Your Tax Dollars at Work

Residents in Berrien County, Michigan are questioning the county's proposed replacement of a bridge. The bridge is estimated to cost $600,000...paid for through tax dollars. The bridge would replace a short, 85-year-old span that crosses a creek in Berrien County's Pipestone Township.

The county road commission recommended in April that the bridge be replaced.

So what's the problem? This is supposedly what "government" is for, to replace crumbling infrastructure.

It gets better.

Seems that the bridge is on a dead end road that serves a farm field.

Still...the county has a responsibility to maintain access even though the bridge basically serves only a farm field, right?

Wait for it...wait for it......

The Herald-Palladium of St. Joseph says part of the problem residents have is that township Supervisor Hazen Harner owns the land that would become inaccessible without the bridge.

One Man
An Elected Official of the Township
$600,000
For a bridge to his property
Paid for by Taxpayers

But don't worry...Harner says the road commission always overestimates the cost of such projects and believes it can be built for less.

Well, at least he can sleep at night.