Letter to the Editor: Isn’t it strange what a bout with potato salad can do?

To the Editor:

On second thought (Daylight Savings Time offers an extra hour of think time before the alarm goes off), just what is the job of a city council? Isn’t it to question the experts and their motives for what they are proposing?

Why only fix five blocks of First Avenue NW? Is it because that is where the public property is? The courthouse, library, school, church-owned property, parking lot as well as their own business - attorney, doctors, accountants, printing shop, plumbing shop, storage buildings, bank, apartments, repair shops, various rentals, etc.

So, what just happened on First Avenue NW was described as “maintenance”. Is the rest of the town also going to get “main-ten-ance” without assessment? What is the plan? Are north-south streets and east-west avenues going to be rebuilt or are they going to be “maintained”?

As a matter of fact, when Third Avenue NW was done, properties on the street (not avenue) a certain distance from Third were also assessed. This could have caught our local newspaper office if the same formula were applied, and by the way, do they no longer have time to publish the property transfers in city and county? It would have to be copied from the Recorder’s office just up the street.

Of course, First Avenue is now water over the dam, or under the bridge. And speaking of bridges, in some cases, a bridge is just a glorified culvert. Our money is being spent. Wake up, Waukon. Wake up, Allamakee County. Watch where your money is being spent.

What do you suppose the difference in cost would be between a culvert and a concrete bridge? The only function of either is to allow water to move from one side of the road to the other side.

People say, “you publish that, and you won’t have a friend left.” Oh, darn, do I have friends now? “A friend in need is a friend indeed”.

I paid for my street. Don’t they want to pay for theirs? How will the deciders decide to finance all the streets and avenues that need attention?

Having no friends, maybe I should choose to be cremated. My significant other should be able to find someone to carry my urn as opposed to hiring six pall bearers. I have already offered my skin as an organ donor. By the way, why don’t we all get signed up on our drivers license to offer parts for donation. Your heart, lungs, liver and kidneys, or whatever, are probably better than mine.

Isn’t it strange what a little bout with potato salad can do to a person’s thoughts?

Respectfully,

Herb Larkin
Waukon