Surprising Stuff

At times the statement that “No good deed, goes unpunished,” seems to be true, but it is not necessarily always true.
There are often hardships involved in doing a good deed, and one will normally have a positive feeling after having done one. When personally doing something directly for another person, or giving something directly to another person, then one usually comes to know the recipient and usually, the recipient of the gift or favor understands who it’s from and actually receives 100% of the gift/donation. Many times the recipient also gets to know the donor, which is the way it should be in our social order. At one time, things were done that way, and most people lived in small communities and they saw, knew or worked with most of the people in their community. They depended on each other and took care of each other because there was no one; no government or organization other than them to help when help was needed.

But today most communities and the family structures have dispersed and have been replaced with economically isolated communities where one’s income and social situation determines where one can live. In many cases this separates those who can give from those who need help and, as a result, many government programs and many organizations have been set up to fill the gap. But like any system where money changes hands, the application of that help can range from good and efficient, to poor and inefficient and also lead to misuse and theft. How to know which programs and organizations are best and which should be kept or discarded is not easy. But, if one can find the cost (money in versus benefits out), and if one knows both those who have received the benefits and those to whom those benefits have been denied, then one can arrive at a pretty good idea what organizations and programs should be supported, expanded or terminated.

There was a sign.
The sign read “YIELD,” and that sign was posted right where Pilgrim Church Road and South Lake Shore Drive come together.   The vehicles moving north on Pilgrim Church Road were instructed by the sign to yield to drivers proceeding north on South Lake Shore Drive.  Now, there is no sign, there’s only a hole, and that’s been the case for over six months.  Obviously, the sign was knocked down or run over during the winter.  It’s never been replaced.  Where is the liability for the next accident, caused by a failure to yield, going to fall when it happens?  It’s going to fall on Town of Linn, or Walworth County because it is now a matter of public information that the required and very justifiable sign is not there.  Who’s responsible?  If the sign isn’t replaced, then that matter will be settled in the courts and in the inner offices of insurance companies.

No Yield Signage

Pilgrim Church Road as it blends in with South Lake Shore Drive…with no yield sign to avoid collisions.