Common Sense

By Bruce Grego

While the City has spent an enormous amount of money on studies and surveys, wouldn't it make more sense to apply those monies to common sense applications, such as services for our community? Too many simple solutions have been overlooked.

Look at parking in the stateline area. Does it make any sense that our city could believe that $7.00 parking made any sense when a good deal of the residents work at minimum wage jobs? Is it fair that the neighbors of the Marriott Center and the Ski Run Center have to police their parking and deal with the overflow and inadequate parking for these properties? They now have security ticketing our citizens when they shop for over two hours. How does that make sense when you want people shopping and paying sales tax?

Vacation rentals have been targeted for more legislation based on a narrow set of problems. The main complaint with these units is noise and parking. Why do we not enforce noise and parking laws? If the laws are inadequate or unenforcable, why don't we change them? Does it make sense to fine the teacher because the student refuses to be quiet in class? No, and we shouldn't be fining the property owners because their tenants are noisy, we should be penalizing those making the noise.

While fiscal responsibility is imperative, government is responsible for the safety and well being of its citizens. The better off their citizens are, the better the government has functioned. Our citizens are leaving by the hundreds for better opportunities and appropriate housing. Somewhere we have failed to provide for our constituents.