I didn't run for reelection to our township board after twenty some years. I had also been running the grader most of that time and gave that up also after the last snow. We have two new young men on the board and a new operator. It is now the middle of June and the roads haven't been bladed yet. I'll take that back, the new operator did one mile of road to try out the machine. I drove a road today where someone is building a new house along. They rocked a quarter of a mile of that road that had never had rock on it before. There are next to no ditches and there are ruts in it where trucks drove to get to the building site. They didn't clean the ditches and didn't ever blade the ruts out. They just spread rock over the mess. I sure wouldn't claim that I did a perfect job by any means and we made some unwise choices as a board member, but we tried. The roads are in bad need of blading with the grass and weeds completely covering the dirt roads. I don't know what he will do with them and harvest is just around the corner. People told me that I had a thankless job, but I always said that wasn't true as I had thank you notes and phone calls quite a few times. I think the new guys are going to find out what a thankless job is if they don't get in gear soon. I've always felt that if you don't intend to try to do a job right then don't take it.
Unfortunately that is the attitude today. I'm 25 and see a lot of my generation not giving a damn because it's all too hard. Makes me want to scream at times. It's really not that hard to put a little effort in and take pride in your work.
My grandpa ran the blade near Canton Ks as a summer job when he was 11. This may have been a few decades ago Yes I see more and more of no pride in themselves let a lone anything they do. I am 36 and have been a professional mechanic since I was 22. These new guys come on making twice what I started at and don't have a clue how to do anything. Instead of picking up the phone and saying you can't, pick up a book and learn. Grab a tractor and figure out what all of the levers do. Make yourself a more desired hand. And I agree, The roads need to be in good shape come harvest. My uncle would be hacked if he had to deal with this in a few weeks.
Here it is the middle of July and our roads still haven't been bladed yet this year. The crust is starting to break up and some of the dirt roads are completely overgrown with grass and weeds. As far as I know the township board has only had one meeting this year. The last that I worked for them was to push snow for four hours one Sunday afternoon in April and I haven't been paid yet. I'm not concerned about the money, it's just the idea that they don't seem to think that their bills need to be paid. Some things still come to my mail box so I know that they have two other bills that haven't been paid yet also. I got a call from the new Treas. asking about a letter that he got from the unemployment people because he hadn't filed a report for the first quarter. I told him that I thought that I had told him about this and wrote it down. He said "Oh yah I see it written in the front of the book." Shows how often he had opened the book! Enough of this, I'm just letting off some steam.
I wonder if there were always just as many folks that didn't care much to do much, it is simply the fact the longer those that care do work and also do work to improve themselves, the greater the disparity between the two mindsets....
Hell it's the other way with my township board, these guys are wasting time and money mowing state roads (without a permit and proper signage) and neglecting the roads they are actually supposed to take care of.... Same way with the snow removal as well. I don't know who to contact to get them to do their job I have talked to commissioners and etc. and because its a city township they can't do anything and then the board members swear that the operator is doing great..... Lol best part of it is the guy is having his hired hand that works for 10/cash do the work while he collects the $25/hr from the township lol