Who hasn't seen the film of "Galloping Gertie", The old Tacoma Narrows Bridge, as it collapsed in a windstorm. That was 1940. Today, 26% of the bridges in Washington state are structurally deficient or obsolete. Then it was a lack of knowledge that allowed a defective bridge design. Now, it's Conservatism that keeps us from maintaining our bridges and highways.
Rick Perlstein at .common sense spells out the connection:
When Howard Dean ran for president, he said George Bush's federal tax cuts were a mirage—that every dollar states and municipalities could not get from the federal government for essential services they would have to raise on their own. They would actually turn out to be a tax hike—if, that is, states and municipalities were able to summon the political will to raise taxes at all. Some have had a hard time doing that.
And now the bill is coming due. The ground is opening up beneath our feet, swallowing people and machines.
And as if the knee-jerk anti-tax reaction of Conservatives wasn't enough of a threat to safety and commerce, their insidious chipping away at product regulation and inspection is bringing us more danger.
This morning the State Attorney Generals office tells us that Conservatism's mindless faith in deregulation and "free trade" has brought us deadly tires from China:
SPOKANE – Attorney General Rob McKenna today urged consumers to check the tires on their SUV, pickup or van in case they are among those being recalled. Attorneys General in 24 states issued consumer alerts and have formed a working group to look into concerns that an estimated 270,000 tires brought into the U.S. from China may be potentially unsafe. ...(more)
I had been concerned about Conservatism causing a decline in food safety, but now I'm wondering if I can survive the trip to the grocery store.
1 comment:
Right!
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