Column: Sometimes more is not always better
By Dan Kontos
Some of us are conditioned to believe that more is always better. More government, more regulations, more boosters, more control; but is it?
President Abraham Lincoln is remembered for many things, including his famous Gettysburg Address. It was given at the dedication ceremony of the Gettysburg National Cemetery on November 19, 1863. I’m sure you recognize the legendary beginning, “Four score and seven years ago…”
However, President Lincoln was not the advertised keynote speaker that day. Edward Everett, a man who was both governor and senator from Massachusetts, and former dean of Harvard University, regarded as one of the most well-known orators of his day, was. Everett gave a speech entitled The Battles of Gettysburg. It lasted over two hours, was more than 13,600 words in length, and, at the time, was considered an excellent recitation.
President Lincoln, on the other hand, spoke for only two minutes, using a scant 271 words, and fashioned one of the most enduring homilies in the history of our great nation. Less endured the tracts of time, was more impactful in the long run, and simply was better.
Want another example? The City of Stevens Point is infamous for its proliferation of traffic signals on the south side. That’s “stop and go lights” to the bubbler crowd. To make it down Church Street, from Belts’ to the Post Road railroad tracks without hitting a red light is as improbable as hitting the Powerball. Proximity to each other, lack of timing, and downright dubious necessity all contribute to the scorn that they have earned.
To be fair, Church Street has gone through many changes over the years. Alterations in businesses, street alignments, and traffic volumes all make today’s Business 51 much different than what it started out as. Compounded by the fact that the first inclination to solve a traffic conflict situation is often to suggest a traffic light, and when the suggester is also a city decision-maker, voila, you get a traffic light.
Undoubtedly the final design and ultimate reconstruction of Business 51 will deal with much of this. Traffic engineers, if left to their training, will take into account the traffic counts, signal warrants, and design standards. That’s their area of expertise.
Just west of Church Street, has anyone noticed the traffic signals at the intersection of Water Street and River View Avenue/Nebel Street? The signals there have been flashing a four-way stop for months now. This “night flash” mode (as it is nicknamed) at first seems to be an inefficient use of a large and expensive traffic control system.
If built today, including acquisition, design, materials, and labor, these signals would probably conservatively cost $250,000. Just running the system typically runs around $8,000 annually, without factoring in any replacements due to knockdowns.
Over the last five years, there have been 13 crashes reported by law enforcement at that intersection, 10 directly related to traffic navigating through the signals, with one injury.
Before you start thinking that I am complaining, I am not. Not in the least. To me, it seems that over the preceding several months, traffic has never moved better through there. As a matter of fact, I’m told that this night flash is actually an experiment to see if the signals should be replaced with a permanent four-way stop. Bravo.
If I get a vote, and to be clear I do not, I still say yes. Unless I’m missing something, it seems like a great idea to me. Huh, less is better in this case too.
Don’t you wish we could do this across all of government? I do. I say we should look for ways to shrink government and try out changes that increase efficiencies. Our elected officials should not be joining the government to grow it but to right-size it. We can do without more government, more debt, more taxes, more inflation, and 87,000 more IRS agents. I’m just saying…
Remember to vote on November 8.
So, with that, let’s meet in the opinion section to talk about all of it, boldly, honestly, and with healthy respect for each other. Until then, God bless, and don’t forget that right rules at a four-way stop.
