OPINION

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The other day I was driving through Payne Subdivision.  I was interested in the Nick Verret Memorial Bridge. There is a bridge closed in Payne Subdivision which limits the residents to one way in and out of their subdivision. Nick Verret claims that it would cost over 150,000 to fix the bridge. I use the term bridge loosely. On a temporary basis that bridge could be safely reopened for a fraction of that estimate. Here’s the rub for our two engineers in Parish government; it could be opened but it wouldn’t be perfect! Nick has a list of reasons the bridge can’t be fixed economically. Of course when an engineer speaks they are always are correct. We simpletons don’t understand their lofty wisdom. I also have some land 175 miles south of Lafayette I’ll sell you.

In looking at the bridge and thinking back over all I have heard from the people who are charged with maintaining the roads, I had a moment of clarity. We have too many engineers in charge of things. The reason nothing gets fixed is that both Rick and Nick are guilty of over-thinking and over-engineering every project. If it can’t be done perfectly in terms of engineering; it isn’t done. Since we don’t have enough money to do things perfectly, both of them are content to leave things as they are, or let them get worse. It seems that great engineering is trumping common sense when it comes to our roads.
Hey you engineer guys, we have no money. Quit trying to fix things perfectly or to your lofty engineering standards. You are smart guys. We recognize that most of what you would be doing would be “temporary.” So put your slide rules down, forget perfection and use some of that engineering knowledge for the benefit of the drivers and tax payers of Natchitoches Parish. Nick you have over used your “fixing the storm damage” excuse. Quit telling the public what you can’t do and give us a plan of what you can do. Even better, tell us what you will do.

By the way, the “bridge” in Payne Subdivision could be fixed for the amount Nick Verret is paid annually. I wonder what would be more valuable to the tax payers, Nick Verret’s salary or an opened bridge in Payne subdivision.

Both of you engineers need to forget over engineering and learn the concepts of “value engineering.” You might have the book learning but you both seem to lack common horse sense, at least when it comes to roads.

Which leads one to wonder, what do you guys have on each other? Nothing is happening, the roads are getting worse, the voters are pissed and you guys are content to do whatever it is you do all day. What gives?
Sincerely,

Mr. Silence Dogood.