The Issues: Infrastructure

Everyone wants nice roads, bridges, and sidewalks, but getting people collectively to agree to fund those projects is always difficult. Our infrastructure norms call for efficient waste removal and well-functioning sewer systems, but many towns in the state have sewers collapsing and lines 100 or more years old that can no longer handle the volume of waste towns are producing. We need access to reliable cell service and quality internet, and yet the towns that need it most keep getting overlooked while other towns get upgrades. Infrastructure is, honestly, one of the least attractive political topics. It also seems to stir a lot of controversy. The amount of banter on Facebook over things like the Walmart Pothole (if you know, you know) to the Cottage Street sidewalks, to complaints when the work is actively happening to rectify infrastructure issues. It's a whirlwind that seems like no one can be happy about. But, and this is a big but, BUT, we need to take care of our public systems.

There are many innovations coming out to handle cold climate roadways and sidewalks that we should be focused on exploring, learning from, and utilizing in our communities. We also need to be focused on proper and expansive drainage along our most damaged roadways that keep seeing flash flooding. Investments in managing what is and what will happen means less needing to be spent to fix. It's common sense investment.

I recognize that it sounds like I want us to spend more money, and the short answer is, well, yeah, I do. We have a responsibility to ourselves, our communities, and our landscape to take care of our systems. Most of these costs can be mitigated with reallocation of tax funding, raising our Rooms and Meals Tax, and finally passing comprehensive marijuana legalization that will include significant tax revenue for the state. It's past due, just like maintenance on a lot of our bridges. It's time to get the work done and swallow the price tags. They will never be cheaper to fix than they are now.