Muda69 Posted April 2, 2019 Share Posted April 2, 2019 http://reason.com/blog/2019/04/01/12-year-old-michigan-boy-is-filling-poth#comment Quote A 12-year-old Michigan boy has taken it upon himself to do what the government can't seem to manage. Monte Scott of Muskegon Heights used a garbage can full of dirt to fill at least 15 potholes near his family's home last week. "I didn't want people messing up their cars like my mom did," he told WZZM. "If somebody were to drive down the street and hit a pothole, and then would have to pay like $600-700 to get their car fixed, they would be mad." ... "He really got a garbage can filling these potholes," a woman can be heard saying in the video. "Because his granny drive down this street and they down here." WZZM/screenshot Scott told the Muskegon Times he's wanted to fill potholes for months, and finally did so following a half-day at school. "People complain and complain, and the city never fills them up," he said. "And I feel horrible because they never do it. They should fix the streets." His mother, Trinell Scott, expressed similar sentiments. "What are they doing with the money people are paying with taxes?" she asked the Times. "You could lose control of your car if you hit a pothole and then you could hit a pole." According to Muskegon Heights Mayor Kimberley Sims, potholes are a major issue in the area. Sims told the Detroit Free Press she feels somewhat bad "the problem is so bad that [Scott] feels he has to do that." This is not the first time private citizens have taken it upon themselves to fix the roads. In 2017, masked anarchists took to the streets of Portland to patch up potholes. Amazingly, a transportation bureau spokesperson suggested they might be breaking the law. And in 2018, Domino's answered the age old question: Who builds roads in a libertarian society? The pizza chain helped fix roads in numerous states around the country. It was the perfect solution, as Reason's Christian Britschgi noted at the time: Roads exist to service people's transportation needs, whether that's getting to and from work, schlepping freight between cities, or, yes, delivering freshly cooked pizza. Aligning the funding of roads with the purposes they're used for would make infrastructure more responsive to the end user. Michigan, meanwhile, has the worst roads in the United States, according to a study released in October. The state and local governments there have shown themselves to be utterly incapable of filling potholes on a timely basis. While Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) may have campaigned on a promise to "fix the damn roads," it sure looks like a 12 year old is actually getting real results. I live in Michigan for most of the the 1990's, and the roads were pretty bad then. Stories of flat tires, broken rims, bent axles, etc. due to potholes were not uncommon. It appears nothing has really changed. Kudos young Mr. Scott for his initiative. Unfortunately if he wasn't 12 and this wasn't such a "feel good" story he would probably be arrested/fined for his actions. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BARRYOSAMA Posted April 2, 2019 Share Posted April 2, 2019 Jet packs are a better option in towns like this where taxes are capped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muda69 Posted April 3, 2019 Author Share Posted April 3, 2019 14 hours ago, BARRYOSAMA said: Jet packs are a better option in towns like this where taxes are capped. Why yes, NightHawk. Unlimited property tax increases are always the answer. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanteEstonia Posted April 3, 2019 Share Posted April 3, 2019 3 hours ago, Muda69 said: Why yes, NightHawk. Unlimited property tax increases are always the answer. Or maybe fixing Michigan’s degenerate government would be a better solution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muda69 Posted April 3, 2019 Author Share Posted April 3, 2019 3 minutes ago, DanteEstonia said: Or maybe fixing Michigan’s degenerate government would be a better solution. Define "degenerate" as used in your context. Not liberal enough for you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanteEstonia Posted April 3, 2019 Share Posted April 3, 2019 Just now, Muda69 said: Define "degenerate" as used in your context. Not liberal enough for you? Not accountable enough. Governments are built on majority rule; Michigan is not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muda69 Posted April 3, 2019 Author Share Posted April 3, 2019 (edited) 5 minutes ago, DanteEstonia said: Not accountable enough. Governments are built on majority rule; Michigan is not. ? How does the Michigan State Government fundamentally differ from other state governments? From what I read here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_of_Michigan it doesn't look to be that different from surrounding states. Then there is this line from the wikipedia article: Quote The state also allows direct participation of the electorate by initiative, referendum, recall, and ratification. Sounds awfully "majority rule" to me. Why can't the "majority rulers" pass an initiative to double property tax rates so they can fix the roads? Edited April 3, 2019 by Muda69 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BARRYOSAMA Posted April 3, 2019 Share Posted April 3, 2019 3 hours ago, Muda69 said: Unlimited Huh The town is now levying a town income tax. Blood suckers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muda69 Posted April 3, 2019 Author Share Posted April 3, 2019 58 minutes ago, BARRYOSAMA said: Huh The town is now levying a town income tax. Blood suckers. Yes, I agree. Does tiny Argos have a town income tax? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanteEstonia Posted April 12, 2019 Share Posted April 12, 2019 On 4/3/2019 at 8:48 AM, Muda69 said: ? How does the Michigan State Government fundamentally differ from other state governments? From what I read here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_of_Michigan it doesn't look to be that different from surrounding states. And therein lies the problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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