding it. Did you read the posts? Bush's plan for 2009 is to underfund by $2 billion.

"You want to elaborate?"

What don't you understand? Bush underfunds it, righties use that as proof it "doesn't work", and then you come along suggesting we eliminate the Department of Transportation. Grover Norquist would be proud.

Posted by Danforth



Ah. I see what you're saying. Good observation, but there is another perspective. I'm not a neocon Republican, however, I am conservative.

This is not a partisan issue, unless you think that Democrats think everything should be at the Federal level and Republicans think that everything should be at the State

The DOT was successful with building the Interstate system and then gave the maintenance back to the States. Most of the States ain't doing their job.

"And Democrats solution is to throw money at the problem..."

Yeah...that's called funding it, versus underfunding it. Did you read the posts? Bush's plan for 2009 is to underfund by $2 billion.

Posted by Danforth


I get your point, but I believe that we should just shut it down.

The DOT did it's job by building the Interstate system and gave the responsibility to the States to maintain them.

Time for the DOT to go away. It's not needed anymore.

" Most of the States ain't doing their job."

I'm sure it's tough when you're getting $2 billion less than what is minimally needed.

Minisota collects $0.22 per gal state tax on fuel. What do they spend that money on? I guess it didn't go to bridge repairs.

Yeah...that's called funding it, versus underfunding it. Did you read the posts? Bush's plan for 2009 is to underfund by $2 billion.

Posted by Danforth


Does anyone know how the DOT determines how much to give to a State for maintenance? Don't you think that there's quite a bit of stretching and over-budgeting going on in this process?

Take a look at what happened in Louisiana with the Levees. That didn't even involve the State, but fraud and mishandling of funds had been found stretching back for years.

This happened because there's no accountability. If it were handled by a smaller organization, it would probably be better. Look at how Holland handles their rising water problem. Much better than the USACE.

Guess repairing crumbling infrastructure isn't a priority but no-bid, no-accountability, do nothing contracts to the company co-president Cheney used to work for (and still does, in fact) are.

Wot a tangled web.

McCain is merely trying push himself as the allegedly ethical & pork-free candidate because of his record on earmarks which although laudable does kinda detract from the cynical reality that he comes from one of them red states that takes in more Federal money than it shells out on a regular basis.

The people's welfare and even basics once taken for granted like decent and safe roads and bridges are shunted aside as the corporate welfare state just grows and grows and as corporate over-influence continues to have extremely negative effects on the economy as a whole.

But most folks would rather talk about made up controversies like Wright sound bytes or "Bittergate" than these very simple, basic truths.

Fucking sheeple.

Ya know Spud hates 'em.

Be Well.

" Most of the States ain't doing their job."

I'm sure it's tough when you're getting $2 billion less than what is minimally needed.

Posted by Danforth


I'm getting underpaid in my job too. BUT I GET MY WORK DONE!!!

otherwise, I'd be fired.

And, I pay my bills and live within my means. I buy health insurance and do other things to provide for and protect my family.

I don't rely on the Federal Government to rescue me from my own mis-management!

dan, do you play poker with just royal flushes or do you play the cards you are delt? If the good citizens of that area could come up with the money to build a new sports stadium for a bunch of stupid football players that use it 6 times a year, why can't they fix the damn bridge they drive on everyday?

Thank G*d we have all the bridges in Iraq fixed.

Now that's fucking funny ChickenInOven. I only drove on that bridge ONE TIME back in 2000 seriously.

Larry Mohr

Now that's fucking funny ChickenInOven. I only drove on that bridge ONE TIME back in 2000 seriously.

Larry Mohr

Posted by LarryMohr


That's a creepy feeling, isn't it?

Twice a year, I drive across the Old Mississippi bridge in Baton Rouge along the US190 to go see my folks. Old, because the new one spans the Mississippi for I-10. I just hold my breath.

What I think would be creepy is being the first one off of THAT bridge or- the First to aproch it while it's crumbling. Now THAT would be creepy.

Larry Mohr

It seems obvious most posters don't have a clue
of what their state and local governments are
doing with these funds, that is criminal waste of
tax money unchecked. Raise my sales tax ? For what ?

"This country needs an enema.."

I was thinking more like a reset button!

So, back on point, McCain again proves he's a senile no-nothing.

Back on the point. How many of these old dudes are on the point. When you are that old you are trying to make a name for yourself. He might be going on memories from the 40's and beliefs from before that. Check his wife out. He wants to be young again and the next president.

How many people do you see wanting power positions in many organizations? For instance, churches, local government etc. It seems the older they are the less they will do. They would not want to ruffle any feathers.

McCain sain?

I suppose spending billions of dollars to fight global warming is not pork? GE and Philips will make out like bandits, but it won't do anything for the rest of us. Senator McCain one of our three nitwits running for President.