Texas Jane has a diary on the rec list, Chris Matthews' Great Idea? which is a call to action for Democrats who want to add to the dialogue about jobs initiatives. It is simple and whether you are a Progressive or a Tea Bagger it is understandable.
Infrastructure is too broad a concept right now. That's a $2.5 trillion dollar investment just to catch up with the above and below ground crumbling stuff. Hell, I hope they aren't still used, but Baltimore has some of the original wooden water pipes below ground.
Focus is key -- and I do mean focus. This diary is piggy backing on TexasJane's in order to ask interested folks to focus on bridges and only bridges.
Here is a handy dandy bridge locator. Just type in your location and it pulls up all the bridges in your area. Red means unsafe. Click on the red bridge and to the right of the screen you will see the location and degree of deterioration and level of how unsafe. A few folks found some hinky ones -- like a bridge over farmland (I think it was in Wasilla).
If you would like to join an effort now to locate the bridges in your area, photograph and then add the location and condition information, we can upload them here. I would suggest starting with a follow up diary in which folks can indicate whether or not they have photos and what state you are from. Next we can post subsequent diaries which include an alphabetical order of states represented and you can upload with the information.
In addition, NearlySomebody has already created a facebook page: "Fixing Our Crumbling Infrastructure." Posting in both places or any others you can think of -- let me know in the comments.
Next step -- what to do with this information? Start locally with neighbors, town governance, media. This is grassroots -- we start in the place we know best. Then we connect the dots across the states and hit facebook, twitter (I have neither and don't ask me to sign up) and hell, Chris Matthews. He'd appreciate knowing that his words started something important.
We can either sit and gnash our teeth or we can get outside and take some control back.
This is an action diary. It is not a dumping ground for grievances. There are a majillion diaries elsewhere or write your own. If you aren't here to help, please leave as quietly as you entered. Thank you.
Second action -- if you can phone bank for WI please do. Those people are super nice. ON WISCONSIN!!
6:50 PM PT: Updated link.