Column by Chris Graham
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Waynesboro City Council is holding off on installing signal-light technology that would make it easier for fire and rescue vehicles to get through crowded intersections in times of emergency.
The stated reason: Well, the economy is still in the dumper, and city finances are tight, and …
The real reason: The two factions on City Council just can’t get along.
We all know why Vice Mayor Frank Lucente has made the preemptive signals a priority on his agenda. Lucente has staked his political present and future on making sure that the West End fire station doesn’t happen, along with that other windmill he tilts at, the Wayne Theatre.
He can’t really tell us why he thinks it makes sense for City Council to fail to heed the will of the people on this one, who voted overwhelmingly two years ago to authorize the city to borrow money to finance the project. That’s because it doesn’t make sense.
So Lucente hems and haws about the economy and the budget being tight. And then Nancy Dowdy and Lorie Smith throw that argument back in his face on his preemptive signals. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander, right?
Meanwhile, we still have issues with response times to the West End with the fire station and the signal lights both being held up due to the political back-and-forth.
You ask me, and I say, Shame on all y’all.
At some point, somebody has to be the adult in the room.
And here I am, the kid too young when I ran for City Council last year having to be the one to say that.
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