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OBSERVATIONS
May 20, 2021 |
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 Wingate Lassiter |
Smithfield needs a lot more scenes
like this one to fix our worn-out streets
The photo above was posted on the town's Facebook page this week to announce the completion of Equity Drive's rebuilding and repaving off Outlet Center Drive.
A million-dollar project, it was sorely needed as that street serving numerous enterprises, hotels especially, had gotten torn up by heavy commercial traffic brought on by that area's rapid development.
Meanwhile, many of Smithfield's residential streets are starting to fall apart as the town's annual allocation of Powell Bill money from the state's gasoline tax no longer keeps up with the need for repair and resurfacing.
This year's town budget allocated $211,590 for that work; the budget under consideration for fiscal 2021-22 presently includes $234,275 for the coming year's street work. Those numbers don't come close to what's needed.
A big reason for the shortfall is a shrinking tax base from sales of gasoline across North Carolina (and the rest of the nation). That's why ideas under consideration in Raleigh and Washington include new taxes on mileage driven rather than gasoline purchased.
But what's the likelihood of such changes in revenue coming about in today's toxic political environment?
I read in The News & Observer this week that the City of Raleigh's proposed budget for 2021-22 includes an appropriation of $10,750,000 --- that's right: $10+ MILLION --- to resurface streets and repair bridges and sidewalks.
That's certainly out of Smithfield's league. But it does bring up once again the question of a local bond issue to fix our streets. Without it, our rides appear destined to get even bumpier as we motor ahead.
The numerous oil terminals beside Buffalo Road at Selma began popping up in 1963 at the end of a Colonial Pipeline spur from the main line at Greensboro. Most of the petroleum received there is transported by trucks to gasoline stations. Aviation jet fuel is hauled in railroad tank cars to military bases in Eastern N.C.
REFLECTIONS ON LAST WEEK'S GAS-BUYING PANIC
This comes from Ben Kinney of Business North Carolina's Daily Digest:
Sometimes
I think we have a serious case of
amnesia in this state (and country for
that matter). Case in point: the
cyber-security hack on the Colonial
Pipeline that has caused all of this
craziness over fuel. Folks all over
N.C. have gone insane stocking up on
gas… leading to shortages at gas
stations all across our state.
I saw various social-media posts of
people loading up containers as if the
apocalypse was fast-approaching.
(Speaking of which, if the apocalypse
is coming, where in the heck are you
gonna drive to? Dollywood?) Craziness!
At the time of the shutdown, there was
plenty of supply, and as of this
morning (last Friday) it looks like
the pipeline is back up and running.
The only problem is the short-term
thinking of some of us who want to get
theirs first... and then some when
they fill up containers.
It makes me think back not so long ago
when this happened before. Remember
when Hurricane Katrina shut down the
refineries that supply said pipeline
for a few days? The same dang thing
happened: People freaked out and
stocked up, gas stations ran out, and
everything was back up and running
normally about a week later. I’m
telling you folks, we as a nation and
people need to start chilling out in a
big way....
RIVERBANK BESIDE GREENWAY REPAIRED
It's the fourth such fix over the past couple of years in response to severe erosion along the left bank of the Neuse beside Smithfield's greenway trail. The mix of large rocks and concrete seems stronger than the original earthen bank, but time will tell if this man-made concoction can withstand the river's power as flooding returns.
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