Everybody wants traffic movement to be safe and convenient, and it is generally understood that local traffic control should be a local responsibility.
But over the years, there have been countless programs to “get something free” (apparently) by “making someone else pay.”
The fact that that has happened thousands of times through Congress is why our taxes are so high – and why we have trillions of dollars in national debt. We tend to welcome “our” benefits, not thinking about what “others” are getting.
In the Chattanooga area, for example, as part of a federal spending program, $7.4 million of “somebody’s” tax money is going to finance some local traffic improvements. We’ll welcome them, of course. But do we like paying for similar projects in other communities?
Locally, there’ll be traffic control upgrades on Ringgold Road, Brainerd Road, 23rd Street, North and South terraces, Dayton Boulevard and Lee Highway.