Topic: The waste of taxpayer money.
started by: grassman
Posted by grassman on Mar. 27 2014,5:59 am
ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) — Lawmakers at the State Capitol are pushing for emergency money to repair all the potholes Minnesotans are dealing with these days. That’s after a brutal winter has left many Twin Cities roads in need of immediate repair.A bill introduced Wednesday in the Transportation Finance Committee would give $15 million to patch up potholes on highways and city streets. Several lawmakers said they’ve gotten the most feedback for road projects and improvements they can remember after one of the most difficult winters in recent memory.
Democrat Barb Yarusso authored a house bill to take millions from the state’s general fund to help with the pothole problem. She said the challenge is potholes can’t be permanently fixed until it’s warm out. Quick fixes while it’s cold are about $300, but the permanent fixes can start at $1,000 per pothole.
It’s difficult for cities to cope because they have smaller maintenance budgets and have to take from other repairs to focus on fixing potholes, which have exploded in number after this awful winter. But, as Yarusso said, the cost to Minnesota drivers can be even greater if they hit a pothole.
“People that have had tire damage, people also get alignment damage. Accidents are caused by some of these, and chunks of pavement get thrown up other passers-by and people’s cars,” Yarusso said. “So I urge you to pass this bill.”
Lawmakers will discuss this bill and hope to get a vote soon. The problem is a major pain for drivers who are voters. There’s also talk of using some of the state’s budget surplus of more than $1 billion to help fund the road improvements.
Lawmakers said the focus should be on preventative measures instead of fixing roads because for every $1 in maintenance spent, it’s estimated to save $7 in repair costs.
I'm no expert but I would have to say somebody is fudging the figures.
Posted by Self-Banished on Mar. 27 2014,6:45 am
^^^No, probably not,
Three man crew, one does the work, the other two lean on their shovels (union scale of course)
Posted by Common Citizen on Mar. 27 2014,6:46 am
How big is the pothole? Sheesh. 
Posted by Expatriate on Mar. 27 2014,9:10 am
Make the trucking companies pay, they tore the roads up with their 53’ overweight trailers!
Posted by grassman on Mar. 27 2014,9:26 am
This is the same bullchit that metro does whenever there is a loose quarter. They come up with bogus reasoning why they should take as much as they can. After all, it is for us motorist's own good. 
SB, you know better than that statement. What do they do fix two pot holes a day? This is a blatant money grab and nothing else.
Posted by Self-Banished on Mar. 27 2014,9:55 am
(Expatriate @ Mar. 27 2014,9:10 am)
QUOTE
Make the trucking companies pay, they tore the roads up with their 53’ overweight trailers!
Yeah! Make us pay more!
So we can pass it on down the line.
Posted by Self-Banished on Mar. 27 2014,10:00 am
(grassman @ Mar. 27 2014,9:26 am)
QUOTE
This is the same bullchit that metro does whenever there is a loose quarter. They come up with bogus reasoning why they should take as much as they can. After all, it is for us motorist's own good. SB, you know better than that statement. What do they do fix two pot holes a day? This is a blatant money grab and nothing else.
SB, you know better than that statement. What do they do fix two pot holes a day? This is a blatant money grab and nothing else.Oh I agree it's a money grab, road construction season starts shortly and they're just gonna wait to fix anything and it'll come out of the normal coffers and the extra spent on bullsh!t stuff like light rail.
But what are you gonna do but whine about it?
Posted by Self-Banished on Mar. 27 2014,10:02 am
Minneapolis is something else, they sub contract nothing, they own all their equipment. All their road construction equipment, dump trucks, graders, pavers and such. They also own really high buck stuff like vaccum trucks and cement pumps.Property taxes there are outrageous.
(Unless you're a democrat and live on "the island")
Posted by Expatriate on Mar. 27 2014,10:11 am
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is actively working on rules for unmanned aerial vehicles. When these rules come online Amazon Prime Air will put you and your pothole maker in the unemployment line.
Posted by grassman on Mar. 27 2014,10:30 am
(Self-Banished @ Mar. 27 2014,10:00 am)
QUOTE
(grassman @ Mar. 27 2014,9:26 am)
QUOTE
This is the same bullchit that metro does whenever there is a loose quarter. They come up with bogus reasoning why they should take as much as they can. After all, it is for us motorist's own good. SB, you know better than that statement. What do they do fix two pot holes a day? This is a blatant money grab and nothing else.
SB, you know better than that statement. What do they do fix two pot holes a day? This is a blatant money grab and nothing else.Oh I agree it's a money grab, road construction season starts shortly and they're just gonna wait to fix anything and it'll come out of the normal coffers and the extra spent on bullsh!t stuff like light rail.
But what are you gonna do but whine about it?
I just contacted Senator Klobuchar. Now your turn.
Posted by Self-Banished on Mar. 27 2014,10:57 am
Though this was on a state level?
Posted by Self-Banished on Mar. 27 2014,11:00 am
(Expatriate @ Mar. 27 2014,10:11 am)
QUOTE
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is actively working on rules for unmanned aerial vehicles. When these rules come online Amazon Prime Air will put you and your pothole maker in the unemployment line.
Wow, drones carrying 20 plus tons overhead,
I feel safer.
You really need to face that drinking problem.
Posted by MADDOG on Mar. 27 2014,5:01 pm
< Waste? > Asian carp are a group of heavy bodied cyprinid fish that have been introduced outside of their native ranges in the United States. (Most of them are native to Vietnam and China.)
QUOTE
The troublesome fish currently known as "Asian carp" may be about to get an image makeover in Minnesota.
Bills moving through the Legislature would require official state materials to refer to the fish as "invasive carp" instead. That's in line with the threat the non-native fish poses to Mississippi River-area ecosystems.
Some Minnesota residents of Asian descent object to calling the fish "Asian carp." They say it casts people from Asian cultures in a negative light.
A similar bill was introduced in the Iowa Legislature last year but didn't make it out of committee.
Cry me a river and hand me a polish sausage.
Bills moving through the Legislature would require official state materials to refer to the fish as "invasive carp" instead. That's in line with the threat the non-native fish poses to Mississippi River-area ecosystems.
Some Minnesota residents of Asian descent object to calling the fish "Asian carp." They say it casts people from Asian cultures in a negative light.
A similar bill was introduced in the Iowa Legislature last year but didn't make it out of committee.
Posted by Botto 82 on Mar. 27 2014,7:07 pm
(MADDOG @ Mar. 27 2014,5:01 pm)
QUOTE
Cry me a river and hand me a polish sausage.
Do you want some French Fries with that?
Posted by MADDOG on Mar. 27 2014,9:49 pm
Posted by Self-Banished on Mar. 28 2014,4:12 am
Up and time for breakfast, what to have,I know,
Belgium Waffles!
Posted by Rosalind_Swenson on Apr. 08 2014,10:47 am
QUOTE
The State Department wants $400,000 to purchase a fiberglass sculpture for it's new embassy in Pakistan. They spent $630,000 for Facebook and Twitter "likes" and fans. The NATO Ambassador needs $700,000 for landscaping and gardening.
Senate staffers need $1.9 million for lifestyle coaching. Yale University needs $384,000 to study duck penises. The National Guard spent $10 million for mentions in Superman movie.
Senate staffers need $1.9 million for lifestyle coaching. Yale University needs $384,000 to study duck penises. The National Guard spent $10 million for mentions in Superman movie.
The article goes on to talk about lobbyists having unfettered access to officials, while WE are not even allowed to silently protest near any government buildings .
I can't figure out how to copy and paste anything with this system I am using. So if you want to read the entire article and you haven't already (I highly recommend it) , search: Rutherford Institute "Why are Americans paying to be searched, spied on, shot at and robbed by the government ?
Also check out Senator Coburn's Wastebook for 2013 if anyone hasn't already.
Posted by Self-Banished on Apr. 08 2014,10:52 am
^^^ our gov. At work, typical, I see that there's something like 6 billion missing under Hilary's watch.Probably bought cattle futures
Posted by Rosalind_Swenson on Apr. 08 2014,11:13 am
I'm guessing the money "went missing" to help fund things that it's better if we the people don't know about.
Posted by Rosalind_Swenson on Apr. 08 2014,3:11 pm
(Self-Banished @ Apr. 08 2014,10:52 am)
QUOTE
^^^ our gov. At work, typical, I see that there's something like 6 billion missing under Hilary's watch.
Probably bought cattle futures
Probably bought cattle futures
Don't forget the billions "missing" during Bush, and billions more wasted. Same story as Hillary's missing money. My favorite part though is how billions of shrink-wrapped hundred dollar bills, hundrreds of tons worth, loaded on pallates from the Federal Reserve and flown to Iraq... and somehow billions just disappeared. How lucky that it was figured out as soon as the Iraqi government asked the UN to investigate.
Posted by Self-Banished on Apr. 08 2014,3:33 pm
There has been money missing for decades 