Wallingford Town Councilor John LeTourneau is not the kind of elected official who speaks first and thinks later. You may not always agree with John, but you can’t accuse him of political grandstanding. So when he asks public works to make some rock salt available for residents to help make driveways and sidewalks a little safer, he deserves better than the immediate rebuff he received from Public Works Director Henry McCully and his boss Mayor Bill Dickinson. I agree with McCully and Dickinson’s point that the town cannot make an unlimited amount of salt available to the public free of charge. I don’t think that is what LeTourneau and other councilors were suggesting. A simple system could be instituted, say one 5-gallon bucket of material per vehicle. When the pile set aside for the public runs out in any given week, the give-away is over.
It is the little things that government does for people that mean the most. For example, I’ve never been thrilled with Wallingford hosting the trash plant. The pill is easier to swallow because of the town recycling center. Along with dumping leaves and brush and other household recyclables, I’m able to pick up a few buckets of compost from the pile they leave for the public. On a recent weekend in the fall, I’d lost track of time and the new hours and showed up with an SUV full of bagged leaves. I pulled up to dump them and a worker came over to tell me that the area had closed about a half hour earlier. I was preparing the pull away when he sized up my load and the time it would take me to unload and load the SUV again and told me to go ahead and dump them and even gave me a hand. It took him less than two minutes. The goodwill has lasted months. I’m sure a little salt might have the same effect. Let me know what you think.
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2 comments:
I disagree. If you do it for some, you do it for all. I am a homeowner in Wallingford who is in the unfortunate position of having to take a pay cut with a new position. This has left me in financial straits. But, it is NOT the towns responsibility to take care of my home. If they are using MY tax dollars to help others, forget the salt, come plow my driveway since I am not able to do it now that I have been injured. See? That is how some people will think. While it would be a "nice" gesture, so would it be nice if they would pay my mortgage, waive my electric bill (or part of it), or PLOW MY DRIVEWAY! It is not fair to put Henry McCully or the taxpayers in this position.
I think we all need to stop this mentality that government has to help us with EVERYTHING. This mindset is a problem. I don't expect the town to supply me with anything necessary to upkeep my home.
While we are on the subject of government helping people.....I do agree we need worthwhile government programs to help veterans, underprivileged children, education, etc....however, I am against the mentality of "spreading the wealth." I work hard for my money and I believe I should decide, not government, as to what to do with my money. How dare the President-Elect reply that McCain/Palin wanted to make "selfishness a virtue."
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