Thursday, August 9, 2007

Minnesota Bridge Collapse: Financial Starvation Rears Its Ugly Head

The recent collapse of an interstate bridge in Minnesota that sent a number of people to their deaths is a chilling reminder of the financial starvation of our nation’s needs here at home, needs that were tragically and poignantly showcased during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Meanwhile, we squander hundreds of millions of dollars on domestic bureaucratic programs, such as No Child Left Behind and the Medicare Prescription Drug Bill, that fail to adequately meet the needs of our citizens. We also export billions overseas to fight in a war that was initiated because of the threat of weapons of mass destruction that never existed and to fight terrorism that has since exponentially increased. In the meanwhile, political posturing rules the day at the White House and in Congress. Where are our priorities? Who is minding the store?

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the American people saw, virtually for the first time, the antiquated state of our nation’s infrastructure and how the systematic underfunding of our nation’s most pressing needs resulted in death and devastation. The Minnesota bridge collapse, while much smaller in both size and scope, hammers home the same message: because of priorities that are out of whack for a sizeable majority of Americans, our government is not doing what it could to secure our nation, its citizens, and its future. The bridge in question had been inspected during the past few years and declared structurally deficient, but was not repaired.

The poor state of our nation's infrastructure is not purely a Republican Party problem. Yes, a great deal of blame should fall on the President and the Republican majorities that controlled Congress until 2006. However, where are the Democrats? Except for a small minority, few spoke up from 2000 to 2006 regarding the urgent needs our nation faces, and now that they are in the majority, they have done little to meet our needs; instead, they engage in political posturing and finger pointing. Is it any wonder that both the President and Congress have such low approval ratings?

Is it too much to expect that when we drive on an interstate highway, it will not collapse because of years of neglect? It is similarly not too much to expect that when our fellow Americans are dying in a catastrophic hurricane, our government assist them quickly and competently. It is time for our elected representatives to start making government work for its citizens while its citizens are working to pay taxes to fund the government. Nothing less is acceptable.

Michael M. Shapiro, founder of ShapTalk.com, is an attorney who resides in New Providence, New Jersey. He currently serves as the Chairman of the New Providence Democratic Party and as Editor of The Alternative Press Contact Mike at mike@shaptalk.com