Letter to the Editor 3-16-10

Published: March 16, 2010

Article Tools
Font size: [A] [A] [A]
Sign Up newsletter

Chickens have come home to roost

EDITOR: There is going to be a lot of hate and discontent this spring as the roads go to pieces. Here close to home now the Sopertown and Austinville roads are turning into dirt from the truck traffic.

It is not the fault of the gas companies or the truckers hauling for the gas company. Pennsylvanians (who pay taxes) and everyone driving through this state have paid more than enough taxes to have an excellent road and bridge system. Fuel taxes, highway use taxes and probably 100s more taxes of one form or another.

Our so called "elected representatives" have taken all this money and put it in the general fund and then passed it out in the most unbelievable forms of welfare. All to buy reelection.

I am 66, I worked for my living and cannot remember a time when any of the elected officials at the county level (except when Walt Barnes was county commissioner), state level or federal level ever voted to represent me.

And, the people, organizations, municipalities who have their hands out taking this money are equally guilty. It seems that no one feels any obligation to pay their own bills. And, now the chickens have come home to roost. Pennsylvanians voted in Ed Rendell knowing he was a tax and spend liberal because they thought he would throw money their way. This just cannot be sustained. People don't stop to think that every time we see our elected representatives' smiling faces handing out more taxpayers dollars they are giving away their money. This is all money forcibly taken from producers.

Each time you hit a pothole of area turned to dirt just remember all the people and organizations that have taken the funds meant to fix the roads.

Gary Pierce

Columbia Cross Roads

Ads by Yahoo!






Type in the characters you see in the picture below. If you have trouble reading the characters in the picture, click it to see a new one.



9 posted comments

Me; I think Shorty was trying to be funny. Everybody knows who the "moron in chief" was, and while Clinton may have been disliked while in office, his legacy is proving to be pretty solid. I was never a fan, because of his moral failings, but he's comint to be recognized as the best of the modern era presidents. Contrast Reagan, whose shine is steadily diminishing as the long term impact of his disasterous economic policies are coming home to haunt us. Sometimes it takes a decade or two to sort things out.
Report
time wounds all heels,  03/19/10 8:15
Dear “Obviously no tolerance:”

The word “moron” was first used in 1910 by a psychologist named Henry H. Goddard. The word stems from the Greek word “moros” which meant dull as opposed to sharp. Further, a “moron” is a person who unfortunately has the mental age of child between the ages of 8 and 12 or an IQ of between 51 -70.

Presidential material; I think not!

Now then, there are other degrees of intelligence which you may have considered for your misused descriptor of our past Presidents. I imagine you were referring to either Clinton or Bush. You weren’t too clear on that point; you were not sharp, perhaps “dull?”

First is an “imbecile” who has an IQ of 26 -50. Then also we have the real unfortunates called “idiots,” these poor folks are unblessed with an IQ of 0 – 25.

I was going to check on the other terms which you may have used to describe our past Presidents such as retarded, feeble-minded and stupid but I think you get my point. Don’t throw stones when you live in a glass house.

Now, let’s take a look at “The One” who now sits in the Oval Office, can we come up with a whole different set of descriptors? It is my guess that you voted this guy into office and that fact alone makes me look over all of the different categories listed above to fit you and or anyone else who still to this day defends his unconstitutional policies. Socialism is not my cup of TEA.

Report
J,  03/19/10 6:04
Shorty - Clinton was mentioned but I beleive the moron referal was to Bush (money on a war for absolutely nohing etc.)
Report
Me,  03/18/10 7:48
Obviously----I certainly am no Clinton fan, but I would not call him a moron.
Report
Shorty,  03/17/10 4:04
Please some of these companies please train your drive! These roads would not be as bad if the drivers would flow left and right from one side to the other side as they travel throw. Each time they come through. As of now they look like “THE MARCH OF THE PENGUINS” Same path each time. Not just that I see the truck doing that the roads shows the trench in it from them doing that. For as slow as they go it’s not going to hart anything.
Now got some more for all who cares. What’s up with the ROCK’s the size of softballs and bigger is everybody driving trucks with lift kit’s in them? Come on is it going to be a pain in the butt To get compensated or help with the damage this is causing to peoples car and yes the SUV too. As of now I got a new tire with a Broken belt my oil pan has big dent in it side marker light smashed out. I’m not exaggerating those ROCK are to dam big for what they’re using them for. I did see one of the 5 or 6 companies doing something I thought was right. They dug down then added those size rocks and YES then some sub base fine stuff. You look at that now it looks good feels good. This was three weeks ago and still. Just saying come on people think ahead.
Is this the right way? Is all going to be ok on this? How can I make this work better? Think about it before jumping to some of this!
Report
Truck less,  03/17/10 10:10
One could make the case that the USA is in a national emergency and thus the need for energy far out weighs someone worrying about a broken road. At least we have roads. I think people should be more concerned about Chris Carney, Robert Casey, Arlen Specter who sold out our Constitutional rights while trying to make all future generations slaves. We can ultimately fix the roads, and make those pay who ruined them. But who do we go to .. to fix the damage done by Carney, Casey and Specter?
Report
Joe DuPont,  03/16/10 2:27
Gary Pierce,

I am sorry, but I really do disagree with you here. Since people started driving a lot less in the last few years gas taxes actually went down. So therefore your road revenue also went down. Pennsylvania is also one of the few states that gets more money from the federal government because we have such an issue with freeze thaw and also that we have more people on our roads than other states, but welfare reform actually took place a few years ago when I believe Clinton was president. I don't think welfare is the real reason our roads are so bad. That might have a lot more to do with the fact that Federal Goverment spent so much money on a war that was for absolutely nothing, but a bunch of crap that we will be paying for forever. Funny, but Pennsylvania is not the only state that is having a problem with it's infrastructure because of this war. We voted for a moron for our president for 8 years and that is what we got. How much money actually goes for welfare really? I find it very odd that some people believe that is where all our money goes. What are we supposed to do with people who are just not mentally able to work, or are somehow not quite up to par? Maybe people like you would be happy if we handled these people like Hitler did. Many people on welfare aren't all just some woman that popped out a bunch of kids to catch a free ride. Some of them are people that are just not able to work due to their mental disabilities. I guess you believe they should be living in cardboard boxes.

Report
Obviously no tolerance,  03/16/10 11:38
I invite everyone to check out the "quality" of the road work done here in Bradford County. It appears to me that many roads only have
an inch to three inches of blacktop over the dirt roads. Wyalusing-New Albany Rd (SR2010) which connects 220 and 6 is not much better.
The amount of traffic that travels on our roads- gas trucks and double decker cattle trucks- would not put a dent in these roads of they were properly constructed. The roads in New York City, New Jersey, Long Island....that carry more truck traffic in an hour than our roads have in a week.
Report
robin,  03/16/10 10:51
Bravo to you Gary for saying it EXACTLY how it is! I live in Windham Township and our Supervisors spend more fixing the equipment the employees wreck than they do fixing or plowing any of our roads. Here in Windham, you don't need any training or qualifications to work on our roads, you just have to support the right party. It really is sickening!
Report
Lee, Windham Township,  03/16/10 8:00