News you can use

Feds should ensure snow-free sidewalks

Our sidewalks are not being cleared of snow to universal approval.

Havre’s current ordinance calls for homeowners to clear the sidewalks on their property within 24 hours.

Why are the property owners being asked to maintain a public walkway? Are they asked to clear the streets in front of their houses and businesses as well? The answer is, obviously, “No.”

This expectation of the citizens to take responsibility for shoveling sidewalks is downright dangerous because it lessens our dependence on government services.

Furthermore, why do we assume that everyone knows how to safely use a shovel or snowblower? Aren’t all the various snowthrowers contributing to global warming? Do solar or wind powered snowblowers exist that could be used to better clear the snow without warming the planet?

What, then, of sidewalk inequality? Some folks don’t even have sidewalks on their side of the street. Other people live in apartments or condominiums. Still other citizens live outside of the city limits and yet insist on using our city sidewalks for jogging. How do we make sure that the cost is being fairly shared by all?

Do we leave public school curricula and testing protocols to the local district? Of course not; we need the federal Department of Education to dictate what will be taught. It is ludicrous to even consider that people at the local level could teach their own kids. Does federal law allow people to choose a toilet that uses more than 1.6 gallons per flush? The answer again is, “NO!” People cannot be counted on to do the right thing; that is the role of the federal government. This problem cannot be solved at the local or state level.

The only way to make the traversing of public sidewalks safe and uniform is to create a federal Department of Sidewalk Snow Removal. Grants could be given to our universities to study and develop snow and ice removal standards. This would help to create jobs, thereby boosting the economy in those university towns. Federal workers could then remove the sidewalk snow at no expense to the local communities.

Our country was not founded on self-reliance and individual rights. Our country was founded on the belief that a central government should take care of us and provide us with cradle to grave benefits. Snow-free sidewalks are clearly a service for which we are entitled. The same federal government that administers our health care should certainly be able to keep our sidewalks clear, too.

(Rick Dow, a former member of Havre City Council, lives in Rochester, Minn.)

 
 

Reader Comments(8)

Pjd writes:

The Long Goodbye. Be gone Rick!!

seriosly writes:

wow.......

thumbsdown writes:

Fox News (Faux Nuis) should pick up this tasty bit...their viewers would surely delight in such an important issue and intelligent opinion ...or perhaps Mr. Dow stole this rhetoric from them! People, let us love ourselves, respect others and give only our best...our children are watching.

pencilpusher writes:

Just like the flu, the Dow syndrome has inflected us again. We all need to get vaccinated immediately. Please Dow spare us your intellectual stupidity. We thought we were rid of all that intellectual ignorance. Please let us REST IN PEACE!!!

Amazed writes:

Rick couldn't finish his job as a council man in your wonderful city. His arrogance continues to amaze me. He needs to move to a better country and go to work. Then he may find happiness. Iran, Iraq, or Russia would be a better place for him to express his freedom of speech. I hear there is a shortage of day care help in China.

Sanity writes:

I think Mr. Dow is attempting to be sarcastic, although I'm not sure why.

Ted writes:

That is a great idea. Maybe Vibrant Futures could get some sort of grant to fund this?

demoderby writes:

This Rick Dow character lives in Minnesota and yet he says the sidewalks of Havre are OUR sidewalks. How can Havre sidewalks be HIS sidewalks when he lives in Minnesota? No part of Havre's sidewalks belong to him. Where does he get off saying so?

 
 
 
Rendered 03/26/2024 13:41