INC NEWS - Where are basic government services? (2 Herald-Sun letters)

[Caleb Southern]

-----Original Message-----
From: Caleb Southern 
Sent: Sunday, September 24, 2006 8:44 PM
To: 'council at durhamnc.gov'
Subject: Where are basic government services? (2 Herald-Sun letters)

Mr. Mayor and Members of Council:

Is Durham remodeling the kitchen while the house (or should I say, the dump)
is on fire? 

Caleb Southern


***

[2 Herald-Sun letters]

City staff appears bored with our basic needs

I have lived in my modest bungalow in Morehead Hill since 1989. While I
truly love Durham and all it offers, I am constantly amazed at the low
priority given our most basic services by our city and county governments.
As I type, we have a landfill that's been throwing smoke into our air for
over 8 days (which , amazingly, has been unlicensed for over two years). We
have streets filled with potholes. Our sidewalks are crumbling and there is
litter at every street corner. Grass is knee-high on public-owned property
and dwellings are deteriorating due to neglect. 

Last year, I paid over $3,000 in property taxes. I have no children, so I
don't use the schools. I operate my design studio out of my home, so I
barely use the roads (thank God). I consolidate my errands and try to
purchase primarily local goods, so my "carbon footprint" is very small. 

But still I'm charged $70 a year for a yard waste container to keep my yard
neat and tidy! I just got a $110 water/sewage bill and that's for one
person! And, with fall around the corner, we will all see leaves clogging
our streets and drains (instead of following the intelligent Chapel Hill
solution of vacuuming all leaves from the curbs in late October and early
November). 

Perhaps our government employees (that includes the mayor and city council)
find maintaining our basic services boring, and who wouldn't? It is boring
compared to planning elegant entertainment venues or doling out money. But
that is not what they were hired to do. Take care of the basic needs first. 
It's your primary job. 

SPRING DAVIS
Durham
September 24, 2006 

***

Another city giveaway

Here we go again -- another Durham government giveaway in the form of
revitalization grants. If the City Council has not already done so, I do
hope they appoint someone to monitor this program and report back weekly on
every penny that is being spent. 

I used to think there were at least one or two people on both the City
Council and county commissioners who knew what was going on. Now I'm not so
sure. I don't understand the situation with the new Durham Center for Senior
Life. The county gives $5 million and the city gives the land for this
building, and no one monitors what is going on, not even the County
Commissioner appointed to the Senior Council, who is now shocked about the
situation? 

Isn't it a little late for our elected officials to be questioning at this
point, now the money is gone and the building is "finished"? 

My understanding of local government has always been that it provides the
basics: garbage collection, water and sewer services, fire and police
protection, and decent streets/roads, all at a reasonable tax rate. This is
not being done in Durham city or county. Until it is, please stop throwing
away hard-earned tax dollars away on theaters, new buildings, and other
giveaways. 

JEFF BUNDY
Durham
September 24, 2006