Winter's Lament.

      
       The one thing we don't have going for us this winter are our highways and byways. It's not so much that they're suddenly going in the wrong direction as it is that they're making it hard for us to go in any direction. In case you haven't noticed, our roads have more potholes than flat areas. Of course those who make a living by doing alignments, replacing ruined tires and the like seem to enjoy road conditions just fine. But running the gauntlet of avoiding these PHMDs (Pot Holes of Mass Destruction) makes it look more like an intricate dance than a drive to grandmothers house.
       Now I realize that weather conditions are the cause of most of these road canyons, what with freezing and thawing, but some of these potholes are the same ones I hit last year, and a few are from the year before that. All of which leads me to believe that the highway department is either grossly underfunded or the new crop of political appointees have somehow stuck their noses into our road business.
       Oh, I understand the need our Governor, here in Pennsylvania, had to cut budgets in education, and numerous other areas in order to keep from taxing the gas companies and try to balance our state budget while still cutting taxes for major corporations, but I'm surprised that Mr. Corbett didn't foresee that bad roads affect even his favorite constituents.
       And I do understand this talk gives the impression that I'm less than thrilled with Gov. Corbett's performance. But how can I express any joy in that performance when the last hole I hit, trying to avoid several others, caused me to break a tooth? One thing I can assure you is not the Governor's fault is the extreme cold weather we've been facing. But then actually it's not all that extreme compared to winters of yesteryear. These temperatures have only become extreme in more recent years. You don't suppose the scarcity of these hard winters has anything to do with??? But I digress.