Comments on: How Safe Is Your Bridge? http://www.wgmd.com/blog/2007/08/02/how-safe-is-your-bridge/ The WGMD 92.7 FM Delmarva Blog Sat, 21 Nov 2009 06:22:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Frank http://www.wgmd.com/blog/2007/08/02/how-safe-is-your-bridge/#comment-7112 Frank Tue, 07 Aug 2007 21:25:41 +0000 http://www.wgmd.com/blog/2007/08/02/how-safe-is-your-bridge/#comment-7112 As to the point of letting bridges fall down so as to not raise taxes I'm not sure I believe that is the reason . Our political leaders have never shown me that they have a problem raising taxes. I feel that here in Delaware we pay plenty of taxes. Now if enough of those revenues do not end up paying for the up keep of our bridges I would say it is because the voters have not made it clear to our leaders that that is where we want the money spent. Go to a town hall meeting or read a report of a press conference and see if you hear a question about bridges. Even if you hear questions about highways they almost always talk of widening the roads or more lights . What you get most of the time at these gatherings are questions about how much more money will we dump down the bottomless pit of education without requiring real results ? Maybe you will get a question about how will this politition make sure that those of us who work will pay to insure that those who do not will have health care ? Maybe if we didn't spend money giving needles to junkies we could spend that money on a bridge. Maybe if we didn't spend millions of dollars on study after study on things that every person in the state already knows like the fact that when you add a new developement it will increase the amount of traffic on the surrounding roads and they will need improvements, maybe we could spend that money on bridges. It is not always the fact that we don't collect enough taxes to solve our problems , sometimes the fact is that we collect to many taxes for the wrong reasons. Remember that polititions seek to please those who vote so that they will be re-elected. If all they hear is education and health care that is what they will push for if they are elected. As I have said many times it is not better polititions we need it is better voters and if we could get better voters then we would get better leaders. As to the point of letting bridges fall down so as to not raise taxes I’m not sure I believe that is the reason . Our political leaders have never shown me that they have a problem raising taxes. I feel that here in Delaware we pay plenty of taxes. Now if enough of those revenues do not end up paying for the up keep of our bridges I would say it is because the voters have not made it clear to our leaders that that is where we want the money spent. Go to a town hall meeting or read a report of a press conference and see if you hear a question about bridges. Even if you hear questions about highways they almost always talk of widening the roads or more lights .

What you get most of the time at these gatherings are questions about how much more money will we dump down the bottomless pit of education without requiring real results ? Maybe you will get a question about how will this politition make sure that those of us who work will pay to insure that those who do not will have health care ?

Maybe if we didn’t spend money giving needles to junkies we could spend that money on a bridge. Maybe if we didn’t spend millions of dollars on study after study on things that every person in the state already knows like the fact that when you add a new developement it will increase the amount of traffic on the surrounding roads and they will need improvements, maybe we could spend that money on bridges.

It is not always the fact that we don’t collect enough taxes to solve our problems , sometimes the fact is that we collect to many taxes for the wrong reasons.

Remember that polititions seek to please those who vote so that they will be re-elected. If all they hear is education and health care that is what they will push for if they are elected.

As I have said many times it is not better polititions we need it is better voters and if we could get better voters then we would get better leaders.

]]> By: Fabio http://www.wgmd.com/blog/2007/08/02/how-safe-is-your-bridge/#comment-6957 Fabio Fri, 03 Aug 2007 15:14:34 +0000 http://www.wgmd.com/blog/2007/08/02/how-safe-is-your-bridge/#comment-6957 I think ya'll are freaking out a little too much about the whole Indian River Inlet Bridge due to this Minnesota ordeal. DelDOT's top engineers are still working on site and there is a engineering firm still there with a structural engineer on hand. This bridge is looked at daily and if anything is wrong, it gets fixed immediately. I know throughout Sussex County DelDOT workers are citizens just like the rest of us and they ride our roads too. If they see anything abnormal they get checked out immediately. The bridges are constantly checked by multiple departments and bridge inspectors are sent out once a year or more depending on the bridges shape. The biggest problem in replacing old bridges is the lack of Minner's ability to manage funds and depleting the transportation fund to make her financial report card look good. Now there aren't funds to build new bridges just to repair or bandaid. Federal money also takes awhile to get. But I would rest assure the IRIB is safe by all means. I think ya’ll are freaking out a little too much about the whole Indian River Inlet Bridge due to this Minnesota ordeal. DelDOT’s top engineers are still working on site and there is a engineering firm still there with a structural engineer on hand. This bridge is looked at daily and if anything is wrong, it gets fixed immediately. I know throughout Sussex County DelDOT workers are citizens just like the rest of us and they ride our roads too. If they see anything abnormal they get checked out immediately. The bridges are constantly checked by multiple departments and bridge inspectors are sent out once a year or more depending on the bridges shape. The biggest problem in replacing old bridges is the lack of Minner’s ability to manage funds and depleting the transportation fund to make her financial report card look good. Now there aren’t funds to build new bridges just to repair or bandaid. Federal money also takes awhile to get. But I would rest assure the IRIB is safe by all means.

]]> By: Perry http://www.wgmd.com/blog/2007/08/02/how-safe-is-your-bridge/#comment-6938 Perry Fri, 03 Aug 2007 02:55:46 +0000 http://www.wgmd.com/blog/2007/08/02/how-safe-is-your-bridge/#comment-6938 Agreed, Jared, we do have something to worry about re the Indian River Inlet Bridge, the same thought occurring to me in the aftermath of the MN bridge tragedy. One point being made about the Minnesota 35W Bridge is that the State has been reducing expenditures for infrastructure maintenance, even knowing that this bridge had significant deficiencies, like 50 of 120 checkpoints failed. This neglect occurred in order to avoid tax increases. Penny wise and pound foolish? I say yes, in DE too! I think a reprioritization is in order. Agreed, Jared, we do have something to worry about re the Indian River Inlet Bridge, the same thought occurring to me in the aftermath of the MN bridge tragedy.

One point being made about the Minnesota 35W Bridge is that the State has been reducing expenditures for infrastructure maintenance, even knowing that this bridge had significant deficiencies, like 50 of 120 checkpoints failed. This neglect occurred in order to avoid tax increases.

Penny wise and pound foolish? I say yes, in DE too! I think a reprioritization is in order.

]]> By: RonR http://www.wgmd.com/blog/2007/08/02/how-safe-is-your-bridge/#comment-6931 RonR Thu, 02 Aug 2007 23:06:29 +0000 http://www.wgmd.com/blog/2007/08/02/how-safe-is-your-bridge/#comment-6931 I guess Deldot feels it will cross that bridge when they come to it. I guess Deldot feels it will cross that bridge when they come to it.

]]> By: EdwinAnthony http://www.wgmd.com/blog/2007/08/02/how-safe-is-your-bridge/#comment-6930 EdwinAnthony Thu, 02 Aug 2007 22:21:26 +0000 http://www.wgmd.com/blog/2007/08/02/how-safe-is-your-bridge/#comment-6930 That is a very good question. I think the 'real' number of bridges in need of repair is in the tens of thousands! Some estimates of deficiency is around 50 to 70 thousand bridges. When our State and Local governments consistently under-fund these roads and bridge projects; there will be very dangerous consequence. Let's continue to spend the billions daily in Iraq and subtract from much needed projects in the US. Of the 70, 000 bridges in need of repair; I DO wonder how many could be brought up to standards with the trillion dollars being spent to rebuild IRAQ. That is a very good question. I think the ‘real’ number of bridges in need of repair is in the tens of thousands! Some estimates of deficiency is around 50 to 70 thousand bridges. When our State and Local governments consistently under-fund these roads and bridge projects; there will be very dangerous consequence. Let’s continue to spend the billions daily in Iraq and subtract from much needed projects in the US. Of the 70, 000 bridges in need of repair; I DO wonder how many could be brought up to standards with the trillion dollars being spent to rebuild IRAQ.

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