By Irving Leemon, Contributing Columnist There are two standards in or society, one for the rich, and one for the rest of us. A group of homeowners in an area of moneyed people decided that they did not want to have a new bridge over the built a few feet from the current bridge. The state caved and decided to demolish the then current bridge and construct the new bridge in stages at the same location.
This also meant that the freeway would have to be shut down for several hours during at least two week ends. In addition, the traffic that the bridge can handle has been drastically reduced until the new structure is completed. There are several schools, churches and a temple whose access has been disrupted. The disruption to those thousands of people would have been minimal if the bridge had been de-constructed and constructed as originally planned. In addition, the decision to keep the same location was made after dirt removal had already started in the other location.
The change cost the taxpayers hundreds of thousand of dollars that it does not have to put the dirt back and to re-plan how to accomplish the updating of the bridge. If this bridge had been in a poorer neighborhood it would have been demolished and re-constructed as originally planned. The fact that a few people with money can cost the tax payers of this state hundreds of thousands of dollars and inconvenience thousands of people is a fact of life in this country. I guess the dream of equal treatment for all people in this country is still a few generations away, if it will ever comes.
Agree, Disagree? Email ilemon@socal.rr.com.