It appears that the Haines Borough’s idea of downtown beautification is to turn paved roads into gravel roads. By re-designating funds that Rep. Bill Thomas secured from the state for paving downtown streets, the borough now is faced with asking the state for funding again for the same roads. In the May 20 edition of the Chilkat Valley News on page 5, Mark Earnest says no discussion has taken place concerning the borough paying for paving these roads. He goes on to say that these roads will have to wait until the state funds them again, maybe in 2011. On page 6, Norm Smith states that “this whole town has turned into a welfare state.” Isn’t that like the kettle calling the pot black! If the borough were to buy Main Street, I believe it would only be a few years and it would look like Third Avenue. Raise property taxes? Maybe they should invest in a water truck because downtown will be covered in dust for years. Someone in government must be suffering from blindness.
David Canipe