September 06, 2011 10:09 PM UTC

Bennet: Infrastructure. Costs. Money.

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• by: Colorado Pols

Sen. Michael Bennet wrapped up his August recess tour of the state last weekend, and as the Pueblo Chieftain’s Matt Hildner reports, what he heard was consistent–and not at all in tune with what people in Washington DC seem to think the voters want:

Through more than 90 minutes of questions and answers, Bennet dwelled at length on the need to upgrade the country’s energy and infrastructure policy. But that won’t happen, he said, until Congress can address the country’s long-term fiscal problems…

Bennet added that throughout his stops around the state, he’s heard a few common themes emerge from his constituents about how to solve the federal government’s trouble with deficits and debt. They want a plan that materially addresses the problem.

“They want to know that we’re all in this together,” he said…

[Christine Canaly of the San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council] recounted a recent trip to visit family in Cleveland where her brother’s neighborhood had above-ground pipes delivering water because of the deterioration of the original distribution system.

She said that restoring infrastructure across the country, as the federal government did in building a new water treatment plant at the Summitville Superfund site, could also help ease the recession.

Bennet noted that the U.S. was coming close to losing its inheritance of roads, parks and schools.

“Who are we to decide we’re going to be the first generation not to care for these assets,” he said. [Pols emphasis]

Back in Washington, of course, Republicans are debating whether they should even fund natural disaster relief–which kind of implies they aren’t ready to deal with all the bridges that haven’t collapsed yet. To us, this sums up the problem Bennet is describing, a problem of childish tantrums taking priority over simple adult responsibility, as well as anything could.

And it explains Congress’ 12% approval rating, too.