We have long maintained that the countryside would be far better off if it could distance itself from Toronto and the GTA – certainly when it comes to legislation and Queen Park’s one-size-fits-all approach.
Recent News on our front page from Wellington North Township sure makes the case for common sense over the big city methods.
That township, like many across Wellington, has a mix of road surfaces and challenges. Under new rules from the province, more time and effort will need to be spent patrolling roads. That, as common sense suggests, costs money in the form of wages, fuel, plus wear and tear on vehicles that will need replaced sooner.
Similarly, sidewalks will require annual inspections which we believe are essentially done now. The kicker however, is that defects in excess of 2 centimetres will require attention within 14 days. No longer will projects be saved for a large tender. Instead, the rules will dictate prompt attention over other work. For pedestrians it might be great News, but for those pedestrians who pay taxes, this has the making of a regular tax increase.
It is easy to lament the old days and certainly the memory can be a bit more generous when it comes to the past, but we believe the roads crews and their superintendents typically took pride in their job. No one can argue the old road “sups” didn’t get a spring in their step when it came time to spend some money on a road or street project. More to the point: they took pride in doing a good job.
Prior to the late ’90s, Ministry of Transportation personnel would regularly visit councils and the road sups. Without the red tape and nonsense associated with today’s system, word would make it back to head office pretty quickly, whether townships were on schedule or not.
Along the way, priorities shifted and the roads departments were not always given the funds needed to keep things in good repair. Instead, recreation and other vote-getting programs dominated over the quiet voice in the background that if the roads weren’t kept up, more costs would show up and the township would get behind.
As those competing interests escalated and provincial funds dried up, infrastructure took a further back seat. That, of course, led to bridge closures, poor roads, closed streets and a glut of work to be done.
The Economic Action plan now underway has certainly helped get infrastructure back on track. The incredible amount of work going on across this county is lamentable in that the backlog of work was massive enough that prices weren’t bargains.
Smaller companies who made a reasonable living when there were regular projects years ago, seemed to have shifted to other work, leaving the bigger outfits to bid with little competition on the large jobs of today.
The other outstanding problem for municipal governments and these new standards will be increased pressure on liability insurance. If the rules are not followed as presented, quick cases can be made for compensation.
Most of us would be quite embarrassed at our own lack of grace should we fall on a sidewalk or slip off the road because we were going a bit too fast. In this age, for those who prefer a quick buck over being decent about an accident, there is a payday. That payday extends to the lawyers and others with the legal system demanding justice for their client.
All along the way it is the taxpayer shouldering the burden for governments intent on legislating perfection and rascals happy to sue over its imperfection. It’s a fine kettle of fish without an answer any time soon.
