See, if a Republican had been involved in this gaffe, the MSM would be tearing them apart. Since it’s Obama? Not so much. Andrew Malcolm provides the 411
You know all those rusting bridges that President Obama wants to spend billions more dollars repairing to allegedly stimulate the economy?
He’s headed out to one today which he’s described as a “bridge that needs repair between Ohio and Kentucky that’s on one of the busiest trucking routes in North America.” It is on a busy trucking route, spanning the Ohio River between Covington, Ky., and Cincinnati.
The bridge in question, the Brent Spence Bridge, is, like so many other bridges that are called “structurally deficient”, is carrying way more traffic than it was meant to
So, plans are not to repair or replace the Brent Spence Bridge. But to build another bridge nearby to ease the loads.
But here’s the problem, as John Merline graphically notes here, that could screw up all those envisioned photo op shots of the Democrat and the traffic:
The president’s jobs bill is designed for “immediate” highway spending.
And the new $2.3 billion Cincy bridge is not scheduled to even start construction for probably four years, long after Republicans have scheduled the Obama presidency for completion.
And without delays, it wouldn’t be finished until 2022, when no one will be counting Obama’s rounds of golf.
But, Obama standing near the bridge, assailing John Boehner and Republicans makes for great press and photo ops. Of course, assailing your opponent, demonizing them, insulting them, has historically been the best way to get cooperation for them, right?
That is one thing I have never understood.
A transportation problem grows. Traffic grows beyond current capability. Therefore, a study is then planned. Years later, the study is put in to a plan to begin to seek funding. Several years more, the plan is to analyze traffic flows and look at alternatives. Then over a few more years to a decade, the work is done.
Then by 2022, the new work is finished only to find out that the population has doubled and traffic has also doubled. Now, they need to do this all over again. Meanwhile, after all these decades, no one has yet to experience lighter traffic due to the sheer wait, the construction, and the ever increasing traffic load.
Why not … oh, I don’t know…. PREDICT? what traffic will be like in 20 years and then build your highway patterns based on that… BEFORE that time period and traffic load even appears!?!??!
In OKC.. about 25 years ago, the leaders realized that a skinny two-lane I-35 through the OKC metro area (some 40 miles) is just not sufficient for current traffic loads. So, they started looking at upgrading the highway to a 3-lane. It took 20 years go complete the upgrade to 3 lanes – along with the major interchange redesigns too.
Now, 25 years later… we are back to where we were then. Traffic is horrible and drive times are miserable.
Why not think ahead 25 years and then begin construction from that point so that when you are done, you are 25 years ahead and not behind. OKC should have went from 2-lane to 4-or-5 lane.