Hot Pursuit

Driving along on Minnesota roadways has basically become like swerving around an obstacle course. 
If there’s not an idiotic driver you’re trying to avoid from bad driving behaviors, there’s always a pothole or two or three to dodge. 
Our roads are nasty, disgusting and downright frightful. 
The big dilemma going on now at the State Capitol is how to spend the state’s nearly $2 billion windfall. In case you haven’t heard, the state is rolling in the dough like crazy unlike a few years back. 
As you can imagine, lawmakers are putting their stakes on how the money should be spent. A tax refund for all Minnesotans has been thrown around as one way to spend the money. Some have mentioned another Senate office building while yet others think dumping it into education might be the solution.
While at first glance a tax refund may get many excited, I don’t think it would make sense. Let’s face it: we already got rid of the cash through taxes and really don’t miss it. Well, okay maybe we miss it a little, but the fact is the money is gone and we’ve already made other plans to balance our personal budget.
Another government office building doesn’t seem all that necessary either. Let’s make do with what we have rather than building new.
And then there’s education. I agree our schools are of utmost importance, especially when it comes to building future leaders. But, dumping more money into education seems like a losing battle. I think we could just keep pouring billions into schools and still not have what we need.
So, I’ve said no to tax refund, additional government palaces and education. So what then?
That brings me back to our rickety, rackety cow pastures that we try to call roadways in Minnesota. I think spending the state’s fortune on improving our roads would make the most sense. 
For the past 20 years, efforts have been going on in our region to do something with the Highway of Horrors that we commonly refer to as U.S. Highway 14. Why is it that after two decades, we’re still haggling over coming up with the financing to widen this deathtrap to a four-lane highway across the entire state? 
Lawmakers keep promising it’s going to get done in regards to Highway 14. That promise doesn’t bode well for the hundreds of families who have lost loved ones over the years. 
The infrastructure of our state is in shambles. Our roads are filled with craters that eat tires and car parts. Of course, our lovely Minnesota winters, though this one hasn’t been bad, don’t help the cause at all. 
But seriously, something needs to be done with fixing the roads. 
I think most of us could agree the excess cash is out of our hands so let’s unite to get something in return for the extra we so diligently paid in. It’s time to improve the quality of life for all, and not just a few select. 
Going in hot pursuit of smooth roads would be a start to improving our quality of life for generations to come.