Roads to Ruin: Towns Rip Up the Pavement

Wall Street Journal ^ | July 17, 2011 | LAUREN ETTER

[bkopto]

Asphalt Is Replaced By Cheaper Gravel; 'Back to Stone Age'

....Paved roads, historical emblems of American achievement, are being torn up across rural America and replaced with gravel or other rough surfaces as counties struggle with tight budgets and dwindling state and federal revenue. State money for local roads was cut in many places amid budget shortfalls.

[SNIP] But higher taxes for road maintenance are equally unpopular. In June, Stutsman County residents rejected a measure that would have generated more money for roads by increasing property and sales taxes.

"I'd rather my kids drive on a gravel road than stick them with a big tax bill," said Bob Baumann, as he sipped a bottle of Coors Light at the Sportsman's Bar Café and Gas in Spiritwood.

[bkopto]

And this is just the beginning. Thank your nearest democrat voter and welfare parasite for this tip-of-the-iceberg outcome.

[DManA]

It’s always the bait and switch. They promise you blacktop for higher taxes and instead they hire a new diversity coordinator with it.

[Tallguy]

This will make more areas inaccessible to the newer, micro-compacts & hybrids. Those are so low-to-the-ground, and with such tiny wheels that a relatively common pothole will swallow them up.

[Drill Thrawl]

No fear. They have dozens of “administrators” keeping an eye on the situation.

[NVDave]

You are correct.

However, when one considers the predominate politics of those who drive such vehicles, this becomes a feature, not a problem.

[lormand]

Welcome to Hussienville America

[cripplecreek]

I know of lots of roads here in Michigan that were never paved due to residential traffic in the first place. Around the area I grew up, lots of backroads were paved because brine trucks were turning them into muddy messes. The injection sites are no longer there and 2 or 3 residents along a mile of road can hardly justify upkeep on asphalt.

[olezip]

....Paved roads, historical emblems of American achievement, are being torn up across rural America and replaced with gravel or other rough surfaces as counties struggle with tight budgets and dwindling state and federal revenue. State money for local roads was cut in many places amid budget shortfalls.

Obama is doing a great job of transferring our country into a third world nation like Cuba or Kenya. Obama's goals of higher taxes, $5 or $10 dollars/gallon gasoline will go a long way to eliminate the middle class, leaving just serfs and the ruling class of Marxists, Socialists, and Communists.

[Psycho_Bunny]

“We’ve stolen your tax dollars, incompetently handled the finances of government and you’re refusing to give us more money to burn so, we’re taking your roads away.”

[roamer_1]

*shrugs* There ain’t much I want to see that ain’t at the end of a dirt road anyhow. More dirt, less tourists in fancy cars messing up the place.

[livius]

Gravel is not good, in my opinion, but here in NE coastal Florida, we used to have little sandy streets and they worked just fine. They have limerock roads further inland, but they have to be graded regularly or they’re your basic “corduroy road.” In other words, hang onto your shock absorbers. And they’re very dusty.

There are places where an unpaved street is not only okay, but nice. But for real transit, there must be paved streets very close to the charming unpaved streets.

That said, it’s strange that the first thing towns want to cut back on is something that benefits everybody. I guess they’re busy cultivating their special welfare population.

[cripplecreek]

LOL I’m the same way. I don’t mind 30 miles of two track if it gets me to someplace where people ain’t. In fact I enjoy the ride all that much more.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I hate Liberals...

[Outlaw Woman]

Who cares? Not me. I have a 4-wheel drive jeep if my town does the same thing (which, they aren't at this point...too busy sucking on the federal teet and "remodeling" roads here). I could give a rat's a**. In 2002, I was attending courses for 'Real Estate' and sitting next to me in class was a 70 year old, die hard, democrat. The election coming up had a proposal to increase property taxes. She was all for it...gung ho! Dang straight. Turns out she was a lifelong 'renter/leaser'. She complained about the lack of funding for schools, fire departments, sherrifs office and for the roads. The instructor agreed with her. So ... they were informed that day that I didn't give a damn if those things didn't have enough...as I can fight my own fires, drive through rough terrain, and shoot anyone that didn't abide by the law.

We have a bunch of puss*es running this country. I'm female and I approve this message.

[cripplecreek]

The street I live on. (yes its an actual named street)

[mia]

There is so much fraud and waste in local governments that a statement like this just makes me sick. Always punish the taxpayer or threaten the taxpayer with reduced services while raising their taxes. Instead of backing off what we expect from our local, state, and federal government, we should be expecting and demanding more from them. Privatize road and construction maintenance. You'd then see a difference.

How many times have you seen 10 workers standing around one hole in the ground. . . one to drive the truck, another to drive the crew, one to carry the equipment, one to supervise the crew, two to actually do some digging, one to evaluate the situation, one to clean up the debris, another to drive the truck that the debris has been put into, one to carry the equipment back to the original truck, and another to call it quits.

[roamer_1]

LOL I’m the same way. I don’t mind 30 miles of two track if it gets me to someplace where people ain’t. In fact I enjoy the ride all that much more.

did I mention that the 'main' color of my pickup is calico? been thinking of upgrading the paint scheme to 'camouflage,' but then all my neighbors would accuse me of putting on airs...

One thing is sure: Paint chips ain't much of a problem. :D

And it suits me fine - there ain't many willing to risk their $30k fancy iron to get back to where the fish are biting and you don't need a leash on your dog.

[Right Wing Assault]

The 10-year-plan is to go to wooden planks first, then to axle-deep mud. And that’s for the interstates.

[wideminded]

Around the area I grew up, lots of backroads were paved because brine trucks were turning them into muddy messes. The injection sites are no longer there and 2 or 3 residents along a mile of road can hardly justify upkeep on asphalt.

Who was injecting brine into the ground and why?

[cripplecreek]

They inject brine into the ground to push oil toward wells.