Pretty on the outside

I moved to Spokane in 1960, worked in Spokane, raised a family and watched many changes. Most of the changes have been like painting a house with a crumbling foundation. My oldest son was raised in Spokane and now lives in Renton. He came for a visit, and I went out to greet him. He got out of his truck and his first words were “man your streets suck.” You don’t think that is what others think when they visit? My 2010 Dodge pickup runs quiet and smooth until I hit Spokane, at which time it rides like a 1949 pickup. The reason Spokane streets will never be fixed is because there is no glory in doing so.

City leaders want to be recognized for building parks, athletic complexes and ice ribbons. There is no glory in fixing streets. It is like the difference between a mechanic and a paint shop. When you take your car to a mechanic, no big deal, it ran good before. But when you get a car painted, “wow” that looks good.

That’s Spokane to me, crumbling infrastructure with a pretty paint job.

Dick Gardner

Spokane