Wrong Turn

Once again Republicans in the legislature have focused on an issue that apparently is more urgent than creating jobs and balancing the budget: They’ve gone into the road-designing business.
 
Bruce Siceloff reports in the N&O that “the Senate is scheduled to vote today on a proposal to rip out part of an Asheville road, and to re-engineer a growing list of highway projects that some legislators don’t like. The projects – four, at last count – all feature new center medians that are designed to limit left turns.”
 
It turns out that the road changes – which DOT says would be unsafe – are being sought by local storeowners.
 
Says the sponsor, Rep. Stephen A. LaRoque of Kinston Republican: “The legislature should have the final say on projects like this before they go through.”
 
Well, that will certainly make for a lengthy legislative session. There are a lot road projects.
 
This is, of course, precisely the kind of political interference and micro-managing that Republicans used to complain about when Democrats did it.
 
The GOP attitude now seems to be: “It’s our turn at the trough. We’re going to get while the getting’s good.”
 
The way they’re going, they’d better, because they won’t be in the majority long.
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Gary Pearce

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Wrong Turn

Once again Republicans in the legislature have focused on an issue that apparently is more urgent than creating jobs and balancing the budget: They’ve gone into the road-designing business.
 
Bruce Siceloff reports in the N&O that “the Senate is scheduled to vote today on a proposal to rip out part of an Asheville road, and to re-engineer a growing list of highway projects that some legislators don’t like. The projects – four, at last count – all feature new center medians that are designed to limit left turns.”
 
It turns out that the road changes – which DOT says would be unsafe – are being sought by local storeowners.
 
Says the sponsor, Rep. Stephen A. LaRoque of Kinston Republican: “The legislature should have the final say on projects like this before they go through.”
 
Well, that will certainly make for a lengthy legislative session. There are a lot road projects.
 
This is, of course, precisely the kind of political interference and micro-managing that Republicans used to complain about when Democrats did it.
 
The GOP attitude now seems to be: “It’s our turn at the trough. We’re going to get while the getting’s good.”
 
The way they’re going, they’d better, because they won’t be in the majority long.
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Gary Pearce

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