Minnesota Green Party Statement on the Bridge Collapse Tragedy.

Green Party of Minnesota
www.mngreens.org

August 07, 2007

The Green Party of Minnesota offers its condolences and shares in the grief of the many personally affected by the I-35W bridge collapse tragedy on August 1st. We are especially grateful for the heroic efforts made by fellow citizens and rescue workers who assisted those directly affected. 

It is unfortunate that it takes a tragedy such as this to generate a reaction to our failing infrastructure in this country. Ralph Nader, the 2000 presidential candidate for the Green Party, has been addressing this concern for more than a decade. On July 27, 1999 he wrote an article in the Los Angeles Times entitled "Perspective on Federal Spending." In it he stated: "The debate over how to allocate funds must include how best to improve our great shared assets." His proactive opinions on protecting our country and its infrastructure along with our democracy have continuously been shut out from the mainstream debate, while the majority of our federal taxes are spent on an illegal and severely destructive war. 

Hopefully out of the tears and grief will come the appropriate investigations and necessary funds to prevent future infrastructure tragedies. We also hope that replacement, where needed, will include building along more environmentally friendly lines.