Pull the plug on studded tires

The whole street decay debacle still needs the main reason for its existence to be addressed. Not my first nickel’s worth on the studded tire sore subject.

Has anyone noticed any weather worth having studs on for in the past month and a half? No. But you still hear those portable grinders eating away at our streets as I write this.

Isn’t there someone in the hierarchy that can pull the plug early on studs? As is, we have a full month more of legal stud use, on dry asphalt.

First off, someone has got to outlaw studded tires. Tire technology has surpassed the need for them. As for the here and now, please stop this insanity and get studded tires off the highways now. The money saved on outlawing them as soon as possible would save our streets for years into the future.

It doesn’t make much sense to fix our streets and highways with studs still legal. If we just spend money fixing the streets and still allow studs to go chew them up every winter, then we are going to be doing this again in about 6 years.

Pull the plug on studs permanently. If anything, make people chain up when it’s so bad.

At least you know they will come right off.

Otherwise, stay home!!

Andy Uppendahl

Bend

Forget gas tax; tax the bicyclists

Bend is booming, bringing permanent and temporary residents. Although this has already increased the coffers, we are told it is still not enough.

In what world is an estimated $80 million problem solved with $2.5 million spread over ten years (equaling $25 million — without additional deterioration expense).

My solution?

“Tax” the bicyclists! They benefit from the pavement.

Lela DeWitt

Bend

City should first fix shoddy pothole repair

The city of Bend doesn’t fix potholes well.

When they do work on them, it’s a shovel full of asphalt, not a good job that leads to more repairs later.

Revere Avenue and Third Street was redone about a year ago. Within six months, Revere where it joins Third Street began breaking down.

Now it is most lanes on the west side of Third Street and some on the east side. Poor workmanship.

Paint striping on major streets like Third Street has been sparse for years, maybe striped once a year with a much bigger population and massive visitors, plus studs on tires. We can’t tell where or what lane we are in. No streetlights for a dark sky makes it worse.

We get all kinds of parks with city money but lousy streets.

Shame, shame.

Dorothy Cox

Bend

Knowing when to recuse yourself

Prejudging is always the case. One cannot consider any issue without prejudging the issue, whether such prejudgments are public or not.

Arguments are then presented in hopes that such arguments will overcome the prejudgments.

Councilor Barb Campbell vowed that she will not be swayed by arguments in favor of a zoning change for Troy Field.

Unfortunately, she has recused herself from voting on the issue. All of the other councilors have prejudged the issue but are willing to listen to the various arguments, which will either support their prejudged position or cause them to change their position.

The Bulletin has prejudged the issue, too, in not having heard the final arguments that will be put before the councilors. And it made its judgment public in hopes of persuading the councilors to vote in favor of the zone change.

We all do this. Sometimes, we feel very strongly about an issue and vow to not change our mind in the face of arguments.

Doing so should not be cause for recusal.

Richard Nute

Bend