Submitter makes a very interesting point.

Apparently is right.

Guess the people of Minnesota may want to refocus their tax dollars now. This is a lesson most of us should heed.

Hmmmm A structurally sound bridge or a new baseball stadium... decisions decisions decisions...... this is a tough one....

indeed. don't build new stadiums, lest your highways collapse in protest.

Buffalo77: Guess the people of Minnesota may want to refocus their tax dollars now. This is a lesson most of us should heed.

But probably wont.

Fun summer sport ruined by a few stupid dead people.

The Metrodome is a dump. I went and saw the Twins play the A's earlier last month and it didn't even feel like i was at a Major League game. It felt more like I was at a high school game. Then again, it could have been because I was watching the A's play the Twins.

Orlando has much the same problem...the Mayor sees a new arena as a panacea for the city's troubles, although they can't fill the one they've got; never mind the fact that the city wants to subsidise a multi-billionaire to get it built, and the city's roads and infrastructure are for crap. It's one reason I left.

Headline of the year!

Not really.

bugmn99: Fun summer sport ruined by a few stupid dead people.

Fun summer thread ruined by a few stupid trolls.

The bridge is out. No way to transport the sub standard steel and kmart redi mix to the site .
/duh

BTW, why are the Minnesota Twins responsible for upkeep of bridges? I don't get it.

Buffalo77: Guess the people of Minnesota may want to refocus their tax dollars now. This is a lesson most of us should heed.

If this is what it takes, things will be back to normal within a few months. People forget.

/the system is broken

If they don't build it, who will come?

Nick Coleman posts on Fark? I'll be damned.

By the way, there was enough money in the state treasury to fix the damn bridge immediatelt if the DOT had chosen to.

Governor Pawlenty, BTW, vetoed a gas tax that would have went exclusively to highway spending this past session.

Troll away, doesn't change the fact that what's done is done.

Hollywood Cole: bugmn99: Fun summer sport ruined by a few stupid dead people.

Fun summer thread ruined by a few stupid trolls.

Chill out. It's an Onion reference.

I just hope this doesn't take precious tax dollars away from the Bear Patrol.

I've submitted some swell articles with some grand headlines today, and we're going to get a thread out of this?

I'm going back to the drinking thread.

char_boy: BTW, why are the Minnesota Twins responsible for upkeep of bridges? I don't get it.

You think the Twins, or even the owner is footing a majority of the bill for the stadium?

Either way, Hennepin County money is going for the stadium, if I am not mistaken; I35 was MNDot's responsibility, not hennepin county.

After we fix all these killer bidges we might have enough money left over to buy missles and bullets.

Hollywood Cole: bugmn99: Fun summer sport ruined by a few stupid dead people.

Fun summer thread ruined by a few stupid trolls.

Fun Onion headline take-off ruined by clueless commenter.

... and in mere seconds, I find I am wrong.

/Go Minneapolis Bridges!

Anyone else ready to drive invest in trains?

Well, either the bridge collapses or you build a fancy new stadium for the Twins to collapse in... it's a toss up.

/Go Tribe

why is the government responsible for building a private stadium?

/jesse ventura was right.

Stupidest... point... ever...

Not amused:

StupidFly: char_boy: BTW, why are the Minnesota Twins responsible for upkeep of bridges? I don't get it.

You think the Twins, or even the owner is footing a majority of the bill for the stadium?

Either way, Hennepin County money is going for the stadium, if I am not mistaken; I35 was MNDot's responsibility, not hennepin county.

No, I don't. But the headline says it's the Twins that are calling the shots.

$1.1 billion for a baseball park? Who watches baseball anymore? Why would anyone spend their time and money to watch illiterate assholes hopped up on steroids playing a child's game?

I'm sure the Twin's 300 fans will be really upset.

Wait, I thought the reason the bridges sucked is because the states were broke due to tax cuts.


EnderWiggnz: why is the government responsible for building a private stadium?

Probably because it brings in millions of dollars in revenue for the state. Just a guess.

EnderWiggnz: why is the government responsible for building a private stadium?

yes, because we know all the business conducted in those stadiums is tax-free, and the only people that attend the events in those stadiums are the people living closest to it. No chance of boosting the local economy by drawing in outside visitors. Nope none. Proven fact.

Good point submitter...

Instead of providing safety for it's citizens...Spend a billion dollar$ so they can watch some tards throw a ball around while stuffing their faces with overpriced food products.

/Did I leave anything out?

frostbyt: After we fix all these killer bridges we might have enough money left over to buy missrles and bullets.

And then we can go after the guys who blew up all the new bridges!

Yeesh. Let the private sector do what it does best - get results - and let the government do what it does best - blow shiat up in foreign countries.

Sweet Jesus people, you think we could get all the bodies out of the water before we make this into the new political whipping boy. Firstly, let's address the Democrats. You deferred Infrastructure investment in this state for the last twenty five years to fund your pet educational projects. Now you reap the rewards. Republicans did very much the same by lowering taxes or not approving the reallocation of funds towards Public works. You are both to blame. Now STFU and do your freaking jobs.

/Minneapolitan
//can see the bridge from my office
///GRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!

bugmn99: Fun Onion headline take-off ruined by clueless commenter.

The take off wasn't really analogous. The kids in the Onion article died because they were stupid. People dying because of a failing bridge aren't necessarily stupid, (though they probably are) but misinformed about the safety of said bridge.

But it made me remember the Onion article, so I chuckled.

frostbyt: After we buy missles and bullets we might have enough money left over to fix all these killer bridges

FTFY. It's the reality of our current political system.

Ok can we please get over it now. I know the Media are having a collective orgasm over it but please. Remember when Americans had disasters like this and you could say things and not be labelled insensitive or a troll, Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbour. Jesus H christ, take a leaf out of your British cousins book, just beat up a structural engineer and move on past it.

zvoidx
Good point submitter...

Instead of providing safety for it's citizens...Spend a billion dollar$ so they can watch some tards throw a ball around while stuffing their faces with overpriced food products.

/Did I leave anything out?

You left out the fact that the two are completely unrelated. Other then that you got it.

Hmm, a bridge that was inspected every year (rather than the standard every 2 years) since the early 90's and was always given a passing grade (same rating as 1-2 million other bridges in the country) every year by both federal and state inspectors and had a life expectancy for the weakest points out to 2020... sure sounds negligent to me.

/realized this country needs to spend massive bucks on infrastructure
//something else went wrong with this bridge
///no worse than 2 million other bridges in the US

zvoidx: Good point submitter...

Instead of providing safety for it's citizens...Spend a billion dollar$ so they can watch some tards throw a ball around while stuffing their faces with overpriced food products.

/Did I leave anything out?

Yes, the stadium is being paid for on the backs of the residents of Hennepin County (e.g. me) whereas the maintenance of the interstate highway system is shared by all residents of Minnesota.

If the residents of Hennepin County are suddenly solely responsible for paying for the upkeep of federal highways within the county, my house will be up for sale tomorrow.

/MnDOT sucks

No way. Sports rule over everything, even God. Take away our sports and you'll see every bridge in town covered in pudding.

For the record, no one in Minneapolis wanted the Twins stadium either. The only way it happened was because they insisted that there would not be a voter referendum. Politicians wanted it, the owners wanted it, corporations wanted it. Luckily, Americans are getting used to not having a voice in their government.

baorao: EnderWiggnz: why is the government responsible for building a private stadium?

yes, because we know all the business conducted in those stadiums is tax-free, and the only people that attend the events in those stadiums are the people living closest to it. No chance of boosting the local economy by drawing in outside visitors. Nope none. Proven fact.

Have you never heard of the separation of Sports and State?

zvoidx: Good point submitter...

Instead of providing safety for it's citizens...Spend a billion dollar$ so they can watch some tards throw a ball around while stuffing their faces with overpriced food products.

/Did I leave anything out?

beer
overpriced beer

vudukungfu: beer
overpriced beer

3.2%, so you can very slowly make the game you are there to watch enjoyable.

MadAsshatter: Probably because it brings in millions of dollars in revenue for the state. Just a guess.

yes, and the owners of the baseball team aren't making money from their endeavor at all.

Baseball teams are not part of the commons. Bridges are.

One of them should be paid for by tax dollars, one shouldnt.

I bet the charger and Bo and Luke Duke are headed to the collapsed bridge right now!

yep, not enough money for both and that's why no one was working on the bridge. oh, wait...

Really, we're one of the most highly taxed states in the nation. there's plenty of money for both.