The Baltimore Bridge Disaster and our vital infrastructure
Baltimore’s famed Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed quickly, after being struck by an enormous ocean-bound container ship. The disaster took lives and the aftermath will continue to reverberate for a long time.
The collision of a massive ship, carrying 4,700 containers, with one of the vertical supports of the bridge resulted in almost immediate collapse. The bodies of two maintenance men working on the bridge have been recovered, while four more men are presumed dead. The rapid, effective warning to authorities by the pilot of the vessel led to immediate closure of the bridge to traffic, doubtless saving far more lives.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is now clearing the vast debris. Work centers on a giant crane capable of lifting 1,000 tons, plus seven other cranes, 10 tugboats and nine barges.
Infrastructure involving highways, waterways and railroads is literally the framework that integrates and supports the enormous economy of the United States, and our society as well. Modernizing this generally aging foundation is a priority of the Biden administration, with powerful bipartisan support from both parties in Congress.
In November 2021, President Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which provides over $427 billion for infrastructure.
In specific terms, the law will substantially strengthen and modernize the nation’s bridges and roads, highways and waterways, railroads and
Joe Biden is ruining America. We know this because Ron Johnson said so on Fox News. Let’s count the ways:
■ His administration has produced the sustained lowest unemployment in decades-- and even more importantly, has achieved much more equity in rural employment as well as in employment amongst historically marginalized communities. According to Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen, “Before the pandemic, the unemployment rate was nearly 20% higher in rural than in metropolitan areas. That large gap has been eliminated.” Terrible, right?
■ Massive student loan forgiveness, especially for those in public service sector jobs, such as nurses, educators, etc. According to Fox Business News on 27 March 2024, “Only about 7,000 public service borrowers received forgiveness prior to the Biden Administration, now that total hovers closer to 870,000.” How awful!
■ Biden’s infrastructure act has resulted in some 40,000 brand-new construction projects to upgrade America’s roads, tunnels, airport terminals, Superfund clean- up, and- as we see so tragically this past week-- more than 7800 desperately needed bridge repairs and upgrades. Damn you, Biden!
■ Despite terrible court rulings that overturn voter-approved gun control measures, Biden has done as much unilaterally as possible for school safety, including, according to ports. There is sensible inclusion of communications infrastructure, in particular important cybersecurity.
The physical transportation infrastructure of the nation is sadly in need of repair and upgrade. The other side of this situation is that in the 1950s and 1960s our federal government wisely, indeed brilliantly, greatly expanded our national transportation capabilities.
The centerpiece of the framework is the Interstate Highway System. Think of what your life would be like if you could not take long trips on this remarkable nationwide network, as well as hop on and off at will.
Please thank President (and General) Dwight D. Eisenhower. In the 1950s, with characteristic foresight and thoroughness, he launched and carried through this enormous national project.
Ike outflanked opposition, especially in rural areas among parochial interests, by emphasizing national security during the height of the Cold War. Americans knew Nazi Germany built an extraordinary highway system, central to their integrated defense. In 1950s America, a decade after World War II, that resonated.
Defense justification helped reinforce the vision, and pay for the work. In those years, national defense ac
Politico, “Biden established the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, and in 2023 schools were awarded $286 million in federal dollars to support student wellness and school mental health professionals.” But what if you only stopped a couple of mass casualty events, huh? You probably only saved a few dozen kids. So inadequate!
■ USA Today reports that Biden has negotiated lower life- saving drug costs for those in need, including elderly Americans on fixed incomes. “For the first time, the federal law has empowered the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS, to negotiate lower Medicare drug prices. The Biden administration has named the first 10 diabetes, heart disease and cancer drugs that Medicare will negotiate.” What a horrible outcome!
Just ruinous, as any MAGA mouthpiece will affirm. And the list goes on...
Contrast that to how Trump saved America:
■ When Dear Leader Donald Trump was in the White House, he saved America with his tax reform
(if by America we mean the uberrich, who benefitted by far the most from the “tax reform” that was the only significant piece of legislation he passed, even when he had the willing assistance of both the House and Senate, as well as his increasingly packed Supreme Court). Indeed, as Reuters noted, “The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, signed by Trump counted for more than half of the entire federal budget, far more than today. Eisenhower emphasized defense to secure highway funds, and also support education and research.
National defense, national security and – less obviously – international cooperation are all present in the current ambitious infrastructure initiative. Cybersecurity, a complex subject rightly at the center of our current security concerns, is included in significant ways. By definition, such threats encourage international cooperation to limit the threat.
Early in 2015, Republican Governor Mike Pence of Indiana proposed a one-billion-dollar highway improvement program. The state was relatively strong fiscally. Democrats made even more ambitious transportation proposals.
The Middle West is a political swing region, and a central region for infrastructure. An extremely large share of long-distance truck traffic in the United States travels along the busy interstate highway corridors through and around metropolitan Chicago
The Baltimore disaster, including tragic loss of life, provides a reminder that the world remains dangerous. This terrible incident also underscores the vital foundation of national infrastructure.
Learn more: Robert W. Poole Jr., “Rethinking America’s Highways”
Arthur I. Cyr the author of “After the Cold War – American Foreign Policy, Europe and Asia” (Macmillan and NYU Press). Contact acyr@carthage.edu. in December 2017, was the most significant restructuring of the U. S. tax system since the 1980s. It slashed the rate companies pay in the United States from 35% to 21%, cut minimum, estate and gift taxes for the very wealthy.” Saving the right people!
■ According to the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Trump signed many Executive Orders rolling back civil rights and human rights, also including many environmental and consumer protections-- but once again, this profited large corporations handsomely. The elites of America thank you!
■ As Bible- salesman, twice- impeached, and 88 felony indictment-charged 2024 candidate Trump said in 2016, about Hillary Clinton’s email “scandal,” (which again and again resulted in “no finding”) it would be impossible for anyone under criminal indictment to govern and that if a president were investigated for felonious indictments it would grind the government to a halt.
Thanks again, Trump, for your generous willingness to be our savior. You and you alone, Baby!
LOCAL’S CORNER
Congressman Troy Nehls (R) of Texas sent a letter to Alejandro Mayorkas on 9-20-22 warning him of “the Venezuelan Regime” under the control of Nicholas Maduro. Maduro was reported releasing violent prisoners early, including inmates convicted of murder, rape, and extortion and pushing them to join U.S. bound caravans. Since then, we have seen the tragic consequences. Mayorkas never responded to Congressman Nehls’ letter. His letter was also used to warn the people of the United States of America. Sadly, Jose Antonio Ibarra, who comes from Venezuela, was arrested on 2-23-24 for the murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, and kidnapping of Laken Hope Riley, a 26 year old nursing student at the University of Georgia.
President Biden, according to public records you graduated 76 out of a class of 85 students with a GPA of 1.9. Also, you failed a course because you plagiarized a law review article for a paper you wrote in your first year at law school. Your age is concerning because you trip and fall going up and down the stairs of Air Force One, and you get lost after stepping off from your helicopter and walking to the White House just a few yards away.
“The Dusk till Dawn Community” When God made man, he made “the Farmer” to work from “Dusk till Dawn” to provide fruits, vegetables, milk, and meat to feed our nation, as well as the world. These are gracious people on watch 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. God also made the “Farmers Wife” who gets up at 3am every day to prepare breakfast and get the kids ready for school. She comes back and does the laundry, makes lunch, dinner, goes grocery shopping, and still attends PTA meetings. They are God-fearing people. They also work 80 hours a week.
President Biden, did you hear of the costly loss of acres of land, cattle, homes, and equipment by fires in the Texas panhandle? Where were you during this crisis? You DID hear about it, but you were more concerned in defending your open border policy than assisting these families.
I compare what you’re doing to our country to what my wife and I experienced last year. We were not invited to a nonprofit organization’s party because they needed the food for special guests. The reason is that they didn’t want my wife and I there. I also required emergency care at a hospital in California, where I left worse than when I went in. The hospital’s response was, “We have met our duties to serve your medical needs.” Veterans
I am proud to have received my DD214 Certificate of Release or Discharged from Active Duty in 1970. I have friend who served in Vietnam that have suffered from agent orange and are still refused compensation almost 60 years later. These veterans came back with psychological disorders, depression, and drug issues; and they have never been able to live a normal life. A classmate of mine died of loneliness, confusion, and lack of proper medical help because he was so disoriented. During this time Joe Biden was too busy getting draft deferments. President Biden, you haven’t done anything for America, Farmers, Veterans, or our children.
In the title of my letter, I ask whether “America the Beautiful” is still beautiful. Under President Biden, his cabinet, and administration- it isn’t. Martin Luther King Jr. said “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Mr. President, you have created injustice everywhere. To the U.S. Congress, I ask you to pass the Laken Riley Act.
Governor Newsome of California, this is also directed to you. Unlike the state of Texas, where Governor Abbott and Senator Cruz have constantly fought to secure our borders, you have acted totally opposite. In Jacumba, CA many criminal immigrants, except for a few asylum seekers, are coming across in droves and being shuttled to San Diego, and released on the streets to do what they want.
Some friends in California want to express the following: “Why does President Biden give $10,000 dollar debit cards, free rent, food, medical treatment, and an education to immigrants?” We pay taxes, serve our country, and get nothing. The statistics show that “one in five children that live in the U.S.A. live in poverty.”
To all Americans: please help me pass this message to achieve its desired goal.
In Jesus name I submit this message.