Better watch out. Better not slide. Better watch out; I'm telling you why. Officials who don't clear roads, may lose their jobs.
Citizens know when you are sleeping; they know when you're awake. They know when you've been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake.
Tis the season for a little reminder to government officials: Ignore winter maintenance at your peril because there are a number of legendary examples of officials who have had worse than coal in their stockings.
In New York City during the winter of '68-'69, Republican mayor John Lindsey was held responsible for a snow removal debacle in the borough of Queens. He had the poor judgment to go out in his limo to survey the mess and his limo was stuck in the snow. He was retrieved by rescuers in a four-wheel drive--a complete public relations disaster.
During the harsh winter of '78 and '79 in Chicago, Mayor Michael Bilandic was labeled as incompetent for the city's failure to adequately clear roads. His opponent used this to her advantage during the campaign and pundits blame the snow for Bilandic's defeat.
In Washington DC in 1996, infamous Mayor Marion Barry took a bit less heat for disastrous snow removal efforts mostly because residents in the District were accustomed to the city's inadequate snow response. In fact, if you look at the antics of Marion Barry, you might draw the conclusion that the citizens were willing to overlook most any bad behavior.
And more recently, the Valentine's Day Blizzard of 2007 drastically affected the eastern half of North America, halting commerce and causing 37 deaths. In Pennsylvania, officials were under attack by residents who believed that they did not adequately respond to the snowfall. Although citizens don't need a study to know that salting and plowing saves lives, a study by Marquette University details the safety benefits of proper winter maintenance.
Since there is also an economic cost to poor winter maintenance, in this tough economy, we encourage officials to keep the roads clear for commerce and for the safety of their residents. They know when you've been bad or good. It is a little difficult to hide poor winter maintenance (video ).
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