Your Opinion: Storm sewer dilemma

Dear Editor:

During the last year or so, our City Council has decided that we needed to spend more money on the downtown area, including the wonderful walk-bridge to the Island of No Return (so named since it swallows up water like a water buffalo that's been without a drink for too long) than on the foundation of our beautiful city.

There is little contention that the downtown is a wonderful business hub. As a matter of fact it's agreed we need to keep it on the upswing, so to speak; howeverwhy does our governing group (not unlike many other groups like it) decide that the infrastructure of our city is less important that the beautification projects?

As illustrated in the Sept. 10 issue of the paper, in the Views section, the headline "Storm water discussions resurface again," has been reported, but will it be noticed?

If the foundation of a house is in ruins, it is not long before the house falls to its knees as well. Assuming, after a lifetime of learning that conclusion is correct, it seems to follow that while the glamour of our downtown takes precedence over the well-being of the suburban areas, soon we will have a diamond set in a rusted-out iron setting. Who wants to live in that rusted-out setting?

After living in 10 states, I have watched this same thing take place in other cities within those states. In one town, the city fathers spent millions to re-invent the downtown area including a downtown mall. That downtown is now strictly office buildings, the main street has been rerouted to make room for more office buildings and parking lots. A town over 100 years old is now gone forever because the people who were elected to protect it actually destroyed it.

Being relatively new to the area, I probably see things from a different perspective than those that have lived her for a long time. I have seen infrastructures being redone, thereby making property owners more secure with the knowledge that the storm sewers would carry the water away from their homes, that sewers would flow into treated areas, and fresh water to its customers, clean and drinkable.

It doesn't take more ridiculous taxesit takes more intelligent spending! Look around you and see the real Jefferson City instead of the facade.