Fix the Streets, Dammit!
I was all prepared to come in here today to bitch about our wonderful state legislature, which seemed to do nothing this year but come up with a plan to induce the sort of companies this state definitely doesn’t need – franchises.
Do we really need more chains to come into our state? Is it really that much more important for the Cheesecake Factory to possibly move into Sioux Falls or Rapid City? Sorry, but it’s the local flavor of our state that we’re losing more and more every year, and if anybody should be given a liquor license break it’s the independent bar owner who wants to create something unique to their area.
It’s really typical of what we saw in Pierre this year. Nobody came home looking good. Democrats were barely seen, and not heard at all, and our Governor has seemed to adopt President Bush’s mentality that the legislative branch is not an equal part of state government.
It would be real easy to just carry on with an extended analysis of how our state government failed us this year, but leave it to our city government to top them in pure stupidity.
Have you driven our streets lately? They’re a mess. If you don’t find yourself swerving around pot holes, you’re undoubtedly on streets that couldn’t be further away from level. I hate to give KELO credit, but they were right on when they sent a camera crew to a section of 57th Street that’s a hazard to anything that’s not a monster truck.
One would think that the discovery of over seven million bucks left over in the capital improvements budget would immediately go towards fixing some of these problems. Oh no, that’s not how our city’s masterminds work.
Well, at least a couple of our representatives have some smarts. Councilor Pat Costello set forth a motion this past Monday to beef up spending on city streets, and Councilor Gerald Beninga seconded it, saying “I believe very strongly that this ought to be a priority.” Well, duh.
As you might expect, Mayor Dimwit was completely against this idea. After all, it’s more important for him to purchase land for parks that someday may be named after him. Suddenly, he’s also all about fiscal responsibility, warning the City Counsel that using this money would leave no “wiggle room” in upcoming years. Sir, if that does happen it’s all your fault, as from day one you’ve had your pet projects that has resulted in millions and millions of bond issues that will have to be repaid in the future.
Instead of fighting for what’s right, though, it was business as usual with our city council and Munson got some money for his parks, and our streets will get a measly $1.8 million. Can we please get some mavericks to run this year that won’t roll over for he Mayor? I for one would love for Jenna the Jeep to last a few more years.
Do we really need more chains to come into our state? Is it really that much more important for the Cheesecake Factory to possibly move into Sioux Falls or Rapid City? Sorry, but it’s the local flavor of our state that we’re losing more and more every year, and if anybody should be given a liquor license break it’s the independent bar owner who wants to create something unique to their area.
It’s really typical of what we saw in Pierre this year. Nobody came home looking good. Democrats were barely seen, and not heard at all, and our Governor has seemed to adopt President Bush’s mentality that the legislative branch is not an equal part of state government.
It would be real easy to just carry on with an extended analysis of how our state government failed us this year, but leave it to our city government to top them in pure stupidity.
Have you driven our streets lately? They’re a mess. If you don’t find yourself swerving around pot holes, you’re undoubtedly on streets that couldn’t be further away from level. I hate to give KELO credit, but they were right on when they sent a camera crew to a section of 57th Street that’s a hazard to anything that’s not a monster truck.
One would think that the discovery of over seven million bucks left over in the capital improvements budget would immediately go towards fixing some of these problems. Oh no, that’s not how our city’s masterminds work.
Well, at least a couple of our representatives have some smarts. Councilor Pat Costello set forth a motion this past Monday to beef up spending on city streets, and Councilor Gerald Beninga seconded it, saying “I believe very strongly that this ought to be a priority.” Well, duh.
As you might expect, Mayor Dimwit was completely against this idea. After all, it’s more important for him to purchase land for parks that someday may be named after him. Suddenly, he’s also all about fiscal responsibility, warning the City Counsel that using this money would leave no “wiggle room” in upcoming years. Sir, if that does happen it’s all your fault, as from day one you’ve had your pet projects that has resulted in millions and millions of bond issues that will have to be repaid in the future.
Instead of fighting for what’s right, though, it was business as usual with our city council and Munson got some money for his parks, and our streets will get a measly $1.8 million. Can we please get some mavericks to run this year that won’t roll over for he Mayor? I for one would love for Jenna the Jeep to last a few more years.
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