Nick Coleman: Public Anger will Follow Our Sorrow

[yardwork]

http://www.startribune.com/10204/story/1339911.html

For half a dozen years, the motto of state government and particularly that of Gov. Tim Pawlenty has been No New Taxes. It's been popular with a lot of voters and it has mostly prevailed. So much so that Pawlenty vetoed a 5-cent gas tax increase - the first in 20 years - last spring and millions were lost that might have gone to road repair. And yes, it would have fallen even if the gas tax had gone through, because we are years behind a dangerous curve when it comes to the replacement of infrastructure that everyone but wingnuts in coonskin caps agree is one of the basic duties of government.

I'm not just pointing fingers at Pawlenty. The outrage here is not partisan. It is general.

Both political parties have tried to govern on the cheap, and both have dithered and dallied and spent public wealth on stadiums while scrimping on the basics.

How ironic is it that tonight's scheduled groundbreaking for a new Twins ballpark has been postponed? Even the stadium barkers realize it is in poor taste to celebrate the spending of half a billion on ballparks when your bridges are falling down. Perhaps this is a sign of shame. If so, it is welcome. Shame is overdue.

[aquart]

1. Yes. Shame is long overdue.

[AndyA]

3. That goes for the entire country, not just Minnesota.

The whole country should be ashamed. The American people, by and large, are selfish, self centered, lazy, and non-committal.

This does not apply to all, of course, but a lot of them just accept what they are told without checking the facts, and as long as they can sit in their 70 degree air conditioned homes with a beer in their Barcolounger watching American Idol, they're happy.

To hell with the erosion of their liberties and rights. Too bad that the emphasis is on sports in college instead of a decent education. Too bad that we would rather have big new stadiums instead of safe roads and bridges. To hell with it all. And it takes a bridge to collapse and kill before they even start to realize what's going on. And many still won't. Until it happens closer to home.

Then all hell will break loose.

I'm waiting for that moment: when the majority of the American people say :wtf: and all hell truly does break loose. It's past time.

[northernsoul]

2. dupe

See

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1497075&mesg_id=1497075

[yardwork]

5. Thanks for linking to your GD thread.

This one is in Editorials, so I think it is ok to leave both up.

[WCGreen]

4. The ball palyers have to have a park to play in....

After all, how would we keep them in town if we didn't keep subsidizing everything they do...

Get your priorities straight man...

:sarcasm: