This really burns me up.

If these issues don’t present a case for passing the infrastructure package in Congress, I don’t know what does.

It’s ridiculous that bridges and buildings are collapsing. I can count at least three of these incidents happening in the last three years in different parts of the country. So, let me ask you, why do situations have to get to this point (and sometimes, not even then) before something is done? Why, in the United States of America, one of the wealthiest nations in the world, do we do this? We prefer to perform deferred maintenance on structures such as these once they get really bad or after someone ends up dead. Ironically, I began writing this post before the catastrophe in Surfside, Florida occurred.

Yes, in one case, a truck hit the structure–in this case, a pedestrian bridge in Washington, D.C., and it came down. The structure had received a mediocre grade before the truck collided with it so the fact that it did so didn’t help matters any. In the second instance of the highrise condo collapsing, the jury is still out on what caused it to go down. The pedestrian bridge collapsed on Wednesday; the building, on Thursday. Of the same week.

Horrendous. Let’s continue to pray that more survivors are found as well as for the families of those that did not.

The last thing the next-of-kin or a survivor wants to hear is that a politician’s thoughts and prayers are with them. That does nothing to eliminate their grief.

And during times when states are enjoying a surplus, the powers-that-be seem to expend the funds on who-knows-what?

We need to get our priorities in order. Firstly, they need to use quality materials in the first place when constructing roads, bridges, buildings, etc. I can almost stare a hole into some of that crumbly mess road construction workers use to “patch” potholes. Have you ever expected anything to be repaired using a patch to last for long? I haven’t so why do they even do it? Fix it or replace it, don’t patch it!

Secondly, when city and state governments have surpluses of money, don’t squander it. Does it have to be spent at that moment like it’s a hot potato? Probably not. Come to a concensus and use it wisely.

Thirdly, but actually firstly, pass the damn infrastructure package!