The horrific, tragic collapse of the 35W bridge earlier tonight in Minneapolis should serve as a horrendous wake-up call to Governor Pawlenty and the state legislators (as well as a completely inept, significantly underfunded Department of Transportation) who for years have consistently and obstinately refused to raise sufficient revenue to repair, support, and improve a massively deteriorating transportation infrastructure. The scene tonight is shocking beyond belief, and perhaps it’s much too soon to lay blame or turn the catastrophe into a political issue, but the reality is that when tax revenue falls woefully short of needed funds for an extended period of time, services and infrastructure suffer. Taxes exist for a good reason. And while government should be fiscally responsible and wise in its investments, and while there is clearly a point at which excessively high taxes create negative consequences, it is essential that sufficient funds are collected to deliver the services we all expect from our state governments. Governor Pawlenty and too many state legislators have badly failed in this regard, and tonight is a unecessarily dramatic example of the consequences of that failure.

Tags: Minnesota Bridge Collapse, 35W Bridge Collapse, Transportation Infrastructure, Paying Taxes Is OK, Governor Tim Pawlenty, Minnesota Gas Tax Has Not Been Raised Since 1988, Elwyn Tinklenberg