Re: Pothole problem comes down to money - March 18, 2009

Read article here

To the editor of the Sudbury Star,
(Published April 1, 2009 as Letter of the Day)

I read Greg Clausen's comments on the pothole problem with great interest. If I understand him correctly, we don't have the money to fix the roads properly. Further, when they are fixed, we don't have the money to seal them to enhance longevity. (The last part sounds penny wise and pound foolish.)

After due consideration, my questions to Clausen, City staff, Council and the Mayor (not in any particular order) are:

Given the continued deterioration of our road surfaces, coupled with the funding limitations, what is the strategy for dealing with this issue in both the short and long term?
Where do they see us being in five years?
Should I sell my car and buy an All Terrain Vehicle?

Seriously, throwing ones hands up and saying there isn't enough money accomplishes nothing. We need increased money, less roads, more efficient techniques or a combination of the three. Unless, of course, the plan is to continue to stick their collective heads in the sand and let the infrastructure disintegrate.

It's time for staff at Civic Square to earn their considerable salaries and put forward a workable proposal to deal with this. And it's time our elected representatives pushed them to do it.