Bike paths are the problem

I usually avoid politics but...

Bush's Secretary of Transportation, and "point person" in the investigation into the bridge collapse, Mary Peters, was on the News Hour tonight to talk bridge safety. I jokingly asked myself, as the interview started, how will she blame the bridge collapse on the liberals? Well she didn't disappoint.

First she stressed that, WE don't know the reason of the bridge collapse yet. (I'm sure it had nothing to do with too many people driving EVERYWHERE they ever go in GREAT BIG suvs on bridges that weren't designed for such loads!)

It turns out that "earmarks" on gas tax money spent on BIKE PATHS are a big reason for our bridge problems. Mary pointed out money spent on BIKE PATHS twice. Money spent on MUSEUMS is the other big problem. Those were the only two specific things she sited. 10% of gas tax money is spent on "earmarks" such as BIKE PATHS and MUSEUMS namely.

This is what our Secretary of Transportation, Mary Peters says. This is what we pay her for. Perhaps Mary,.. if you were doing your job, you could have told us we were spending too much money on BIKE PATHS before it was too late!

And the answer for our infrastructure problems? No it's not mass transit. Certianly not bicycles or bike paths, they are the problem. It's not public funding of roads and bridges, It's toll roads and bridges. Privatize the roadways so some good old boy can make a buck. Perhaps Exxon Mobil can go into the road and bridge business? This way we can throw money out the window so we can be safe while we all drive around in our consumer version Hummers.(A vehicle designed for "desert storm" BTW), How ironic. "we will know where the money is spent." Well Mary, you fail us as a public servant if this is your answer to the problem.

Here is a photo of the State Line Bridge that I have to cross on my bike every morning when I go to work. Recently they put up these white posts. These force me to ride closer to traffic as before they could clean the whole shoulder. People in cars and trucks throw beer bottles out onto the shoulder. Now they won't be able to clean behind the posts. So I sent an e-mail to the state of Idaho about the problem. I found out that it is Washington's problem. The posts were put in to keep big trucks in the center of the bridge due to the condition of the bridge. No thought was given to bike traffic. No weight restrictions for trucks. The shoulder is already full of broken glass and now each morning I compete with someone who thinks I'm in the way and cuts me no slack.

But then I'm the problem on my bike. No credit for saving gas riding my bike to work and saving on health care costs by being in shape. I'm the reason the bridges are falling down. That's just great Mary. Perhaps we should just get rid of the bridge and we could all drive our Hummers through the river to work?

I'm so sick of the crap this administration spews out. The Secretary of Transportation is telling us that we spend too much money on BIKE PATHS and this is making our bridges unsafe.

Can the next election come soon enough?