Molly Tumanic

It certainly has been a while since Eau Claire has been subject to snow, so long that I nearly forgot just how much fun it was to drive in.

Please note my sarcasm when I say that, of course. I’m from Milwaukee, and during a major snow storm like the ones of late, the plows are on top of everything, allowing me to still drive 10 over while the snow accumulates.

But not every place is the same, unfortunately. When I pulled my car out onto Clairemont Avenue during the first storm, I had to go almost 20 under the speed limit to keep myself from sliding off the road. Water Street wasn’t any better.

Then I come on campus to park in one of the resident lots, and my tires shoot up snow seven feet into the air before I’m wedged into a snow mound.

I’m sure many people can relate to experiences like this, and the first finger I was tempted to point was at the plowing system in Eau Claire.

I felt reluctant, however, to simply state that “the plow system sucks” or demand that “somebody fire these people.” I had to see the other side of the story.

First I called Gregg Brandrup, the street maintenance manager of Eau Claire, and he explained how the system operates.

He explained the city’s manpower has been limited because the city has between $1 to $2 million less to spend on snow maintenance. Because of this, the plows are still running, but it takes more time to cover all areas effectively.

He emphasized that people complain about getting plowed in on the streets, but it’s a useless debate.

The snow has to go somewhere, he said. If it’s in the middle of the street, people will complain that the roads are terrible. If it’s on the side, people are upset because they are plowed in.

Brandrup is only in charge of the city. There is a separate system responsible for the campus and for the state highways, which includes Clairemont Avenue. Both systems are dealing with their share of cuts, but no one was aware when the snow was absent. Now that it’s falling, people need to find someone to blame.

If we want to throw the blame around, why not fire it at the administration responsible for the cuts. Then again, we face yet another dilemma.

Budget cuts are a necessary evil that assist in a balancing process, and decisions have to be made. When they affect a certain group of people, it’s inevitable that the group will be disappointed with it.

I guess this all goes back to an elementary rule that states you can’t please everyone. Even if Bill Gates funded Eau Claire’s plowing system, you’d still have people finding something to be upset about.

Basically, it’s imperative for people to look beyond the surface of problems before losing it entirely. Even if the problem has a great effect, the only thing we can do is cope with it and be better because of that.

So when my car’s kicking up beads of snow, I think I’ll take matters into my own hands – and grab a shovel.