tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524070301101240472.post8246374753102905014..comments2023-09-28T08:13:11.489-07:00Comments on Only In It For The Gold: Mundane Problems FesteringMichael Tobishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08229460438349093944noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524070301101240472.post-88457639285541464002007-08-05T00:08:00.000-07:002007-08-05T00:08:00.000-07:00Ah yes, more competent government, the heartfelt c...Ah yes, more competent government, the heartfelt cry through the ages. Alas and alack for it, it ain't gonna' happen - at least, not soon! Why? Because in government no-one's job depends on the outcome and even in the most extreme of cases when an official is forced to take early retirement he or she does so with a handsome pay-off and a full pension. It is amazing, and a credit to many government employees that the equivalent of more bridges falling down doesn't occur.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524070301101240472.post-3866140931955525752007-08-04T08:22:00.000-07:002007-08-04T08:22:00.000-07:00David, um, yeah...Roofers put the roof on my house...David, um, yeah...<BR/><BR/>Roofers put the roof on my house, and now it is leaking, so I want to have more roofers to keep it in good repair. Is that so odd?<BR/><BR/>Apparently your position is that since roofs eventually fail we should never have roofs. Frankly I have trouble seeing any sense in that position.<BR/><BR/>Anyway I didn't say "more" government I said "more competent" government. This question of more vs. less is typical market-fetish sleight-of-hand. <BR/><BR/>Neither "more" or "less" precludes "better", and all indications I know, almost without exception, indicate that we in the US need much, much better government than any established political party has been able to provide.<BR/><BR/>David, your "to hell with all roofers" attitude is increasingly common, of course. It's very unfortunate. The prevalence of that attitude is exactly the root cause of the failure of the I-35-W bridge in Minnesota, of the collapse of New Orleans, and of many similar foreseeable problems in the future.Michael Tobishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08229460438349093944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524070301101240472.post-85491368369419901102007-08-04T01:10:00.000-07:002007-08-04T01:10:00.000-07:00Not for the first time, I don't quite follow your ...Not for the first time, I don't quite follow your logic. Here we have a structure paid and maintained by government and it falls down. You are suggesting that therefor you need *more* government-run projects!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524070301101240472.post-88161153987741234762007-08-02T18:29:00.000-07:002007-08-02T18:29:00.000-07:00Well, AASHTO didn't frame their message properly. ...Well, AASHTO didn't frame their message properly. NPR tonite made a point about most folks not knowing our infrastructure is in cr*ppy shape.<BR/><BR/>Seriously, it's far, far easier to build a new arterial along the shopping center and out to the new, shiny McSuburb than it is to raise taxes to repair the bridge you cross on the way to work. <BR/><BR/>What's the wager that taxes won't get raised to get close to AASHTO recommendations until 3-4 more bridges collapse/levees fail/steam pipes explode/NG pipeline burns for days?<BR/><BR/>Best,<BR/><BR/>DDanohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03709762632849004871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524070301101240472.post-19489114851426832682007-08-02T18:00:00.000-07:002007-08-02T18:00:00.000-07:00The surprise is that this did not happen often ear...The surprise is that this did not happen often earlier. The situation with bridges and underpasses has been clear for fifteen to twenty years.EliRabetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07957002964638398767noreply@blogger.com