Molnau's and Pawlenty's Coming Impeachment

The Star Tribune pointed out on Aug. 2, the day after the bridge collapse, that the Minnesota Department of Transportation, headed by the Lieutenant Governor, Carol Molnau, knew over a year ago (and I'm sure before that) that the steel girders supporting the bridge were worn out and beginning to fail. They discussed, INTERNALLY, NOT PUBLICLY, fixing the bridge by reinforcing the girders with applications of new steel to keep the bridge from falling down. THEY CHOSE NOT TO FIX IT knowing how dangerously deficient it was! They also chose to not INFORM THE PUBLIC of the dangerous condition of the bridge. If they had, maybe some of those people who are now sitting in their cars at the bottom of the river could have decided not to take the risk of driving on a bridge that was failing.

Molnau now says that she was not aware of the deplorable condition of the bridge. Ok, Minnesota's Commissioner of Transportation was not "in the loop" when the imminent failure of the busiest bridge in Minnesota was being discussed by the department she heads? Please.

The Transportation Committees of both the Senate and House should be holding hearings right now to find out why this collapse was allowed to happen without any warning to the public that the bridge was dangerously deficient. And, you can bet Pawlenty knew too.

Remember the recent mesothelioma scandal where Pawlenty's Commissioner of Health withheld for over a year, important information from the public regarding the elevated cancer risk to miners on the Iron Range? There seems to be a pattern of disregard for public safety from this administration.

If legislative hearings can prove foreknowledge of the bridge's dangerous condition on the part of this administration, the first order of business of any special session should be Molnau's and Pawlenty's impeachment and removal from office.