Editor, The Spotlight:
On Saturday January 11, 2014 I hit a pot hole on Kenwood avenue state route 104 and blew a tire. It cost me $400.00 for a new tire,balance and alignment and state taxes.
Needless to say the state will not reimburse me. Kenwood and the other state roads leading into and out of the town of Bethlehem are in need of repaving and have been in bad shape for years. When I complained all I was told there was no money for repaving these roads I complained to the DOT so often that they finally put up signs on Route 85 (Campus area) that read rough road, this was done so that if any one damages their car on this stretch of road the state is not liable since the motorist was advised of the road condition.
On Monday January 13,2014 I sent an e-mail to the governor’s office hoping I would get his attention and maybe get some funding. Guess what? It must have fell on deaf ears or perhaps the Governor is too busy knocking Conservatives. I called the DOT office and asked to talk to the commissioner and she was too busy to talk to a taxpayer. I did receive a call from the regional DOT personal and all I got was he has no money to pave the roads. The state has money for bike paths five million to the capital district and federal money for the Delaware Avenue enhancement program to which the town will match. The state is not totally responsible for the condition of Kenwood Avenue, the towns manhole and the numerous water pipe breakage areas bear some responsibility for the bad condition of this roadway. I called our State Senators office and have heard nothing from him I guess he is not interested about the roads in this area. So I guess folks we just have to continue to pay our taxes and repairs to our cars when they are damaged utilizing our pot holed roads. I am sorry, Supervisor John Clarkson, I won’t be able to view your enhanced Delaware Avenue since I will be busy looking out for the pot holes.
Norman Morand
Slingerlands
