The bridge collapse in Minneapolis was horrid, with the final number of deaths yet to be determined. Some of the injured are in critical condition. The tragedy could have been worse. Had the rush hour congestion not slowed traffic, the speed of the vehicles on the bridge would have meant greater loss of life.

In the face of a horrific event, this is what Transport Secretary Mary Peters had to say:

“”We certainly have aging infrastructure here in the United States … but I do believe that American highways and bridges are safe,” Peters said…”

link: Bush Gets Firsthand Look at Bridge

Do the facts not matter to the Transportation Secretary? There were dead bodies being pulled from the Mississippi River, with possibly more to come. Images of the twisted wreckage are everywhere. Citizens are fighting for survival in hospitals. And she says the ‘bridges are safe’. - Perhaps this is Ms Peters way of attempting to be reassuring. However, it smacks of insensitivity and defensiveness. People want funds and action to secure the national infrastructure. There is a problem. Engineers and civil servants have warned for years - and continue to do so. Empty rhetoric and reassurances that fly in the face of horrid reality are an insult to the people whom the government serves.

Catherine Forsythe
Director of Operations
FlyingHamster: http://flyinghamster.com/

Tags: transportation secretary, mary peters, bridge collapse, minneapolis, reality, rhetoric, warnings