As reported in News & Messenger:
Gov. Timothy M. Kaine was not completely satisfied with the way Virginia’s transportation agency handled snow removal efforts after last month’s historic snowstorm.
At issue was some of the work that the Virginia Department of Transportation outsources to private contractors, he told Charlottesville TV station WVIR. He described the overall snow removal job done by VDOT as “an OK job.”
“We were not completely satisfied with the work that was being done by the private contractor. Without going into it too much, on Saturday [during the snowstorm] basically I asked VDOT to take over a good bit of that work and when that happened things started to go a lot better,” the governor told WVIR.
Kaine said he wasn’t happy with the lack of preparation for the storm or with the lack of urgency plow crews had when it came to clearing the snow from neighborhood streets.
The governor also used this opportunity to blast Republican counterparts in the state, saying that their unwillingness to raise taxes to pay for improvements in transportation led to the plow crew’s slower response time.
While many roads around the Woodbridge and Stafford areas were treated with salt and sand following the storm, others went up to three days following the storm without seeing a plow.
I feel vindicated. For years I have watched the snowplows clean the main streets over and over while ignoring the harder to clean side streets. The drivers of the plows are the contract workers, not state employees. Governor Kaine should have called me. I would have told him.
Snow removal is expensive and difficult work. It requires readiness. Hopefully the new administration will heed the words of Governor Kaine and stay ready and alert for the next snow fall. There are still places on Route 50 that have piles of snow on them. Hitting one would be like hitting a deer.
Who has some snow horror stories, now the big blow snow is finally over? And while discussing the weather, how is the temperature out there? When is this wind going to die down? I cannot seem to get warm. This cold snap should drive the energy bills up. What is the fuel of choice? I have both gas and a heat pump. Since the price of natural gas has gotten so reasonable, I am wondering if it is ever cheaper to go all case and forget the heat pump. How much is a cord of wood these days?
