Does Bush regret all of his Federal Highway fund cuts NOW ??

Answer 1

Partially his fault, because funding that would have gone to infrastructure to help this nation is being diverted to Iraq. Part of this also lies on the REPUBLICAN governor of the state, who ALSO vetoed a state transportation bill which earmarked money to repair bridges in the state as well.

Answer 2

It surely does not take long for liberals to blame Bush for things.

You should really read some of the facts before you spew. Like:
1. The bridge was considered structurally deficient, but still considered safe to drive on, and was not slated for replacement until 2020.
2. Federal highway funds are controlled by CONGRESS.
3. Even if the funds were available, this bridge would not have been replaced or repaired at this point. There are many other projects ahead of it.
4. Bush has FAR LESS control than you id1ots give him credit for.

Answer 3

This problem is bigger than a single president. We - the American public have been 'taught' that taxes are bad. The money is better spent in OUR pockets than in the Governments. At every turn, politicians are declared winners when they reduce taxes. Sadly, our culture is too slow to realize that there is no free lunch when it comes to public infrastructure and safety.

Let's see the funding since 1980 about making us safer, through checking, repairing, replacing bridges, through safer roads, through better lighting, through a dozen different ways that our taxes SHOULD be used to make it better for everyone. The Levees in Louisana... if there had been funding, they could have been reinforced. However, when you have to prioritize pet projects and election year priorities along with those expensive, multi year projects, it's pretty evident what will/has won.

Every president, governor, congressperson needs to wake up and realize that taxes are not punitive, rather, they are the price we pay to create, preserve and ensure a safe America.

*steps off the soapbox*
peace

Answer 4

The bridge collapse is now the President's fault. It was inspected in 1999 and found to be in need of repair. It has been inspected since and conditions have not changed. How is it Bush's fault that the highway department in Minnesota did not get the bridge up to standards. Don't say he cut highway funds because they have known for years that this bridge needed repair. As usual it is blame Bush instead of taking responsibility at the local level. Why not blame congress they passed the spending cuts, why not blame the governor of Minnesota, he did not allocate the highway funds he got to include this repair, why not blame the people who drove on the bridge. Just easier to follow your personal political agenda, isn't it.

Answer 5

This is an American problem. It doesn't have a republican or democratic face. As one expert was stating on the news yesterday, the reality is that the bridges in this country are not as bad off as much of the rest of the infrastructure - old antiquated water systems just to name one.
Loss of life is never good, but if the reality of our situation finally reaches out and slaps us hard enough, it could be good for the economy - providing many new jobs to analyze and correct the infrastructures problems.
Can't we just take some things as being OUR problem without trying to place blame. We are all to blame or, just blame me, throw rocks at me, call my mama names, whatever. Now what are we going to do about resolving it?

Answer 6

This truly transcends politics. We have a national pathology (yep, NATIONAL, meaning the whole f**king culture) of ignoring looming problems until we see disastrous consequences.

I hate to play the 9/11 card, but report after report, study after study showed time and time again, year after year, that security measures left to the devices of our private airline carriers were woefully inadequate and unprepared to detect and prevent terrorists from wreaking havoc. The Hart-Rudman report of the late 1990s was the last in a line of several such reports dating back to the 80s.

And no one - Dem, Repub, Green, Libertarian, Socialist, Fascist, Corporatist, Labor, Tory, Rebel, New South Confederist, Alaskan Secessionist - NO ONE wanted to be bothered to institute what we KNEW had to be instituted, what the rest of the world had already instituted. No one, that is, until the absolute worst-case scenario played out.

Fight the pathology, not the other side.

Answer 7

Sorry Charlie, you can't blame this one on Bush. The primary responsibility for inspection and maintainance for bridges is the state. While the last report on that bridge said there were deficiencies the report did not say it was unsafe.

The bridge did have an unusual design on the span that collapsed. However the design and construction were not done on Bush's watch. It was approved and constructed by a DEMOCRAT Congress. And may have been under a DEMOCRAT President. Trying to blame this on Bush totally is like trying to totally blame Bush for the damage caused by Katrina.

Answer 8

I would doubt it. If he doesn't regret sending young men and women off to die in his oil war I doubt he regrets a few dead people in Minnesota.

Can you blame Bush directly for the bridge falling? No. But you can blame the tone of his administration that is bent on cutting taxes for the wealthy at the expense of the public safety. Roads and bridges are expensive. If we are going to keep buying cars, someone has to pay for the infrastructure. As much as I hate taxes and high gas prices, a gas tax that goes directly to funding roads is the only fair way to pay for it. Those who burn the most fuel, pay the most money.

Answer 9

I highly doubt that he regrets it. Did he regret cutting funds to New Orleans to fund the Iraq war? Talk about double murder. Government officials get away with so much that crooks look like saints.

Answer 10

bush needs to be impeached, he's an idiot. he has taken money from every resource we built up for situations like this. now we the American people have to suffer because of the sob.