World-renowned Economist Paul Krugman published an Op-Ed last night at the New York Times. The article’s subject is a combination of current events and the Democrats’ current bugbear: The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge and MAGA Republicans. The title: “Will MAGA Republicans Block Baltimore’s Rebuilding?”. Krugman isn’t the least bit worried that the bridge won’t get rebuilt. He wants the jellyfish Republicans to approve all spending and pork products attached to any bill about the bridge and pass the bill without questions. Jeez, Krugman’s a derp.

I enjoy taking the piss out of Paul Krugman because he deserves to be mocked. Four years ago, David Harsanyi wrote an article about Krugman for National Review “Paul Krugman: Always Wrong, Never in Doubt”. Truer words were never typed.

Regarding the bridge and the recalcitrant MAGA Republicans, Krugman wrote:

Soon after a huge container ship struck Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, bringing it down, President Biden pledged that the federal government would “pay the entire cost of reconstructing” the bridge. This would clearly be the right thing to do, not just to help the state of Maryland but also to limit the economic damage from a disaster that has blocked both a major road artery and a major port. Among other things, the Port of Baltimore plays a key role in both exports of coal and trade in farm and construction equipment, so the bridge disaster will have direct adverse effects on the heartland as well as the East Coast.

And if America were still the same country that enacted the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 — passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in Congress and signed into law by a Republican president — which gave rise to our Interstate System, there would be little question that Congress would approve funding soon after it returns from Easter recess.

But we aren’t that country anymore. Biden will probably be able to get funds for rebuilding, but it’s by no means a sure thing.

The rise of MAGA Republicans is only part of the problem. I’ve seen several people citing the response to the 2007 collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge in Minnesota as an example of what things were like in a better political era. Indeed, within days, Congress voted unanimously to provide $250 million in aid.

Biden pledged us (you and me) to pay the cost because he was talking out of his hat. It’s very easy to be generous with “Other People’s Money” (OPM). The I35 Bridge collapse is not an apples to apples comparison. That bridge had a fatal design flaw that State and Federal Inspectors knew about. It’s a miracle more people weren’t killed because of this incompetence.

A bloody container ship ran into a pilon on the Key Bridge. It’s early days, but we will probably never really know what happened. Already the insurers are working at limiting their liability, but they need to pay part of the cost. Krugman may think MAGA Republicans are all filthy…rich. We are not. The insurers need to pony up first.

White Star Line's OUT

*The owner of the ship that toppled Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge is seeking to cap the amount of damages the company can be forced to pay for the disaster at $43 million. Citing a little known maritime law* https://t.co/24tX2huVa7

— DiveDoc‍☠️ (@LJLMD) April 2, 2024

What about the Infrastructure Bill? But, there are so many other needs. Here is what Station KTVB wrote:

The Biden administration has already approved federal funding to rebuild the bridge.

The Biden administration has already approved $60 million in federal funding to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge after the collapse.

In a press release on Thursday, March 28, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) described the federal aid as “quick release Emergency Relief (ER) funds.”

“These funds serve as a down payment toward initial costs, and additional Emergency Relief program funding will be made available as work continues,” the FHWA said.

The bipartisan infrastructure law enacted in 2021 authorized “funding into the emergency relief account,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said during a briefing on Wednesday, March 27.

That account had about $950 million in it at last check, but also has “a long line of needs and projects behind that,” Buttigieg said. The Biden administration has already approved federal funding to rebuild the bridge.

The Biden administration has already approved $60 million in federal funding to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge after the collapse.

In a press release on Thursday, March 28, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) described the federal aid as “quick release Emergency Relief (ER) funds.”

“These funds serve as a down payment toward initial costs, and additional Emergency Relief program funding will be made available as work continues,” the FHWA said.

The bipartisan infrastructure law enacted in 2021 authorized “funding into the emergency relief account,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said during a briefing on Wednesday, March 27.

That account had about $950 million in it at last check, but also has “a long line of needs and projects behind that,” Buttigieg said.

So the Key Bridge isn’t really that much of a priority or the Government just wants to squeeze more out of us taxpayer. Evil MAGA Republicans.

A new channel has been opened to assist clean up.

Featured Picture: Maryland GovPics/flickr.com/cropped/Creative Commons