The WayneWho staff has had a busy week trying to help some friends clean up after the flooding that happened earlier this week. The whole area is pretty much a big mess and will probably be that way for some time. While the floodwaters have gone, the damage to the heart of Kissimmee will take some time to repair.
While we have caught a few of the news briefs about 'unprecedented rains', 'more rain than the system was designed to handle', and about how 'some blocked storm drains' contributed to the mess, our favorite comment has to come from our City Manager. In the face of this mess, he simply states that 'Everyone should have renters' insurance and flood coverage...' Sure, just like the fairy tale that growth was going to pay for itself, reality is far different from the out of touch point of view of this administration. Maybe residents could afford rental insurance if they were not spending so much money on gas to drive to other counties for work or if they were able to use their fire fee money to pay for it, but these are discussions for another time. The point of this article is focus and linking renter's insurance to clogged storm drains is not a focused argument.
The WayneWho staff understands that the best efforts of man can, and will, be thwarted by Mother Nature from time to time. This is probably one of those times. Our problem is that it is hard to look a the history of our commission(s) and know that our best efforts were put forward to keep the floods under control. Arguments that have focused on 'All-American City Awards', 'Revitalizing 192', 'Government Run TV Stations', and 'Logo Changes' have taken the focus off of the basic and boring job that is local government. That is the job of providing public safety and infrastructure to the residents who pay taxes for that purpose. While their is no glory in creating a functional drainage system that can handle 5 inches of rain in 1 1/2 hours in a hurricane prone state, it is probably the most relevant. Maybe the money spent on all the frivolous sideshow issues could have been put to better use for our residents. Maybe not. The point is that we do not know and there is a general consensus that government does not know either. Frivolous issue after frivolous issue has taken the place of municipal management. As a community we are left asking, are we getting what we pay for or are we just being entertained?
The WayneWho staff wants to make it clear that we do not blame the city or the commission for the weather. We understand that the weather is controlled by a much Higher Power and that some how this mess is in His plan. Maybe it was meant to show He thinks we need to focus on what is important, and that adding His name to a logo is not one of those things? Or maybe, like the City Manager would suggest, the rains were meant teach the Biblical importance of renter's insurance? These are questions we just can't answer and that we leave to our readers. For us, we are just going to focus on drying out our socks.
While we have caught a few of the news briefs about 'unprecedented rains', 'more rain than the system was designed to handle', and about how 'some blocked storm drains' contributed to the mess, our favorite comment has to come from our City Manager. In the face of this mess, he simply states that 'Everyone should have renters' insurance and flood coverage...' Sure, just like the fairy tale that growth was going to pay for itself, reality is far different from the out of touch point of view of this administration. Maybe residents could afford rental insurance if they were not spending so much money on gas to drive to other counties for work or if they were able to use their fire fee money to pay for it, but these are discussions for another time. The point of this article is focus and linking renter's insurance to clogged storm drains is not a focused argument.
The WayneWho staff understands that the best efforts of man can, and will, be thwarted by Mother Nature from time to time. This is probably one of those times. Our problem is that it is hard to look a the history of our commission(s) and know that our best efforts were put forward to keep the floods under control. Arguments that have focused on 'All-American City Awards', 'Revitalizing 192', 'Government Run TV Stations', and 'Logo Changes' have taken the focus off of the basic and boring job that is local government. That is the job of providing public safety and infrastructure to the residents who pay taxes for that purpose. While their is no glory in creating a functional drainage system that can handle 5 inches of rain in 1 1/2 hours in a hurricane prone state, it is probably the most relevant. Maybe the money spent on all the frivolous sideshow issues could have been put to better use for our residents. Maybe not. The point is that we do not know and there is a general consensus that government does not know either. Frivolous issue after frivolous issue has taken the place of municipal management. As a community we are left asking, are we getting what we pay for or are we just being entertained?
The WayneWho staff wants to make it clear that we do not blame the city or the commission for the weather. We understand that the weather is controlled by a much Higher Power and that some how this mess is in His plan. Maybe it was meant to show He thinks we need to focus on what is important, and that adding His name to a logo is not one of those things? Or maybe, like the City Manager would suggest, the rains were meant teach the Biblical importance of renter's insurance? These are questions we just can't answer and that we leave to our readers. For us, we are just going to focus on drying out our socks.
2 comments:
Today's newspaper does not say that there were plug storm drains. That is what they said all week an WFTV. Did the newspapers decide to leave that tidbit out or is WFTV wrong?
Come on! You guys know we need to find a way to help Art feel patriotic and love for his community. That's what this is all about.
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