Roads, and walls, and the Division of Highways. Oh my!
One of our readers’ comments emailed to us recently expressed our worst fear.
That is, local roads are in such disrepair that the state DOH will never have the money or manpower to repair them.
Last week, we applauded the initiative by the Preston County Commission to convene a summit of six counties in this area on the roads.
Of the DOH’s District 4 six-county region invited to this meeting, unfortunately, only one — Monongalia County — responded.
Nevertheless, it’s safe to say the other four counties in District 4 — Doddridge, Harrison, Marion and Taylor counties— have the exact same problems.
We cannot speak for those county commissions but our state — the Legislature and the Justice administration — truly need to answer for some things. That goes for Congress, too, and especially the Trump administration.
Meanwhile, a nearly 500-foot retaining wall in Westover is steadily deteriorating and has spurred city officials to immediately focus on a permanent fix.
To its credit, Westover appears prepared to take responsibility for funding these repairs and is seeking to do more than put a Band-Aid on this wall.
Meanwhile, $1.6 billion for six months of work is being squandered on a wall along our border that could repair thousands of walls like that in Westover across our country.
President Trump had asked for $25 billion for his wall in the spending bill he recently signed. Worse, all this happens as the U.S. Border Patrol statistics show the fewest apprehensions of illegal immigrants on the border in 46 years.
As for the DOH, why are no state legislators or members of the Justice administration railing against the appalling pay scale and chronic understaffing in this agency?
How can anyone expect someone with a commercial drivers license to drive a truck for $11.77 per hour?
That, of course, largely explains the constant 500-600 vacancies across West Virginia in the DOH’s ranks.
Yet, unless it’s brought to their attention, incumbent politicians and many candidates fail to raise the subject or offer any solutions.
We urge our readers to call out anyone running for Congress, the Legislature or county commission about our road conditions.
And don’t accept the broken-down promises of yesterday or their attempts to deflect blame from themselves.
Demand new ideas and require our leaders to accept responsibility for the roads we drive on.
It’s time we paid more attention to the leadership behind the curtain on this issue.
Morgantown Area News
'Sunday, December 22, 2024'
