Saturday, October 25, 2008
No One Asks Elwyn Tinklenberg About Bridge Inspections Or Gusset Plates He Ignored
Elwyn
TinklePants was appointed as the head of MnDOT in 1998 and served through 2002.
During his short tenure at MnDOT, TinklePants had the opportunity to reinforce the gusset plates in the I-35W Minneapolis bridge that collapsed on August 1, 2007, killing 13 and injuring over 100 people. But TinklePants did nothing about it. I wonder why no one in the MSM is asking him about this? The MSM...put a Democrat in the spotlight about their failings? The MSM will do no such thing.
I found this terrific post at the Ladies Logic blog and she links to news sources supporting this issue, that no one bothers to question TinklePants on his neglect on gusset plates on the Minneapolis bridge:
One of the first people out of the gate assigning blame was Elwin Tinklenberg, DFL candidate for the 6th Congressional District. Within hours of the collapse, Tinklenberg was in front of television cameras saying that the collapse was due to malfeasance at MNDOT. Seven years before the Interstate 35W bridge fell, a consulting firm sent Minnesota officials a proposal to shore up the aging structure that included examining its gusset plates, the connections that federal investigators now believe likely played a role in the collapse. A series of follow-up memos in 2000 and 2001 featured drawings of how HNTB planned to strengthen areas immediately surrounding the gusset plates and included renderings of “supplemental plates” and a “new oversize gusset.” Other drawings called for adding supplemental supports in the vicinity of the gusset plates.
[...]
Based on this article in the Strib, it appear as though Elwyn Tinklenberg said no to replacing the gusset plates on the I-35 bridge all the way back in 2000. Here’s what the Strib’s Mark Kaszouba is reporting:
T.W. Budig states clearly that Jesse Ventura named Tinklenberg as his transportation commissioner on January 6, 1999. HNTB’s memos were sent in 2000 and 2001, meaning El Tinklenberg had more to do with the I-35W collapse than did the various scapegoats offered by the DFL. Had Tinklenberg listened to the experts, there’s every reason to believe that the I-35W bridge wouldn’t have collapsed.
The preliminary plan from HNTB Corp. of Kansas City, which was buried among hundreds of documents released at a recent legislative hearing, has gone largely unnoticed in the debate over the disaster. The company did its study at no cost in an attempt to gain a state contract for the bridge work but, in the end, wasn’t hired by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT).
Why didn't TinklePants take the advice of the HTNB Corporation? No one in the MSM bothers to ask him this. Put a Democrat in the crosshairs? Why, not if the MSM has anything to say about it.
Maybe TinklePants was too busy to care about bridge safety or reinforcing gusset plates because, you know, those Lefty religious zealots are too busy "talking with God."
©2008
Labels: Election 2008, Elwyn TinklePants, I35W
When the Hyatt walkway collapsed, Jack D. Gillum and Associates lost their engineering license as a corporation, but Jack Gillum DID NOT. When I was in architecture school, they actually had him come and speak to one of our structures classes. Contradiction? Oh, fuck yeah, you betcha.
Thank you.
TinklePants would be vilified for issue raised in the post IF HE WERE A REPUBLICAN. But he gets a Free Pass because he's a Dem.
Wow, Gillum didn't have to forfeit his personal engineering license, but the firm did. That's like revoking the license of a hospital to practice medicine but not punishing the doctor who committed malpractice.
TinkleTits.
BWA HA HA HA HA! Dude, you are the best at coming up with better condescending names than I can ever think of!
You guys are awesome!
: 7:13 PM, November 05, 2008 The person in charge of the inspection of the gussets was sure to pass the word along. Structural engineers always build in a safety factor that is beyond reproach. The person that denied the repairs is definitely at fault. Maybe Tinklesteinshitkid was not the person that said, "No." But he was the chief.
It must be a challenging post for you to read. I'll try and break it down like I'm talking to a four year old child.
TinklePants was in charge of MnDOT. During this time a study by engineers strongly suggested strengthening the gusset plates and adding a new oversized gusset plate.
Elwyn did nothing about it. Instead, when the bridge collapsed, he blamed malfeasance at MNDOT.
See, it's not ME saying this, it is information printed in the Star Tribune.
Lemme guess, you're related to TinklePants or supported his failed run for Congress?
Oh, thanks for making another point too, that failures in the Clinton Admin no doubt permitted the attack of September 11.
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