Sunday, May 20, 2007
Posted by Michael Earl Patton
I can’t but notice that the new jail, along with many other recent completed and proposed projects, have one thing in common—they use a lot of concrete. Here’s a quick list: football stadium, baseball stadium, re-alignment of Fort Washington Way, slave museum, convention center, new schools, tunnel under Mt. Auburn (in the failed light rail proposal), new jail, Fountain Square remodel, proposed replacement of Brent Spence bridge, proposed MLK interchange with I-71, and there are probably more.
If a government health care plan would involve the bulding of new clinics and hospitals throughout the country you can bet that it would happen. Well, at least the clinics and hospitals would.
One of my favorite movies, The Great McGinty (1940), has the following bit of dialogue. In this scene McGinty (Brian Donlevy) has just been elected and sworn in as governor. The “boss” (Akim Tamiroff) is explaining to a skeptical McGinty what needs to be done.
Boss: The roads for instance. They’re in terrible condition. In case of war we’d be at their mercy. We need a whole new highway system.
McGinty: How would the enemy get to here?
Boss: How do I know? Am I a general? Then we’ll need a new water works system, a state canal, and—you’ll kiss me for this one—a new dam.
McGinty: I do, huh?
Boss: I can see from your expression you don’t know what a dam is. You think a dam is something you put a lot of water in. A dam is something you put a lot of conrete in. And it doesn’t matter how much you put in, there’s always room for a lot more. And any time you’re afraid it’s finished, you find a crack in it. And you put in some more concrete—it’s wonderful!
McGinty: What’s the matter with the old dam?
Boss: It’s got a crack in it.
Of course, this is just a scene in an old movie.
• Share This Article!
 Listen to this article
Help The Cincinnati Beacon Grow! Participate in Social Networking!
Members
Register
Tell us what you think!
Anonymous comments are allowed, but you can log in above to stamp your name and to avoid typing the anti-spam code.
|