Comments on: Structurally Deficient http://enfranchisedmind.com/blog/posts/structurally-deficient/ programming, politics, & other religious issues Sat, 28 Aug 2010 04:27:21 +0000 hourly 1 By: The I-35W Bridge Collapse: Don’t Politicize This Disaster With Mischaracterizations and Lies | Enfranchised Mind http://enfranchisedmind.com/blog/posts/structurally-deficient/#comment-33770 The I-35W Bridge Collapse: Don’t Politicize This Disaster With Mischaracterizations and Lies | Enfranchised Mind Fri, 03 Oct 2008 19:14:15 +0000 http://enfranchisedmind.com/blog/archive/2007/08/02/310#comment-33770 [...] there is Brian’s post, which made this wildly unfair assertion: “It needed to be replaced. But it wasn’t. Because [...] [...] there is Brian’s post, which made this wildly unfair assertion: “It needed to be replaced. But it wasn’t. Because [...]

]]> By: Enfranchised Mind » The I-35W Bridge Collapse: Don't Politicize This Disaster With Mischaracterizations and Lies http://enfranchisedmind.com/blog/posts/structurally-deficient/#comment-31535 Enfranchised Mind » The I-35W Bridge Collapse: Don't Politicize This Disaster With Mischaracterizations and Lies Sat, 04 Aug 2007 16:56:06 +0000 http://enfranchisedmind.com/blog/archive/2007/08/02/310#comment-31535 [...] there is Brian’s post, which made this wildly unfair assertion: “It needed to be replaced. But it wasn’t. Because [...] [...] there is Brian’s post, which made this wildly unfair assertion: “It needed to be replaced. But it wasn’t. Because [...]

]]> By: Robert Fischer http://enfranchisedmind.com/blog/posts/structurally-deficient/#comment-31534 Robert Fischer Fri, 03 Aug 2007 18:50:48 +0000 http://enfranchisedmind.com/blog/archive/2007/08/02/310#comment-31534 Sure...after all the bickering earlier today, now you post this on my blog. :-P Sure…after all the bickering earlier today, now you post this on my blog. :-P

]]> By: dave http://enfranchisedmind.com/blog/posts/structurally-deficient/#comment-31533 dave Fri, 03 Aug 2007 18:07:16 +0000 http://enfranchisedmind.com/blog/archive/2007/08/02/310#comment-31533 Really, I don't think this is a fair characterization at all. First, the 35W bridge, being an interstate, was 90% federally funded. It had nothing to do with Pawlenty's issues around the transportation bill. Second, "structurally deficient" does not mean "dangerous" or "needs immediate replacement". So far, there's no evidence that ANYONE in MnDOT (or elsewhere) believed it was unsafe, or recommended its shutdown or immediate replacement. That's too bad, because using the bridge to attack Pawlenty obscures the valid and important core point... that drown it in a bathtub politics IS endangering our infrastructure. Pawlenty's position is irresponsible and dangerous. But, as Nick Coleman pointed out in the Strib, a bridge falling down is deeply symbolic of our current distrust of the political system - that incompetence and neglect have become more dangerous to us than terrorists. Really, I don’t think this is a fair characterization at all. First, the 35W bridge, being an interstate, was 90% federally funded. It had nothing to do with Pawlenty’s issues around the transportation bill. Second, “structurally deficient” does not mean “dangerous” or “needs immediate replacement”. So far, there’s no evidence that ANYONE in MnDOT (or elsewhere) believed it was unsafe, or recommended its shutdown or immediate replacement.

That’s too bad, because using the bridge to attack Pawlenty obscures the valid and important core point… that drown it in a bathtub politics IS endangering our infrastructure. Pawlenty’s position is irresponsible and dangerous. But, as Nick Coleman pointed out in the Strib, a bridge falling down is deeply symbolic of our current distrust of the political system – that incompetence and neglect have become more dangerous to us than terrorists.

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