Up date on the now famous "bridge to nowhere," or why do we need this if WE cant use it?
Take a look at OUR $750,000.00 in action folks. here we have a bridge that spans a ribbon of water you can darn near jump across that was deemed necessary by the BOA after an Alderman ran up and down the Dias waving paperwork and demanding we save the City from a "canopy fire!"
Now as most of you know our fire chief stated that they have not the resources to put out a canopy fire, but that didn't sway the Alderman one iota! You see someone at City Hall wrote a grant request for a bridge, and by the Almighty we were to have a bridge "come hell or high water" (neither of which as ever happened in Crestwood.)
At any rate this is all "water under the bridge" or soon will be if the debacle is ever finished. Oh, by the way, you and I cannot use that bridge to drive over as it is for the sole purpose of transporting City vehicles to ?
Well were broke, but wow, look at that bridge, and just wait till the $5,000.00 worth of signage is added. This should be a monument to ridiculous spending, and Government waste for some time to come!
Tom Ford
NO. 958
posted by Crestwood Independent at 07:17
21 Comments:
please bring me up to speed. Why are you upset about a grant for this bridge? A grant sounds like a good idea. What have I missed?
7:21 PM Blogger: Kerra, at first blush a Government grant sounds wonderful doesn't it.
Look a bit deeper and you will see that this type of "PORK"spending by our Representatives is one of the sad reasons were in the shape were in.
Please remember that WE the tax payer sent the funds to Washington so that our elected representatives could "send it back" with a years worth of bragging about what they have done for us.
I am not upset as much as am sick and tired of spending that is really not necessary for anything superfluous (especially a bridge we (the citizens of Crestwood) can't use.)
This was done because one person said it was a bridge needing replacement, we had no other opinions as far as I know. This is not the way to remain solvent in a down economy, and I am simply stating my opinion that it is money not well spent.
Tom Ford
well, then, as I am not up on this at all, how did 1 alderman(assumption on this) get it through? I thought there had to be a vote?
9;28 AM Blogger: kerra, there was a vote taken by the entire Board (see the past minutes for info.)
At that time we had a different Mayor and the Board had four votes for what ever that Mayor wanted. The "one" Alderman said that there was eminent danger of a "canopy fire" that we could not get to, so the vote was taken and the bridge approved.
I really believe that some on that Board believed that it was "free" money that we should take before someone else did, sad.
May I suggest you contact City Hall for the vote tally and then your Alderman as to why they voted as they did.
Tom Ford
Where is Crestwood's branch of the EPA? Those pictures show a lot of damage being done to the creek bed that could effect the snail darter or whinged FOOTE hoot owl.
We the tax payers paid for a highway type bridge installed on a short road that emergency vehicles cannot and will not use.
The bridge that was replaced was never condemned as a result of any structural inspection by an engineering firm. The condemnation was an opinion of the then public works director, Jim Eckrich. Jim Eckrich is not a structural engineer with experience in road building.
What other gimmicks is Jim cooking now that he has returned as director of public works?
What does he offer of value that causes the alderman to compensate him with $90k for a position worth $68k. The city administrator compensation is only $98k and does not include a city car for personal use the director of public works receives. The compensation seems to me to be out of balance.
Then our aldermen vote to prohibit the public, who payed for ithe bridge, to drive across it to access the picnic areas.
What are the aldermen thinking?
I do , however, like the idea that a car can now get back there. In paticular, a police car. I was never thrilled with the idea that the police couldn't go back into that area.
5:30 AM Blogger: Kerra, "A car can now get back there." Well thats good I guess except for the fact that there is nothing but a gravel strip to drive on (no real road), and no turn around.
After a rain said car (not to mention a 14,000 pound pumper fire truck) will be stuck in the mud until winched out by a tow truck, is that good?
Besides there is a service road behind the White Cliff building that goes back there now, check it out.
Wasteful spending just because we can is never, ever a good idea, trust me.
Tom Ford
I was referring to the illegal activities that go on not far past the bridge into the woods which can now be accessed by a police car. Perhaps not directly after a rain, but in general it's going to be a plus to be able to have a police presence in that area.
illegal activities? what illegal activities?
12:57 PM Blogger: Kerra, If the criminals are to be caught it will never be by an officer in a police car, trust me.
I have a son who is a Crestwood detective, and another who is a Police Chief in North County and both of them will tell you that you can't sneak up on a marching band with a police car.
I suggest that if you know aout these activities (while they are in progress) you get a very good description of the suspects (photo if possile) and call the detective bureau with what you know to be the facts, let them take it from there.
Tom Ford
I shall. Most of what I have been aware of I have overheard. A few things I have witnessed.
What should have been done? Please tell us what you would have done with the old bridge?
5;17 PM Blogger: I am not sure who your asking but if it's me, well we should have had other opinions. If the bridge did need work, how much and how expensive? This was "bum rushed" through with the tactics of fear that were used by the "Four" under the old Mayor and it was and is ill advised.
We should have also used the access point behind the White Cliff building until we could better afford the added expense (if really needed!)
This was a project pushed through by people who were wild about "Government grants" and all the pork they contain.
Next spring when your street is full of pot holes and we can't afford to fix them, take a ride to see the new bridge and ask that question again.
Tom Ford
I walk in the trails around the quarry a couple times a week. There were always two access points - the bridge across the creek and the entrance behind the rec center. The grant application listed only one access point to this area of the park, which is inaccurate.
Despite the fact that traffic across the bridge was blocked once the girders went up, I still continued to see police cars patrolling the areas at the top and bottom of the quarry. How could they do this if the "only access" was blocked? Simple, they used the other one.
When the fire chief was questioned during the BOA's discussion of the proposed bridge, he indicated that he would not bring one of his pumpers over the bridge due to the risk of getting stuck. Adding water to an existing flood plain would not be prudent.
The bridge itself is used mostly by pedestrians either biking or walking. To spend money on a bridge that, other than pedestrians, will be traversed by city vehicles a handful of times per month defies logic.
It was claimed that having the bridge would allow the city to develop the bottom portion of the quarry, but again, according to the public works director, it is in a flood plain. Since even the minor act of erecting fences in this area is prohibited, how could the city possibly hope to develop it?
A federal grant does not equal "free money." Money to fund federal grants comes from the taxpayers. It's just that the burden of supplying those federal funds is spread out over more taxpayers.
City staff erroneously claimed that if we turned down the grant we would lose chances at future grants, a claim which then-alderman Schlink researched and found to be incorrect.
While I was walking around the quarry about a month ago, a man asked about the bridge and then followed up with a question I hadn't (and I don't think anyone else) considered: Are they going to pave the gravel roads around the quarry? Good question, as we will have a blacktop parking lot leading to a highway-grade bridge which exits on to a gravel road. What a waste.
Supporters of the bridge asked about emergency situations, and my reply is that there have been plenty of emergencies in remote areas which have no highway grade bridges for emergency vehicles to cross. Those in the rescue business are professionals, and will use whatever means necessary to ensure that those in need are rescued, no matterwhere an accident occurs.
The bridge will turn out beautifully, and will serve as a great monument to government waste.
Martha Duchild
Amen Martha, Amen!
Tom Ford
Make that a waste of money by John foot and Roy Robinson.
Actually, all who voted "yes" share the responsibility. If I'm not mistaken, Aldermen Duchild and Schlink were the only aldermen who voted against the poject.
Martha Duchild
Amen again Martha.
Here is my take (not that anyone asked):I have read all the posts and all the anger and harumphing about the bridge, and up to a point, I agree. However, I'd like to point out that is it was voted for by a majority, then it's there fair and square. What one person calls government waste and throwing away resources, another person calls using the resources available to enhance things in our community. I will restate what I have said many times: disagreeing with something doesn't make it inherently wrong. It means only that you disagree, which is absolutly within all of our rights. But one person's "wrong" doesn't mean it's everyone's wrong.
8:40 AM Blogger: kerra, I fear you mistake the comments on this bridge as a vehicle to remove it. Nope, as you said it was voted on and it passed (why we will never know.)
It's there and it's not going anywhere (unless we find a snail darter in that creek,) so the comments are used to point out the folly of "Government grants," and nothing more.
I agree my "opinion" is just that, but that's why I say it and allow all of you to jump in with your thoughts. Neat, no?
Tom Ford
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