A Failing Infrastructure

There is something frightening about the bridge collapse in Minnesota that goes beyond that particular tragedy.

New Orleans was able to survive Katrina. It was unable to survive an inadequate infrastructure set up to 'protect' the city.

Recently, in New York City, a steam pipe exploded causing major havoc and death in the mid town region. It was a failure of infrastructure.

The bridge collapse in Minnesota is just the latest example of a failing infrastructure.

The President, in a recent veto on something, spoke about how government is inadequate and shouldn't be called upon to fix things, etc., etc., etc.

Well, here's the news flash. The government is in charge of the nation's infrastructure. Be it local, state, or federal, our roadways are the responsibility of the government and they are failing us. Miserably and tragically.

I do understand that people do not want to pay high taxes. Frankly, I do not want to pay high taxes. The issue is, to me, that elected officials, in government, ought to believe in what they are working for. A President, who is the head of the government, who doesn't believe that the government can do anything good and worthwhile, ought not be there. I would like to have a person who has some convictions that he or she can actually do something to improve the lives of people. Or at least keep them safe.

I am concerned at the moment because our government is really doing a poor job.

The response to Katrina was beyond awful and remains so.

Our infrastructure is rapidly deteriorating and nothing is being done about it.

Recent drug issues and tainted food have shown that the FDA is way understaffed, inadequately trained and funded, to do an even reasonable job.

Homeland Security is run by a man who, an hour after CNN and MSNBC had run footage of the disaster of the civic center in downtown New Orleans, had no awareness that this was taking place. None. Zip. His idea of competent security is to have us board planes barefoot and dump baby sippy cups.

Career attorneys who have gone up against the justice department in courts for years have said that government attorneys have always been well trained and formidable. Most of these career, government attorneys have left the justice department and been replaced by poorly trained individuals who cannot even argue a case.

Walt Kelly, who created Pogo, summed it up better than anyone. We have met the enemy, and he is us.