Go Back   I-Mockery Forum > I-Mockery Discussion Forums > Philosophy, Politics, and News
FAQ Members List Calendar Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Geggy Geggy is offline
say what now?
Geggy's Avatar
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Peebody
Geggy is probably a spambot
Old Aug 6th, 2007, 01:39 PM        77,000 bridges in need of repair
77,000 US bridges in need of urgent repair

· Billions required to fix ageing structures
· Five dead and 8 missing after Minnesota collapse


Ewen MacAskill in Washington
Saturday August 4, 2007
The Guardian

About 77,000 bridges across the US share the same "structurally deficient" rating as the one that collapsed over the Mississippi in Minnesota, it emerged yesterday.



Transport specialists said billions of dollars would be needed to replace the bridges, many of which were built 40 to 50 years ago and were coming to the end of their life.
The Minnesota governor, Tim Pawlenty, said: "I think anybody who looks at the national picture, the national statistics, and says that we don't have a problem would be naive ... We have a major problem."
But the federal government and the public over the last few decades have proved unwilling to pay for the upkeep through substantial rises in petrol tax or more road and bridge tolls.


The bridge collapsed on Wednesday during the evening rush hour, claiming five lives. The police said yesterday that eight people were missing, reducing earlier estimates of 20-30.
There are 756 other bridges in the US with a near-identical design to the Minnesota one. But engineers insisted yesterday that the relatively low death toll vindicated the bridge design.
Joseph Schofer, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Northwestern University, in Illinois, said the bridge's underlying arch truss stopped heavy pieces of steel from falling on to vehicles after the collapse.
The federal authorities, responding to concern about the thousands of bridges designated as structurally deficient, insisted that the Minneapolis collapse had been an "anomaly".
President George Bush, who was widely criticised for staying on holiday at his Crawford ranch in Texas after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans two years ago, is to visit the bridge site today.
Harry Reid, the Democratic leader in the Senate, said that domestic programmes, such as replacing ageing infrastructure, had been short-changed because of the billions being spent on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
"Since 9/11 we have taken our eye off the ball," he said.
The Democrats had proposed spending $631m (£309m) more on federal highway safety than Mr Bush budgeted for but he had threatened to veto the proposal.
William Wilkins, of Trip, a transport thinktank, estimated that $65bn would be needed to replace the ageing bridges.
An inspection of the collapsed bridge in the 1990s found cracks caused by fatigue and corrosion and these were repaired.
Dan Dorgan, the state bridge engineer, speaking to reporters at the site yesterday, said a recent study had raised concerns about cracks. The state had a choice of adding steel plates or carrying out a further inspection, and had opted for the latter. "We thought we had done all we could. Obviously something went terribly wrong," he said.
__________________
enjoy now, regret later
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Geggy Geggy is offline
say what now?
Geggy's Avatar
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Peebody
Geggy is probably a spambot
Old Aug 6th, 2007, 01:44 PM       
I know I'm about to pull a michael moore but the basic steps are to look at the facts, expose the problem and then come up with the best solution. I say we pull the 30 billion dollar yearly aide to israel, reject bush admin's 20 billion dollar proposal to provide military aide to saudi arabia and cut the 450 billion dollar budget toward the pentagon.
__________________
enjoy now, regret later
Reply With Quote
  #3  
ItalianStereotype ItalianStereotype is offline
Legislacerator
ItalianStereotype's Avatar
Join Date: May 2002
Location: HELL, where all hot things are
ItalianStereotype is probably pretty okItalianStereotype is probably pretty okItalianStereotype is probably pretty okItalianStereotype is probably pretty okItalianStereotype is probably pretty ok
Old Aug 6th, 2007, 03:25 PM       
500 billion? really? are we putting laser turrets and spinners on our bridges or something? I hate you, Geggy.
__________________
I could just scream
Reply With Quote
  #4  
KevinTheOmnivore KevinTheOmnivore is offline
Mocker
KevinTheOmnivore's Avatar
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Brooklyn, NY
KevinTheOmnivore is probably a spambot
Old Aug 6th, 2007, 04:38 PM       
I have a better idea...I've heard that Jew hair is quite durable, and could be put to excellent use on a suspension bridge. Also, data shows that their blood makes for a fantastic concrete mix.

It's time for us to do the right thing for our national infrastructure...Holocaust II: The Re-holocausting.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
MLE MLE is offline
CHIEF OF POLICE
MLE's Avatar
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Nice Chinese Restaurant
MLE is probably pretty okMLE is probably pretty okMLE is probably pretty okMLE is probably pretty ok
Old Aug 6th, 2007, 08:46 PM       
And this is why I'm scared shitless of bridges.
__________________
Reply With Quote
  #6  
zeldasbiggestfan zeldasbiggestfan is offline
Mocker
zeldasbiggestfan's Avatar
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Not Canada.
zeldasbiggestfan suckszeldasbiggestfan sucks
Old Aug 7th, 2007, 12:21 AM       
The Eads bridge is abandoned now. Seriously, its only used during the time people need to get to work and to get back home from St. Louis. People are scared shitless here.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Yggdrasill Yggdrasill is offline
Ass Happy
Yggdrasill's Avatar
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Boise, Idaho
Yggdrasill sucks
Old Aug 7th, 2007, 01:28 AM       
Someone think of the trolls
__________________
Don't do it.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
EndersGame EndersGame is offline
Your Doing It Wrong
EndersGame's Avatar
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Seattle
EndersGame is probably a spambot
Old Aug 7th, 2007, 06:37 AM       
OMG THE WORLDS BRIDGES ARE BREAKING BECAUSE OF A SINGLE INCIDENT!!!! EVERBODY PANIC!!!!!!
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Perndog Perndog is offline
Fartin's biggest fan
Perndog's Avatar
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Snowland
Perndog is probably a spambot
Old Aug 7th, 2007, 08:22 AM       
W was in Minneapolis over the weekend? Funny, no one told me.
__________________
Reply With Quote
  #10  
MLE MLE is offline
CHIEF OF POLICE
MLE's Avatar
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Nice Chinese Restaurant
MLE is probably pretty okMLE is probably pretty okMLE is probably pretty okMLE is probably pretty ok
Old Aug 7th, 2007, 08:11 PM       
Quote:
Originally Posted by StupidPerson View Post
STUPID WORDS
I've always been scared shitless of bridges, as implied by the tone of my post. I don't think anyone else has posted saying that because of this incident they are now currently afraid of bridges and were not before.
__________________
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Geggy Geggy is offline
say what now?
Geggy's Avatar
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Peebody
Geggy is probably a spambot
Old Aug 8th, 2007, 10:54 AM       
Quote:
Originally Posted by EndersGame View Post
OMG THE WORLDS BRIDGES ARE BREAKING BECAUSE OF A SINGLE INCIDENT!!!! EVERBODY PANIC!!!!!!

I see the education department has also gone to the shitter due to the excessive spending on the iraq war and the war on terror which ironically was designed to protect us from terrorism. try to think of it more as a wake up call. i already predict that infrastructures across the US will erode because of the wasteful spending.

By the way i'm not scared of driving over the bridge, i'm more scared of being stuck in traffic thats backed up for miles bec of collapsing bridges.
__________________
enjoy now, regret later
Reply With Quote
  #12  
El Blanco El Blanco is offline
Mocker
El Blanco's Avatar
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: New York, NY
El Blanco is probably a spambot
Old Aug 8th, 2007, 01:34 PM       
Hey, numbnuts, just exactly how much for the DoT's budget was given to DoD?

Because unless you can prove that any money at all was taken from Transportation, you're pretty much just talking out your anti-semitic ass.
__________________
according to my mongoose, anyway.
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Perndog Perndog is offline
Fartin's biggest fan
Perndog's Avatar
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Snowland
Perndog is probably a spambot
Old Aug 9th, 2007, 09:31 AM       
It's mostly state and municipal money that goes into these things anyway. So ditto above.
__________________
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Geggy Geggy is offline
say what now?
Geggy's Avatar
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Peebody
Geggy is probably a spambot
Old Aug 14th, 2007, 10:45 AM       
Learn from the fall of Rome, US warned

By Jeremy Grant in Washington
Published: August 14 2007 00:06 | Last updated: August 14 2007 00:06

The US government is on a ‘burning platform’ of unsustainable policies and practices with fiscal deficits, chronic healthcare underfunding, immigration and overseas military commitments threatening a crisis if action is not taken soon, the country’s top government inspector has warned.
David Walker, comptroller general of the US, issued the unusually downbeat assessment of his country’s future in a report that lays out what he called “chilling long-term simulations”.

These include “dramatic” tax rises, slashed government services and the large-scale dumping by foreign governments of holdings of US debt.
Drawing parallels with the end of the Roman empire, Mr Walker warned there were “striking similarities” between America’s current situation and the factors that brought down Rome, including “declining moral values and political civility at home, an over-confident and over-extended military in foreign lands and fiscal irresponsibility by the central government”.
“Sound familiar?” Mr Walker said. “In my view, it’s time to learn from history and take steps to ensure the American Republic is the first to stand the test of time.”
Mr Walker’s views carry weight because he is a non-partisan figure in charge of the Government Accountability Office, often described as the investigative arm of the US Congress.
While most of its studies are commissioned by legislators, about 10 per cent – such as the one containing his latest warnings – are initiated by the comptroller general himself.
In an interview with the Financial Times, Mr Walker said he had mentioned some of the issues before but now wanted to “turn up the volume”. Some of them were too sensitive for others in government to “have their name associated with”.
“I’m trying to sound an alarm and issue a wake-up call,” he said. “As comptroller general I’ve got an ability to look longer-range and take on issues that others may be hesitant, and in many cases may not be in a position, to take on.
“One of the concerns is obviously we are a great country but we face major sustainability challenges that we are not taking seriously enough,” said Mr Walker, who was appointed during the Clinton administration to the post, which carries a 15-year term.
The fiscal imbalance meant the US was “on a path toward an explosion of debt”.
“With the looming retirement of baby boomers, spiralling healthcare costs, plummeting savings rates and increasing reliance on foreign lenders, we face unprecedented fiscal risks,” said Mr Walker, a former senior executive at PwC auditing firm.
Current US policy on education, energy, the environment, immigration and Iraq also was on an “unsustainable path”.
“Our very prosperity is placing greater demands on our physical infrastructure. Billions of dollars will be needed to modernise everything from highways and airports to water and sewage systems. The recent bridge collapse in Minneapolis was a sobering wake-up call.”
Mr Walker said he would offer to brief the would-be presidential candidates next spring.
“They need to make fiscal responsibility and inter-generational equity one of their top priorities. If they do, I think we have a chance to turn this around but if they don’t, I think the risk of a serious crisis rises considerably”.

__________________
enjoy now, regret later
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Geggy Geggy is offline
say what now?
Geggy's Avatar
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Peebody
Geggy is probably a spambot
Old Aug 14th, 2007, 10:57 AM       
aaahahaha blanco you are so simple minded. i have no problem with israel's existance and that we should provide them with assistance and security but do you think 30 billion a year is a wee bit too much? what about america's interests...should these come first before israel?
__________________
enjoy now, regret later
Reply With Quote
  #16  
El Blanco El Blanco is offline
Mocker
El Blanco's Avatar
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: New York, NY
El Blanco is probably a spambot
Old Aug 14th, 2007, 11:50 AM       
A stable ally in the Middle East is in our interest, you tool.

And again, what does aid to Israel have to do with the Department of Transportation? Or the agencies run by the individual states?

Quote:
including “declining moral values and political civility at home, an over-confident and over-extended military in foreign lands and fiscal irresponsibility by the central government”.
“Sound familiar?” Mr Walker said.
Ya, it sounds familiar. Its something people said of the Marshall Plan and post WWII America. And we are still standing
__________________
according to my mongoose, anyway.
Reply With Quote
  #17  
Chojin Chojin is offline
was never good
Chojin's Avatar
Join Date: Apr 1999
Chojin won the popularity contestChojin won the popularity contestChojin won the popularity contestChojin won the popularity contestChojin won the popularity contestChojin won the popularity contestChojin won the popularity contestChojin won the popularity contestChojin won the popularity contest
Old Aug 15th, 2007, 07:10 AM       
Bridges are breaking, therefore, kill the jews.
Reply With Quote
  #18  
Ant10708 Ant10708 is offline
Mocker
Ant10708's Avatar
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: New York
Ant10708 is probably a spambot
Old Aug 19th, 2007, 08:58 AM       
Quote:
Originally Posted by El Blanco View Post
A stable ally in the Middle East is in our interest, you tool.

And again, what does aid to Israel have to do with the Department of Transportation? Or the agencies run by the individual states?

ahahahah your so simple minded! Not like me, my complex mind is concerned with things like how the Bush adminstration was responsible for 9/11 and Hurricane Katrinia.
__________________
I'm all for the idea of stoning the rapists, but to death...? That's a bit of a stretch, but I think the system will work. - Geggy
Reply With Quote
  #19  
Emu Emu is offline
Level 29 ♂
Emu's Avatar
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Peoria, IL
Emu is probably a real personEmu is probably a real person
Old Aug 19th, 2007, 10:46 AM       
I generally skip over Geggy's posts anyway so I'm curious where all these jew-hating jokes are coming from
Reply With Quote
  #20  
KevinTheOmnivore KevinTheOmnivore is offline
Mocker
KevinTheOmnivore's Avatar
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Brooklyn, NY
KevinTheOmnivore is probably a spambot
Old Aug 19th, 2007, 02:38 PM       
You're really missing out, they make my day.
Reply With Quote
  #21  
El Blanco El Blanco is offline
Mocker
El Blanco's Avatar
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: New York, NY
El Blanco is probably a spambot
Old Aug 19th, 2007, 04:13 PM       
Well, there is the Holocaust denial, the sticking up for the president of Iran when he mentions the need to wipe out Israel, the accusations that Israel dictates our policies, the citing of well known anti-semitic sources for his conspiracy theories, the blaming or foreign aid to Israel for bridges collapsing...


Geggy, did you ever mention the 5 dancing Jews? Thats a pretty standard one for your type.
__________________
according to my mongoose, anyway.
Reply With Quote
Reply


Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

   


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 09:55 PM.


© 2008 I-Mockery.com
Powered by: vBulletin
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.