Editor, The Spotlight:
A few weeks ago I sent a letter to the Spotlight concerned about the condition of the roads (state own) in the town of Bethlehem having to pay $400 for a blown out tire as a result of the potholes.
I called and e-mailed most of the state leaders that are responsible for allowing the roads to deteriorate to the condition they are today. None with the exception of Senator N. Breslin responded to me. The local DOT manager acknowledged that the roads were in bad shape but did not have the money to perform the replacement of the roads. Yet I read that the Town is getting $1.7 million to beautify Delaware avenue that does not include a new road way.
The last Spotlight had an article about the bike path getting $4.18 million in Federal funds through the Congestion and air quality improvement fund.. The Times Union on February 27th had an article which states that Capital Region drivers pay the price in time,money and safety. The article further states it costs a Capital region driver $1600 a year because of the bad roads. I guess that idling cars dealing with road conditions don’t pollute which allows the government to provide funds for bike paths.
It seems that government workers cannot be trusted to bathe babies. They would probably throw out the baby and save the bath water. This is only one of many careless uses of tax payers money. It is the tax payers money not some flunky government workers to spend as he or she wants but rather the tax money should be to benefit most of the people not a few.
Norman J Morand
Slingerlands