Letter: After tragedy, it’s time to fix infrastructure

Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2007 | 6:55 a.m.

After the recent tragic bridge collapse in Minnesota, there was a spate of various plans, theories and proposals. Apparently, however, all this talk is not going to be accompanied by any little lasting, concrete action to protect our national infrastructure.

Was I shocked by the seemingly lack of positive action by the administration and Congress? No, because that is their usual response after such an incident in lieu of taking appropriate corrective measures. Procrastination, complaining about the enormous costs, empty rhetoric, blaming others, talk of raising taxes - all part of the normal reaction these days .

In the meantime, we spend billions to repair the infrastructure of Iraq, while ours deteriorates to unacceptable, dangerous levels. What will it take to awaken our leaders in Congress and elsewhere that the loss of life and the blow to our economy inflicted by failed infrastructure are unacceptable?

Leopold A. Potsiadlo, Las Vegas