The snow has been gone for a few weeks. Okay, it’s been gone for a few weeks if you don’t count the few inches we got last weekend after we had three days of near 90°F weather. Typical Minnesota spring, the sky is not falling, don’t panic. I’ve seen it snow here in May. The weather is weird here, which is why we have such a pothole problem.

It’s not the only reason. Sure, Mother Nature – and the poor choice of using asphalt for our roads – created these potholes, but our esteemed leaders are why they remain unfilled each year.

Minnesota had a $17 billion surplus from taxing its citizens too much. Last November the DFL candidates up for reelection dangled the idea of giving back the surplus to the citizens. Once the votes were garnered, the carrot went away and they found some other way to squander the surplus.

I don’t want my money back, I just want them to fix the damn roads. Jesus, that’s what our taxes are for, why can’t they fix the damn roads? Instead they have made our state a sanctuary state for abortions and kids who believe they can actually change their sex.

Minnesota used to be a nice place to live. And it still is in the rural areas, up north or in places where there are a lot of cows. In the cities, it’s a different story. Crime is up, car theft is so bad that our esteemed governor told everyone to buy one of those wheel locks, and he blamed the car manufacturers. He made no mention of the criminals doing the car theft – juveniles who are caught and released within hours, paying no consequences for their behavior while putting law abiding citizens at risk. The only things slowing down the car theft are the potholes, maybe that’s their strategy?

The pothole problem has a solution – send a crew out with some tar and fill the holes. It’s pretty simple, really. It won’t solve the pothole problem, we’ll have them again next year in the same spot where they were repaired because that’s what happens when you keep putting bandaids on things that need real solutions, but at least the roads will be a bit better and we can save a little on those rims.

In addition to the pothole problem we also have a homeless problem. We’ve got pan handlers on every street corner. Some in wheelchairs straddling the median between traffic. It’s dangerous for them, it’s dangerous for the drivers. It’s a solvable problem, but those in charge don’t seem to be concerned with vulnerable people. $17 billion would go a long way in solving our homeless problem if someone in charge of these things actually thought it was worth solving. I’d trade the potholes to house the homeless and protect the vulnerable, but our esteemed leaders have decided we get neither of those things.

Fix the Damn Potholes!!