The StarNews editorial staff once again wonders into the world of static views in a dynamic environment on highway spending:
For a politician, Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo did some pretty straight talking when he outlined the rock-and-a-hard-place transportation dilemma facing North Carolina. “The issue,” he said at a meeting this week with state officials, “is how do you pay for this stuff when nobody really wants to pay for it?” It’s the simple truth.
It may be a “simple truth” to them, but it neglects to mention the horrendous public relations nightmare DOT has with spending recently in Haywood County. The mayor and the StarNews are just plain wrong.
The June 29 report found poor management, cost overruns, questionable purchases, and possibly outright fraud in Division 14, primarily in its Haywood County operations. The division covers 10 Western North Carolina counties.
That’s just one division. The StarNews goes through taxes, toll roads and other reasons why road construction is underfunded, but never addresses that road construction should be a higher priority with the state. They also fail to mention that there is a great deal of potential waste, fraud and abuse in DOT. Here’s hoping the editors will realize that road construction is more complex than they portrayed. Also hopeful that the Mayor can see that as well.
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