Our Place
For at least the third time this year there was another vehicle accident at the corner of George Street and Madison Street. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries or fatalities this time, but unless the city takes some preventive action like putting a flashing stop sign for the northbound traffic on Madison Street, it is almost inevitable that it will happen. Hearing that crunching sound is something that one does not forget, and when you hear it, again and again, you wonder why something is not done.
Is it the cost? When comparing the cost of a flashing stop sign, versus the cost to repair or replace a half dozen crushed vehicles it is a no-brainer. Just the extra cost to the city to respond to the three accidents with EMS vehicles, firetrucks, and paid personnel, it would be more cost effective to take the preventative action and put up a flashing stop sign at the corner, than it is to respond to the accidents. Not to mention how much better it could be for those involved in those accidents if the flashing stop sign had been installed and the accident prevented. One of the problems of preventative action is that if it had been taken, the accident would not have occurred, and the driver (who would otherwise have been T-Boned) would never know that the flashing stop sign prevented it from happening. Comparing statistics can tell you how many accidents can be prevented and lives are saved, but no statistic can predict if you will be one of them.
For no damn good reason other than ignorant idiocy.
The City of Lake Geneva leadership is talking about splitting the job, soon to be open, as Blaine Oborn departs on August 10th, of the incoming city administrator into two positions. One position would involve administration of the city in every respect except for insurance. The city currently has an insurance broker that it pays way too much already to do nothing. The city is not large enough to require a broker. It just needs a human resources director who knows a bit about benefit plans and how they work. The last thing the city needs is an insurance manager or administrator because the city is too small.
There are tens of employees, not hundreds. There is simply no necessity for the position, which will be another of those ‘family’ kind of positions where the person is hired and then never really has to show up.
- Why do these things happen?
- Why is there no human resources director?
- Why is the Public Works Department allowed to be independent?
- Why is the new Chamber of Commerce allowed to collect taxes, but is not part of the city?
- Why do so many high-ranking members of the city have family, relatives, and friends working for the city too?
- Those questions won’t get answers because they are padded money questions.
There’s no corruption in Lake Geneva government because the Lake Geneva Government says so. And these are “say so” times.
