You can't have your services, and cut them, too

Frontiersman editorial board

In another classic case of wanting one's cake and eating it too in the Valley, the low rumblings have begun and, if the winter continues to bring snow, those rumblings may become an avalanche of complaints and righteous indignation. "Where is the snow removal? Where is the road maintenance? Why is it taking so long to get to my street?"

The last couple of years, depending upon your perspective, either blessed or cursed us with mild winters. Roads were mostly clear simply due to a lack of winter weather, and we gave little thought to issues like road maintenance and snow removal. But, as we might have expected, winter has returned to the Valley, and some roads are taking longer than others to clear -- and there is good reason for some folks to be concerned. Indeed, when you're living at the end of a lesser-used road and it occurs to you that emergency vehicles will have as much trouble getting in as you are having getting out, there is cause for worry.

When will we learn the lessons of complacency, though? When the weather is good, it seems perfectly reasonable to allow the legislature to cut, or refuse to increase, road maintenance funds. In fact, the cheers often drown out the voices of concern here when our representatives claim another victory against the threat of taxes. Those cheers consistently turn to cat-calls and wails of betrayed surprise when local parks are closed, when parents are paying for school expenses the state should be covering, when roads take two and three days to be cleared, and a host of other calamities that shouldn't be as surprising as they are.

The second point in Rep. Vic Kohring's 10-point plan champions the notion of privatizing many government functions, including road maintenance. You can get a jump on that plan now. If your road is one of those that hasn't been cleared, you may hire someone to clear it for you. It won't cost you a dime in taxes, either. In the meantime, until privatization arrives to save the day, we're left to hope our services, which seem to diminish every year, don't become overextended and completely ineffective.

People have taken to protecting their property with violence due to a shortage of law enforcement and prosecutors. People have taken on the task of running and maintaining state-owned parks because the state refused to fund them. When will we admit that taxes take many forms, and that you'll pay for critical services one way or the other.

The next time someone promises to save you from taxes, you'd better look out the window and make sure your road is clear so you can mail a thank-you card. If not, you can use those tax dollars to stock up on supplies. It could be a long winter.