Scandal at MNDOT

Apparently even Republican appointees are capable of questionable behavior. Sonia Pitt, a career employee of the Minnesota Department of Transportation, was elevated to a senior position in 2003 by republican governor Pawlenty. In charge of emergency management for the department, Ms. Pitt declined to return to the state after the 1-35 W bridge collapse in August 2007 because she was hanging out with her boyfried in DC. The boyfriend, a federal transportation department guy, was the recipient of hundreds of emails, cell phone calls and visits, all paid for by the tax payers of Minnesota. And Ms. Pitt apparently was so blinded by luv that she didn't have the grace to show the flag after the bridge collapse. "I can work from here just fine" was her response to questions about her whereabouts.

Here's another example of how the insertion of politics into what should be merit-based positions hurts the rest of us. Ms. Pitt was a marketer when she was promoted to head the emergency prepardeness section at a cost of $84,000+ and very nice state benefits. In the Northstar state, that's a good salary. And, as a marketer myself, I know that such jobs are good preparation only for other such jobs.

That's why we are supposed to have a civil service. The so-called experts are protected from political retaliation, in return for which we are supposed to believe that they are working hard for us. In Sonia's case, she was clearly using the state dime to get her own needs met.

And apparently that's only the tip of the iceberg.

Minneapolis Bridge Disaster

They opened up the 10th Avenue Bridge, which runs parallel to the 35W Bridge that collapsed in August. This has the best vantage point of the collapsed bridge, and today there were hundreds of people walking on it, staring at the mangled rebar, chunks of concrete, and the long span that runs at a 75 degree angle from University Avenue down to the Mississippi. It looks like a massive skateboard park for really good skaters.

The 10th Avenue Bridge sidewalk was full of families, either on their way back from the Gophers football game (they won) or visiting the kids on the first weekend after the start of the semester. An odd destination for a family outing, but it is a compelling view. From one angle, the bridge just stops. But from the 10th Avenue side, you are about 200 feet from the structure. You can see very clearly that the bridge does not stop, but continues down into the muddy waters of the Mississippi. It's rather chilling.

And now that the 10th Avenue Bridge is open, I can get to my gig at the University libraries much more quickly.

You can't get there from here, or Minneapolis cleans up

Three miles of Interstate 94 are closed in downtown Minneapolis for the weekend. This stretch connects I-35W, where the bridge collapsed, with County Highway 280, which is now one of the official detours. The highway gnomes are widening it (i.e., eliminating the breakdown and bus lanes) so that it can handle all the extra traffic caused by the need to manoeuver around the missing 35-W bridge.

It is amazing how fast highway construction crews can move when they really have to. Even though it's been raining all day, they are at work. Last night, we were in one of the last cars onto I-94 before it closed until Monday at 5 AM. The westbound side, already closed, was ablaze with huge floodlights and busy with activity as workers knocked down fences, uprooted metal barriers, and painted new lines.

In normal circumstances, this project would take a whole summer. But because there is no alternative, and traffic has been a total mess for three weeks, it will be done by Monday. Makes one think, yes?

Minneapolis Disaster

From the Guardian

It's hard to write about. An interstate bridge less than two miles from my house, and one that I drive on at least weekly, collapsed during rush hour. An unknown (as of 8/2/07) number of people died; there are still cars at the bottom of the Mississippi River. Witnesses said it was like an earthquake--there was a vibration, a grinding noise, and the structure collapsed with no warning.

I don't personally know anyone who was on the bridge, was injured, or died. But I did talk with one colleague whose husband drove on the bridge an hour before it collapsed. She was shaken. Another co-worker sent out an email about a colleague of her husband's who is missing after the accident; if he has died, he leaves behind four children and a wife who is an East African immigrant. My immediate supervisor has a friend whose fiancee was critically injured; the boss left work at noon to go to the hospital to be with his friend.

Why do we have to have disasters like this for anyone to pay attention to the needs and safety of ordinary citizens driving from work, to a Twins game (they lost), or to the shops? It's a cliche, but we are apparently quite willing and able to spend billions in Iraq and elsewhere on imperialist adventures, but we cannot find the resources to repair bridges at a few million each. This is just nuts. And now we will spend lots of money to inspect interstate bridges throughout the country. This strikes me as a case of closing the barn door after the horse has gone.

Despite the posturing of our governor, it was heartwarming to hear the voices of Minnesotans, with their unmistakable accents, talking to the national media. They were earnest, sincere, and wanted to help. Why can't we do this all the time?