🚀 go-pugleaf

Hello, Ken!

brea9430@mach1.wlu.ca (breadner kenneth cecil joseph u) writes:

> Let me explain. It took up to TWO WEEKS for all the roads to be cleared.
> Even more damning, I never saw a single sidewalk plow. Not one. In fact, I
> never saw one for the entire duration of the winter.

   Sounds kinda like Buffalo... they don't get significantly worse weather 
than Toronto, they just deal with it poorly.

> I called the city, as I say, and all they would tell me is that it is the
> landowner's responsibility to clear the sidewalks in front of his/her
> home.

   This is true everywhere; remember the "be nice - clear your ice" ad 
campaign starring cartoonist Ben Wicks?

> Last I checked, taxes are paid in this city. But even paying taxes doesn't
> mean the city will take any interest at all in the well-being of its
> inhabitants!

   While I can't disagree with the desirability of cleared sidewalks, I 
suspect that you're losing sight of the fact that we expect the city to pay 
for many things, and we complain about how much we have to pay them to do it 
(and to administrate it).  Everyone's needs are different; perhaps we could 
put this discussion to constructive use by encouraging Waterloo ratepayers to 
write/call/FAX city hall with requests that the city clear the sidewalks 
promptly, and allocate whatever funds are approriate for the job.

   Remember: you can't fault politicians for not looking after your needs if 
you don't emphasize those needs to them.  Democracy can only have a fair shot 
at working if the people participate.

  Geoffrey Welsh, 7 Strath Humber Court, Islington, Ontario, M9A 4C8 Canada
geoff@zswamp.uucp, [xenitec.on.ca|m2xenix.psg.com]!zswamp!geoff (416)258-8467
       You're still young if your wallet is exhausted before you are.