Getting things off the "Too Hard" pile

 

Winona’s “Too-hard pile” is getting out of hand. You know the “Too-hard pile.” It’s where issues that are too challenging, too controversial, or just too complicated are put when elected officials don’t know how to deal with them – or are afraid of the blow-back if they do.

So what do we find in Winona’s threatening-to-topple stack? How about the Senior Friendship Center that’s been looking for adequate space for years. Then there’s the Masonic Temple rehab, which really can’t go forward until the Senior Center is out of the prime first=floor space. Central fire station is inadequate. Police headquarters is inadequate. Infrastructure is aging. Our kids need playgrounds. Streets and alleys need serious attention...and still, income isn’t keeping up with expenses.

We’re on a path that leads to a dead end.

Nothing’s easy, but but where would we be if folks had decided that building the dike to fight the ’65 flood was too hard? That getting the permits, getting the funding, putting up with the mess and inconvenience of building a permanent flood control system would be too much trouble? That pushing for the half-cent sales tax that paid to dredge the lake and make usable land for Menards, Walmart and that whole east end commercial/industrial/residential development might not pass, so we’ll take a pass on trying?

Our community has rallied to do the hard things…we still can. It’s past time that we do…

We should do better. Together, we can do better. Vote Christenson for Council.

I’m Jerome Christenson and it wasn’t too hard to approve this message.