Letters to the Editor

News Virginian
Published: July 23, 2007

The time to deal with city's needs is now

During the time my children grew up here, there was a different attitude about city facilities available to my family than currently exists in some quarters. There are still some folks around that retain those values but they don't actually get much press, thus the purpose of my letter.

Although generations for the last four decades here have addressed physical needs, in many cases to meet mandates, there has been a lack of vision in protecting city investments already in place through adequate maintenance. Subsequently, our infrastructure has deteriorated and we find ourselves constantly confronted with problems that were not of our making. Because it is a serious matter not to get water when we turn on a faucet or flush the commode, we put a Band-Aid on it and move on. When an attempt to deal with a major problem is presented, it is often processed to death or eventually filed somewhere or forgotten.

I have studied the list of components being requested in the city's capital improvement plan and most of these items should have been dealt with during the past 20 years. It is of interest to me that we are blessed with people who know so much about wants versus needs. The gist of that argument always comes down to whether the thing being discussed is a want or need to the person talking.

Because the law mandates dealing with several projects included in this document, it is obvious that they will have to be done. The time is right to deal with all of them in terms of financing because the money is at market lows. In the not too distant future, inflation will raise the cost of these projects by millions. When I write my check for taxes, it will lessen the pain if I know some of it will deal with projects in the capital improvements plan.

Jim Nichols

Waynesboro

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Debate over CIP is far from over

Mr. Colman seems to be missing the point in his letter published Wednesday.

The supermajority statute exists so that there is a guarantee of true consensus on the part of council on issues funded by bonds, which obviously there is not. So, Mr. Colman, the debate has not "been completed for now," no matter how much you might like it to be.

What there is consensus on are the basic needs of the city - sewers, water lines, etc. These make up about half of the proposed borrowing. The other half is made up of projects that, though noble and useful, may be beyond the reasonable budgetary means of the city. These projects were added and added and added by the majority of the council, over objections from other council members.

As far as abuse of power, I would refer Mr. Colman to the behavior of the majority of the council, which has wielded that majority like a hammer over all objections to their vision of the city, from citizens and the other members of the council.

Mr. Colman refers to the capital improvement plan as a "fluid document." Let's be clear: Once the money is borrowed, there is no giving it back because another council changes its mind. Not to mention, as Councilwoman Lorie Smith said this week, "There are projects contained therein such as bridges, North Park improvements, sidewalks, etc. that will require ongoing funding attention beyond 2009."

Finally, I find the calls for public comment by Smith and Vice Mayor Nancy Dowdy quite interesting, since they utterly ignored the hundreds of members of the public who turned in petitions and turned out for the public hearings against higher taxes and the Wayne Theatre. I suppose the public's voice is only useful to them when it supports their point of view.

Alex Stevens

Waynesboro