The cause of this disaster is one word: Neglect. Neglect by our federal government for the last 20 years. People were raising serious questions about this country’s infrastructure during the Clinton-Bush-Perot campaign of ‘92. But all we got from the two main parties was lip service.

While the greater part of our infrastructure has been seriously breaking down for the last 20 to 30 years where have OUR tax dollars been focused. Any place but America where the profits seem to be the smallest and the oversight(while slight) at least greater than anywhere else.
And this appears to be breaking news to our political elite. Just how far up their asses can they possibly have their heads at any given time. I find it equally sickening and funny at the same time to hear a politician give away OUR money or erase others debt to us as if they’ve reached into their own pocket or written off the debt to themselves. What an incredible bunch of assholes we have running this country all trying to get the next photo-op first.
When Bu$h went out to view the bridge collapse we actually had one disaster looking at another disaster. Only in America. Did the media catch the significance of that event.
I’m waiting for a candidate, any candidate from either party to stand up and say we won’t spend a dime elsewhere until we’ve taken care of our own first. America First - it’s about f**king time.

Richard Clarke once said you cannot motivate Americans unless there are body bags.Well there are body bags and a we must get our priorities in order.To pass along to our children staggering deficits and a crumbling infrastructure will guarantee our place in hell.I know that the Bush strategy is to allow the infrastructure of America to crumble to the point that a terrorist will have no target.We were handed a pretty good country by our parents and we have not been good caretakers of our responsibility to our children but it is not too late.Impeach Cheney and Bush and let us together make the country that our parents would be proud of and that our children deserve.

I was station agent at the Como Harriet Streetcar Line at Lake Harriet in Linden Hills on Wednesday August 1 at 6 pm.  Normally, I would have been in traffic on 35W just shy of the collapsed bridge hoping to exit to Washington Ave. Everyone who parks near the Bailey building knows that there are a few meters for free at 6 pm, so you try to get there in time.
When a group of people came in to the station to purchase ride tokens and told me that the 35W bridge had “imploded before their eyes” as they exited at University Avenue (approaching the bridge) I did not believe them, then thought it was the silliest thing--a “terror attack” on our West Bank--just a little off.
After two days of worry for friends (all safe) who would have used the 35W bridge, and seeing the world consumed then enraged and photo-opping the tragedy, I still cannot take it in. 
What happened was a very big random accident.  The “what-if” crowd needs to take a hike.  The pols need to step back and quietly fund repairs--no speeches will bring back our drowned ones, or heal their families.
Blame, vengefulness in the guise of “accountability” may sell stories, but it sells us all short as human beings.