Conversation on "Perfect Storm"

Franklin, or 460 Business, has been a mess ever since the region's commercial hub started. It will always be the point where both towns and Radford traffic converges and the bypass simply helped with game days. Remember them? That's when the lights all went to flashing yellow along the business route. Why this couldn't be done on Friday is a mystery. Who controls the lights, VDOT (state) or town? It underscores why all the approved development in the last 5-10 years should have been tabled until Peppers Ferry expansion funding and construction was provided, and why the "study" for a new mess at Cambria is being done now. That was a town/VDOT disaster all taxpayers will have to suck up and foot the bill on. Meanwhile more stores (many empty), more homes and this bedroom community gets slammed because the town can't maintain the level of services now required. Then they smirk because they don't have to pay for the schools and don't care their decisions rachet up all Montgomery County citizen tax rates. Give them a chance to claim the high school sport teams as their own, and they are the first to get in line and crow, to the point we're being told the new aquatic center is just for them (note, BHS has same school colors so if they visit, they should feel right at home also). When will town voters stop these problem children on the Christiansburg council?

So much negativity! Can't we just simply give a heartfelt "thank you" to the crews from VDOT, C'burg, B'burg, etc. who worked long hours in a once-in-more-than-a-decade situation? Add to that law enforcement personnel and NRV citizens who went the extra mile. Let's table the sniping and complaining for another day, shall we?

Well, you need new eyeglasses if you read my comments as a "shut up". I do acknowledge your "thank yous", brief as they were.

Anonymous, I read your comments as a polite and direct shut up too. You the official and secret town cheerleader or pep squad and when would be a good time to discuss these issues? Keep in mind public employees receive better than average wages and much better benefits. And overtime. Those that had to work knew when they took the job extraordinary events may come and they'd have to work them. They were doing their job. Thank you. Why are so many people in this town afraid to use their names and what bushes should I be peeking around now to make sure some "mugger" isn't lurking? Sheesh for sure.

It is an abomination. People should not be afraid to speak up. Anonymous's comment did sound like a 'shut up', and that is exactly the type of behavior that causes people to remain silent. Well, angry people may well remain silent until it comes election day. Then, they may have the biggest voice around. The facts noted in the article are just that, facts. And the kudos to those who had to be out in that weather, while many were safe and warm at home, is well due. Sure, it's part of the job. But just because something is part of the job doesn't mean that the person doing it has to be professional, courteous, and dedicated. Those qualities are a function of the people doing the job. Many times, people in these positions find themselves working with substandard equipment, limited supplies, and a public that complains about what they do. They done good and deserve my thanks...so thank you!

Better than average wages? What are you basing that on? Perhaps you are confusing local government with federal government. I left local government 3 years ago to go to the private sector. I obtained my engineering license (PE) about 4 years ago. The best the local government could do was bring me up to around $45K/year + me paying almost $1000 for health insurance for my family. I moved here for an engineering position making $60K (back then) and having my insurance fully paid. I've seen this crop up a couple times on here. Perhaps someone should do some research before making claims like this. However, this is a RUMOR site. Facts are few and far between. It's kind of like the National Enquirer for government.

An experienced PE can make a lot more than the average in the NRV due to all the growth and lack of complying with local governments' Comprehensive Plans. That's your job to find find the loopholes or minimum requirements to make money for a developer that doesn't care about more than this year's profit. Typically that developer doesn't live here or care if their tenant is gone is a few years or what the impacts to local government costs are. Rumor site? You must be drinking kool aid at the bowling alley because that's where rumors start. Until you drag your butt to the public meetings and watch the clustering of those in your field and how things are kind of 'publicly' addressed or when a newspaper reporter bothers to show up, go ahead and pretend this blog is only untruths if that's what it takes to maintain your sense of reality and comfort. I don't get to many meetings but I sure make a point of watching them online. I don't always agree or understand everything written here and on other sources that cover government to do's, but I know when I see games being played and politicians posturing or being pretty near clueless or even feeding their own interests. You may be in the private sector now but government jobs, chiefly education, are what drive the local economy after retailers around here nowadays. If you have no experience with that either, it is only a rumor that 'anyone' can do those jobs.. Just like it is a rumor that workforce development for former manufacturing workers will get them the same wages they made before the last lay off. If your job market dies, what other skills do you have? If not for pure dumb luck and a good work ethic one day that smug smile could be wiped off your face by life and you will learn who has been pumping you up with sunshine and some outright lies.

I agree Town employees are underpaid, the front line workers are that is. City-data is used by a lot of people and businesses to see if they want to move here. If they are looking there they see that the percapita income in $27,333. 58 registered sex offenders live here. 5% of jobs for men is as an engineer (almost twice the state average. Most noticeably there is a chart about 2/3 of the way down on the site that gives the average yearly full-time wages for local government employment and payrool (March 2007). You have to remember when looking at those charts, the average salary includes those of all the employees in the department so that average indicates a range that can be much higher or much lower depending upon grade and time. Only solid waste management and streets and highways show an average below the median income level for the town. Take a look at the chart and draw your own conclusions http://www.city-data.com/city/Christiansburg-Virginia.html .. after all it's there for the world to see. A lot of interesting information can be found at that site.

Rumor mill? This blog and Depot Dazed are the only credible source of government/community information on C'burg! These authors do their homework!!! They attend many, many of the Town's meetings, listen to citizens and TC/Town Management then research their comments carefully before they are posted. Sure there is some personal opinion involved, but I'd say that is more likely a reflection of what they are hearing from other citizens that have knowledge of the goings on around here, not just their own opinions. Sorry, but that was an ignorant remark. One that shows you have not been reading the blogs or the sources of information that they point too. More likely you are reading these responses (which are sometimes venting avenues for the rest of us) and basing your response on the more emotional comments. You sound educated and someone that does care about what is going on, but please don't point a finger at these ladies and the hard work they have done to keep us informed. We can't depend on the Roanoke Times or the Town to give us the information.