Synergy Group

[cakadu]

Linda, there have been times when we have had an 8-10" snowfall here or less than that with strong winds that have drifted our roads in to the point that people with small cars were stuck in the middle of the road, and it had nothing to do with their driving ability.
I have come home on weekends when I was working away, and plowed snow almost a foot deep down my driveway so I can assure you I would never be comfortable depending on a car of any type to keep me mobile in the winter.

I know that most cars will suffice for the average winter but I don't intend on being stranded here for five or six days or longer until the roads are plowed out.

Th 4 wheel drive controversy will likely never go away but there are more not less of them on the roads, and I would suggest that at least 50% of them are driven by people who really do need them.

[cowman]

Well Linda you might be right. Not sure but I believe Albert has one of the bigger routes to plow....not sure about your area?
I live two miles from a fairly large subdivision. They do get "same day service"...and so they should...in my opinion? Probably twenty houses and they all either have jobs or businesses to go to. Now if the municipality didn't want to accomodate them then they shouldn't have allowed the subdivision to be built?
Most of the residents are pretty standoffish but there is this one old boy who is awful friendly(and usually drunk!) who stops in every now and then? I don't think he does much of anything(other than drink!) as his wife has a very successful business in Red Deer! Now he told me what he pays in taxes on his little bit of paradise and it was impressive to say the least! Of course the house is like a mansion or something! They even got a live in South American maid! I met him one day when he was stumbling around trying to fix a flat tire on the side of the road...he was in no condition to do it so I changed it and he thinks I am the best thing since pizza ever since!
But the point is you have twenty to forty people squawking to get out or you have two farmers who can hole up for a couple of days...which ones get plowed out? Might not be right but it is reality? Just my opinion.

[cowman]

Also Linda: I do agree that driving a 4X4 has some disadvantages? First of all it costs one hell of a lot more...from purchase to fuel economy to repairs. No question there.
Now for some of us it is a neccessity and for others a convenience? I just kind of chuckle when I think about driving a two wheel drive into some of the places I have to go...a tank would probably be more appropriate!
But when the snow piles up a car just won't cut it...sorry. Which is why you are probably more concerned about when the snow plow gets there?
Maybe the county should make it the law that if you live in the country you have to have a 4X4? Then they could cut back on the snow removal budget even more! Make the people more responsible for their own transportation and road maitenance costs and cut the taxes...or hire some more pencil pushers and build onto the palace?

[cowman]

cowman, you are truly a good samaritan, helping the grass widow and now the drunken neighbour that lives in a palace !!!!

Good for you !!!!

[cakadu]

I don't drive a small car, I drive a mid-sized one. When it comes to the plowing issue though, what I drive is irrelevant. What is of importance is the fact that I have to wait longer and longer periods of time to get plowed out.

Using your logic cowman, then the county shouldn't have allowed all the subdivisions out here because we have 8 houses - all separately owned - on the two miles of road.

Quite frankly I am somewhat horrified by the fact that assistance was given to people who were obviously under the influence. What if either of the two people you helped cowman went on to hit some unsuspecting driver? If they are in that condition then they shouldn't be on the road -- period.

If you're going out to oil leases and such then I'm sure a good 4x4 is a necessity. I can assure you cowman that some of these people who drive these types of vehicles don't ever leave the city and if they do certainly never go offroad. I'm sure the Esplanade or the Humvee is going to go out to the bush.

[cakadu]

Sorry, thinking of white sandy beaches for a moment there, it should be Escalade.

[cakadu]

Linda, I agree that the Escalades. Hummers etc, are a status symbol vs a necessity.
In my community the Hummers are mostly driven by wives of the 'rich and famous' while the husband drives the Escalade !!!
The funny thing is that Walmart parking lot seems to be where you see most of them !!!!!

When I was on council, school bus routes were first plowed and in town emergency routes to the hospital, fire station etc., then in the country the hamlets and subdivisions came next.

I questioned it when I was first elected and was told loud and clear that we have to plow out wherever there are large numbers of dwellings because if there ever was a fire, there are that many more houses that could be in danger.

There have been numerous times in the past six years that the local roads were impassible only by four wheel drive for at least five or six days. If an ambulance or fire truck had to travel on them it would have been a disaster I am sure.
Trouble is that we now have councils that are pro development regardless of where the development is.

Recently the Planning Commission turned down an application for a subdivision within a mile from two feedlots, and the Development and Appeal Board overturned their decision, because at least one of the SDAB members wants to run agains the chairman of the planning commission in the next election and is trying to make him look ineffective !!!

Great way to run a county !!!!!

[cowman]

Linda: If you have eight houses on two miles of road I would think you should be a good candidate for getting prompt snow removal. Have you ever heard the old saying "the squeaky wheel gets the grease"? Maybe your eight households need to do some squeaking?
The county guy who decides what gets plowed and when is no different than any other human being? When someone squawks he sits up and takes notice? Maybe there are a lot of "squeakers" on other roads in your area that have his attention? Solution...out squeak them!
As far as helping out or not helping a drunk...sometimes I think about half the drivers in Red Deer on a Friday afternoon are either drunk or stoned! Personally I kind of find drunks amusing and full of all kinds of valuable information! And I doubt they are worse drivers than some of these old people on the road who are senile? Or half the mental cases who are hopped up on Prozac or whatever legal dope they are handing out these days?
My better half says someone should report this old boy out here, but I told her well he's less dangerous than a lot of these oil field boys who go down the road at 160k( he drives real slowww) and personally I'm not into having the title of "rat"!

[cowman]

Emerald: Nothing like the good old world of political intrigue? I often find it funny that some people think there are "rules set in stone" only to find out the whole world is for sale if you know whose palm to grease! Never in Canada you say! Oh yes it is!
The fact is with this snow plowing thing is this: Basically it is you take care of the people who vote you in...you don't... guess what...out you go! So when someone makes a lot of noise...they get plowed out. If you don't say anything...nothing happens!
Now that may not be fair, but that is just how it is? I think it is helpful if a person realizes how the real world works and not have this idealistic view of some kind of utopia that never did exist and never will?
Now you seem to suggest that everyone should be treated equally and damn the cost! But one problem there? If you are a politician and the costs go through the roof...once again you find yourself on the outside looking in? I suppose the astute thing to do is to be able to juggle the two and make it look like you are getting the best deal you can for the best dollar spent?
I would suggest that saving $1.5 million from your operations budget might be one way? Free up some cost so you can provide more timely service? Keep the "more service crowd" and "don't raise my taxes crowd", both happy? Of course you might have to give up your ideals that a public system is like the holy grail or something...but then a politician should be able to go with the flow when it is neccessary...or else its once again down the road?

[cowman]

cowman, plowing hamlets as a priority is well and good but I can guarantee you that hamlets are not 'money makers' for the county as far as taxation goes. The cost of services far outweighs the assessment to hamlets with significant residential and very little commercial assessment. That is why you are seeing Area Structure Plans being developed by municipalities that include long term zoning for commercial and light industrial in hamlets.

Years ago the municipality put in the services to these hamlets and the province has helped with upgrades to waste water lagoons, street improvement, and also grants for community centres, but in most cases now the developer pays for the services, streets, etc. within developments and so it should be.

Sqeaky wheels may get grease but if the county has only so many plows it isn't going to matter how loud someone sqeaks, they will either be first to be plowed out or last depending on where the plow starts his beat.

When any ratepayer called me complaining about snow removal I passed the call on to public works and asked that they contact the person directly to advise when their road would be plowed.

This only applied to local roads, not private driveways. The county does those as well but they are not a priority. The plow does them when they go by and only if the owner has signed a snowplow agreement before hand and has their flag up at the gate.

Driveways are not done everytime the plow goes by, only after a significant snow fall.

Cowman, its easy to suggest that a councillor must always jump when the majority of people in an area are hollering, but a good councillor will do everything in their power to be fair in all matters. I would be more concerned about the road of an elderly person or someone that is ill being plowed than I would a subdivision of 20 houses. At one point I asked public works to plow out the cemetary road and hall yard due to the funeral of our local veterniarian. At the funeral lunch one old goat came up and gave me hell as loud as possible because his @@##$$ road wasn't plowed before the cemetary road was. Go figure !!!!!! i very nearly suggested that perhaps he should drive over to the cemetary on the plowed road and STAY THERE !!!!

[cakadu]

My experience has been that if you squeek too much, you just get ignored anyway. The squeeking needs to somehow be effective I guess.

In terms of alcohol and drug problems, I don't imagine anyone would find them amusing if it were their loved ones they happened to hit. Slow or not, intoxicated drivers - name your poison - are a menace to all. What I find really sad is that with all the messaging, people are still drinking and driving in droves and just this past weekend 1 young person from the Red Deer area lost their life and another will be in a bad way mentally for a long time, because of it. They got behind the wheel of the car because one thought he was more okay than the other to drive. Very very sad indeed because both of them were in their late teens early twenties.

[cakadu]

Linda, I agree. I am sure there is at least one alcohol related highway death in the province every week.

We used to have a neighbour that was three sheets to the wind most of the time. He drove up and down the road, checking his cattle and throwing out empties.
He was a nice old boy, willing to lend a hand whenever anyone asked but we made a practice of being polite and not encouraging him to drop in.

I have no patience with drunks, amusing ones or nasty ones.....and don't find any of them entertaining in the least.

Saw an interesting news item in the Journal today, seems the province may bring in a minimum fee for drinks in bars, which might just cut down on some of the drunks on the streets . Ladies night, two for one drinks and all the other freebies that are offered to get people in the bars can certainly add to the probablity of some drunk getting behind the wheel.

My friends son turned 18 last year and as is the custom, headed off to the bar in a little hamlet about ten miles from home. When he decided it was time to go home, he called Dad and Mom, got them out of bed at 1:30 AM, to come and pick him and his vehicle up.
His Dad was mumbling and grumbling something to the effect that when he was a kid his father would have told him to drive the ##$$%% truck home and take the back roads.

His wife said ' this isn't when you were a kid, and at least if our son decided to get sloshed he has the sense to call us and not drive' !!!

Too bad a lot of people twice and three times his age don't have that much sense.