Rep. Orcutt Shrugs Off Bridge Collapse: "11 of the 12 Sections of the Bridge Are Still Standing"

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Orcutt is an eternal optimist. It's kind of adorable.

narctwain on May 28, 2013 at 5:05 PM

Follows the thinking:
The bullet only hit very small fraction of the total body area... so what's the big deal?

Machiavelli on May 28, 2013 at 5:18 PM

It helps to be short-sighted when your dick is so small.

biffp on May 28, 2013 at 5:19 PM

After this I find it hard to make fun of Orcutt. Mom told me to never make fun of the developmentally disabled.

Ballard Pimp on May 28, 2013 at 5:20 PM

Rep. Ed Orcutt (R–Kalama),
Ranking member of the State Transportation Committee

Same guy that said:
Bicycling is bad for the environment and bike riders should have to pay a tax to help maintain the state's roads. Bike riders pollute the environment because they produce more carbon dioxide than car drivers because bike riders have an "increased heart rate and respiration," the act of riding a bike "results in greater emissions of carbon dioxide from the rider. Since CO2 is deemed to be a greenhouse gas and a pollutant, bicyclists are actually polluting when they ride".

Profound.

Clearly there is not an IQ test to hold his office, or to maintain his seat on the Transportation Committee.

Machiavelli on May 28, 2013 at 5:35 PM

Does this mean Washington now has its own bridge to nowhere?

Jenkitty on May 28, 2013 at 5:40 PM

As a truck driver, let me point out the obvious flaw in this guy's reasoning. Any highway on the so-called National Network (i.e. highways designated for use by trucks passing through an area; this includes almost all interstate highways, most other federal highways and some state highways) should not be "functionally obsolete".

Highways with low clearances, extreme grades and curves or insufficient widths are major impediments to commerce. To have a functionally obsolete structure on the main highway connecting Seattle and Vancouver is inexcusable.

The GOP is supposed to be the party of commerce. Why are they actively standing in its way?

Corydon on May 28, 2013 at 5:51 PM

And of course he brings up the straw man of people complaining the bridge was "functionally obsolete".

Yes, Rep. Orcutt, we know what that means. Yes, we know a truck hit the bridge and caused its collapse. All this was thrashed out even among the illiterati of SLOG within a couple hours of the bridge collapse.

And, still some of us feel that the state would be well served by replacing functionally obsolete bridges before they are taken out by an accident or become structurally deficient. We should be out ahead of repairs to our critical infrastructure rather than responding to crises.

fletc3her on May 28, 2013 at 6:03 PM

Easy for Orcutt to be so cavalier when his constituency is at the opposite end of the state. For people such as I, commuting to work from Bellingham to Seattle on a regular basis, this incident is nothing but a hassle. Now, instead of leaving home at the dastardly hour of 5:30 am to reach Seattle by 8:15, I will have to reset my alarm and plan to depart at 4:45.
PS -- this bridge is very well traveled between 6-8 am and from 4:30-6:30 pm.

JaneE on May 28, 2013 at 6:04 PM

12 sections???
There were are only 4 sections, 3 remaining.
Has Mr. Orcutt even seen a picture of the bridge?

Rep. Ed Orcutt is apparently math impaired as-well. I can relate, counting is tough, but still how does Ed get 12 sections from a 4 section bridge? Well, at least he got the 1 section in the river correct.

He certainly needs to lose that seat on the Transportation Committee.

Machiavelli on May 28, 2013 at 6:06 PM

JaneE on May 28, 2013 at 6:08 PM

Had the state had the funds to sign the bridge appropriately and the staff to properly review the "oversize" permit issued to the hauler, then the state could lay the blame on the doorstep of the driver and his company. But the state participated in this negligence and this elected official should be ashamed that he is not funding the steps to fix what makes the lack of I-5 thoroughfare a blight on our entire country.

A. Moore on May 28, 2013 at 6:08 PM

You know what? Orcutt is shockingly right.

The reality is this type of event - a truck striking a bridge - should not cause a shift in political priorities. That'd be classic results over process thinking. If last week you thought that infrastructure was a big priority, then bully for you, you have been vindicated. If you did not think that it was a high enough priority, then the bridge collapse shouldn't change that opinion. Even if a straight line is drawn from lack of maintenance funding to this collapse, it's one of hundreds if not thousands of bridges, and the same conditions for this type of collapse *may* not apply. So it's intellectually inconsistent to change your stance now.

Of course, Orcutt can't actually say that, so he makes up some mumbo jumbo about hey, 11 of 12 are still standing. Look at that, Gee Willikers.

I mean, unless you actually think that he believes that 50% of a bridge is 50% as effective as a bridge.

fetish on May 28, 2013 at 6:56 PM

The following is my response to Rep Orcutt's nonsense:

I find your insulting comments typical of the state of affairs your party has led us to. I'll bet you would have had a really fine, well-written, completely off the subject piece if some people had died when the Skagit River, er, THE TIM EYMAN MEMORIAL bridge collapsed. You and the rest of your ilk have turned this state's infrastructure from one of the best to one of the worst in the nation. You ought to be ashamed of yourself.

ezbob on May 28, 2013 at 7:01 PM

11 days out of 12, Ed Orcutt doesn't say something that makes him look as dumb as a sack of rocks. That 12th day, though, is always comedy gold.

TheRain on May 28, 2013 at 8:00 PM

Well, in response to fetish, who has a somewhat valid point, for many of us who have yelled about a $4.5 trillion dollar infrastructure deficit in our nation, as studied and documented y the American Society of Engineers, this is great evidence of our problem and why we need to put people to work on the 21 century jobs plan and jump start our economy. Oh, and keep us from falling into rivers and lakes and every other place we could fall off failing overpasses. We have huge need, we have people who need jobs, we can borrow money for 0% interest, but we do nothing. Thank you to the no nothings in the legislature and Congress.

T. Foss on May 28, 2013 at 8:14 PM

@10:

He may be counting the smaller approach sections that connect the bridge proper to the graded ramps at either end.

COMTE on May 28, 2013 at 8:17 PM

How about DOT prioritizes maintenance so that the bridges in his district have 92% of the surface area working properly? It's only 8% of each bridge that won't work right, so I'm sure that's no big deal to his constituents.

Bax on May 28, 2013 at 8:25 PM

KInd of like saying that only 8 percent of your body had sex; the vast majority of it is still a virgin.

camlux on May 29, 2013 at 8:09 AM

Goldy,
For once I agree with you. It is completely unacceptable when 8% of a bridge falls 120 feet to the river below.

You_Gotta_Be_Kidding_Me on May 29, 2013 at 9:29 AM

Have none of you people seen the movie "Speed!"? Vehicles just need to go faster when approaching the gap and jump the missing section of the bridge. Problem solved.

Rob in Baltimore on May 29, 2013 at 9:35 AM

@21:

Given my experience with certain denizens of Burlington & Mount Vernon, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if a few of them try to "General Lee" their way across the gap...

COMTE on May 29, 2013 at 9:46 AM

Isn't there a chance that the functionally obsolete characteristic of this bridge (it wasn't wide enough) may have upped the chance an oversized load would hit the darn thing? Couldn't that be seen as a reason to improve upon or replace similiar bridges? I don't know. Just spitballin.

Terd Ferguson on May 29, 2013 at 10:57 AM

"Looking at our transportation infrastructure as a whole" is Goldy-code for sticking it to motorists to pay for buses and light rail. And an income tax. And not fixing any roads.

The reality is different. First off, the bridge that collapsed did so because of a freak accident, not because it was worn out. Secondly, even Seattle voters rejected a $60 car tab increase in 2011, so you fuckwits can kiss your $200 MVET idea for the buses goodbye. Thirdly, the voters of this state will never support an income tax. Fourthly, we're clued into the the ripoff of motorists, which is why McShithead will lose his mayoralty this fall.

Unbrainwashed on May 29, 2013 at 11:16 AM

So, he didn't say that it's OK that only one part of the bridge collapsed. I'm glad the full context was posted, because it contradicts the main point of this article! What he was saying is that the bridge was not dangerous, at least as far as anyone knew. Forget the "functionally obsolete" distinction. It's not relevant to this discussion, which concerns *only* the structural stability of the bridge -- and said structural stability was not found to be lacking. In fact, despite one section collapsing due to what Orcutt implies are special circumstances, the rest of the bridge did not collapse, indicating that the bridge itself was not dangerous and that the collapse of the section that did break was not predictable. A moot point, perhaps, since the section did collapse, but a point nonetheless.

Now, should the bridge have been replaced for other reasons? Sure. Other commenters have pointed out how a bridge that's too narrow or has too low a clearance are impediments to commerce. But Orcutt is asserting that the bridge had *not* been thought unsafe.

on May 29, 2013 at 11:21 AM

Shout-out from Atrios...

Geocrackr on May 29, 2013 at 11:54 AM

#25, aren't you just shocked that the usual Seattle fuckwits who want to raise taxes and fight a war on automobiles would grossly misrepresent the guy's comments?

Unbrainwashed on May 29, 2013 at 11:56 AM

Time for King and Snohomish to cut off the money to the rest of the state until they get real and rebuild our crumbling infrastructure.

Without us, they have no funds.

Will in Seattle on May 29, 2013 at 12:06 PM

Am I the only person who believes that a bridge that carries cars and trucks should be able to take an impact from said cars and trucks?

Root on May 29, 2013 at 12:06 PM

25, The real problem with the bridge is that it was designed like a house of cards. While it's structure hasn't deteriorated significantly, and it has been miminimally maintained over the years, it's considered "fracture critical", meaning it was designed without any redundant structural support systems. If a single part of the bridge fails, there's nothing else to support the span, and it is likely to collapse. There are thousands of these types of bridges across the country. But, what's the likelihood of an oversized truck hitting another one. Why bother spending the money reinforcing, or replacing them.

Rob in Baltimore on May 29, 2013 at 12:48 PM

You can be sure nothing will be done in Washington State, no matter what. Even if lightning struck and the Usual Fuckwits got their taxes, they'd siphon it all off for 19th century rail tracks and bicycles.

Unbrainwashed on May 29, 2013 at 1:13 PM

Day-yumn. And here I thought all the Republican crazy was here in Tennessee.

Southern Beale on May 29, 2013 at 1:57 PM

24: "sticking it to motorists to pay for buses and light rail" -- you mean the buses that keep thousands of cars off the highway? (light rail not so much -- yet)

on May 29, 2013 at 4:05 PM

Fuckwit says fuckwit a lot.

dirac on May 29, 2013 at 4:11 PM

#34, I have yet to hear, or hear of, Michael McGinn saying "fuckwit," at least in public.

Unbrainwashed on May 30, 2013 at 1:20 AM

Here's a clue. If the bridge had been wider, the truck wouldn't have hit the support.

phd9 on May 30, 2013 at 7:30 AM

Here's a clue. If the bridge had been wider, the truck wouldn't have hit the support.

phd9 on May 30, 2013 at 7:43 AM

Shortly after the Titanic sank, a congressman whose name escapes me questioned why everyone left on the ship didn't just run to the watertight compartments on the ship. Of course, those watertight compartments went to the bottom right along with the rest of the Titanic, and that congressman ended his career with the word "Watertight" ever-attached to his name. Sounds like similar logic was used here.

rich bachelor on May 30, 2013 at 9:31 AM

President Dale: I want the people to know that they still have 2 out of 3 branches of the government working for them, and that ain't bad.

on May 30, 2013 at 9:35 AM

Washington State Representative Orcutt could cut off the thumb he is sitting on, and still have 19 of 20 digits remaining. Then, he could replace that thumb with a much wider one to fill the gaping hole left by his head. Think about how much shit he might pass if he didn't have his thumb and his head (the functionally obsolete one) co-located. Somehow, his abilities, instead of being an asset, make him seem to have structurally deficient backbone, too.

on June 3, 2013 at 2:31 PM

Rep. Orcutt Shrugs Off Bridge Collapse: "11 of the 12 Sections of the Bridge Are Still Standing"

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