A Bridge in America Just Shouldn't Fall Down

Just in case anyone actually believes that the bridge collapse in Minnesota was the logical conclusion to tax cuts or that more taxes are the answer. Take a look at this from Fraters Libertas (key graphs):

"Minnesota's state budget is also hardly short of tax revenue. The state spends $25 billion a year, twice what it did 10 years ago. The Tax Foundation reports that Minnesota has the seventh highest personal income tax rates among all states, the third highest corporate tax rates, and the 10th highest taxes on workers.

"The Legislature started the year with a record $2 billion budget surplus, and the economy threw off another $149 million of unexpected revenue. Where did all that money go? Not to roads and bridges. The Taxpayers League of Minnesota says the politicians chose to pour those tax dollars into more spending for health care, art centers, sports stadiums and welfare benefits."

Ever notice how whenever the pols want to raise taxes it is always for firefighters, elementary schools and soft little kittens who just need a good home? When was the last time you were asked to vote on a bond measure to repair a freeway overpass? How about never. That's because if they ask for $$ for kittens, no one will object - ask for money for infrastructure repairs and people start saying, "What did you do with all that money we already gave you?"

No, the problem is not a lack of tax revenue it is a lack of intestinal fortitude on the part of the people we put in office. After all, they don't often have ribbon-cutting ceremonies for bridge repairs.

Sadly, we are being reminded that if our pols don't make good use of our hard-earned money to care for our infrastructures and instead choose photo-ops at ribbon-cutting ceremonies, our communities will get ceremonies of a different sort as well.