Thunderstorm / 64° F
Politicians: Remember the roads [UPDATED]
Published 10:14am Monday, September 17, 2012 Updated 12:16pm Monday, September 17, 2012A recent study by city residents in cities throughout Minnesota show that when it comes to top priorities for their cities, fixing roads is among the highest.
It should be a lesson learned by politicians, and those who vote for them.
City government has often been leaned on to do lots of things: create jobs, bring tourists to town, revitalize our community’s blighted buildings, and even help those with drug problems.
But the fact is, money is tight these days. City government can’t afford to sink valuable resources into fixing every problem. And even if cities were flush with cash, past efforts have shown that government help does not necessarily fix the problem.
Fixing the roads, however, is something city government has control over. Good roads also play a role in improving the quality of life of residents who drive on them, as well as the truck drivers who use them to deliver products.
City officials have done what they can. The plethora of road projects this summer in Fergus Falls can testify to that. And tight funding, of course, means that not every cracked, potholed road can be fixed immediately. But certainly, there are plenty of roads in Fergus Falls that need improvement.
As the debates and campaigns for city council heat up and candidates come knocking at your door, let’s remember to ask them, will you make fixing my street a priority?
Roads are, after all, a problem they have control over.
