In an Aug. 31 letter, “Stop complaining; take action,” Ray Smith suggests that the unkept and overgrown vegetation and weeds along streets, walkways, medians and roadsides are the result of monies (stimulus) withheld by the GOP in Congress. Seems to me that property owners here pay taxes to do more than cover costs of schools, emergency services, police, etc. We have lived here for 28 years. Our property values are down and our tax continues to rise.
Does the city have a reason for planting landscaping and then allowing it to go wild or die for lack of upkeep? We have sidewalks that are impassible and pedestrians must walk into the street, which is not safe. The fire danger on private property overgrown with dry grasses at this time of year can only be outdone by the waist-high dry grass along I-205 and other arterials throughout the city. This is the first time in 28 years that I can recall seeing this kind of neglect.
Property owners should be held responsible for upkeep and so should the city. Don’t we have enough inmates in our “overcrowded” facilities to provide manual labor?
Or, maybe we should just wait for the GOP in Congress to come do it?
