Move out of the way

There’s been a lot of snow this year. That’s not news.

There sure has been a lot of bellyaching about all the snow. That’s not news, either.

With all that work, it’s expected to hear complaints. We shovel the driveway; the snow plow fills it up again. Our neighbor’s car is parked on the street; they plow around it, creating a ridge that freezes over. Side streets have layers of compacted snow and ice, with deep ruts that are hard on cars. A mailbox gets nicked … or smashed completely.

Now notice the snowbanks, piled high along your street or road. That snow was deposited by big, powerful snowplows. That’s a sign of our government at work.

We’ve heard many complaints about how the roads have been plowed. We are not persuaded that any complaints have any validity. After all, we’ve gotten 3 feet of snow in the past month or so. Considering this record snowfall, snow removal experts have performed pretty well.

The Carlton County Transportation Department plows more than 880 miles of roads within the county, and municipal crews plow even more. Generally, our government plows roads after every significant snowfall.

There have been at least 12 significant snowfalls last month alone. The county and city also go back to clean up major intersections, in between snowfalls, because those high snowbanks can impede visibility and create a safety issue. It’s all a part of the high level of service we get for our tax dollars.

Hopefully, most of the season’s snow is behind us. We suggest that, as we complain about this winter’s excessive snowfall, we try to appreciate the good work the snowplows (and the people who drive them) do to keep us safe and moving around.

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