Thursday, Jul. 24, 2008

Letter: County responsibility

Editor: We often find fault with our governmental agencies because they fail to take care of their responsibilities.

I have to join Merced County critics after attending a small-claims court case July 17. The case involved a woman having two tires blown out as a result of her driving through a large pothole on Fruitland Avenue in Winton.

The lady had paid about $600 to replace her damaged tires.

She had first filed a claim with the county for what was clearly negligence on the part of the county. The claim was denied. She subsequently sued the county in small-claims court. She lost because the county did not have any reports -- other than hers -- that there was a pothole in that road.

According to the judge, the state law precludes culpability unless the county has received a complaint about a hazardous road condition and failed to make repairs within two weeks and there is another incident.

Now I ask, does it sound right that a county agency is only obligated to repair a dangerous road condition when someone calls to tell them about it?

I assume the reason for lack of road maintenance is a fiscal matter.

Certainly, if the county administrator's outrageous annual salary, in neighborhood of a quarter of a million dollars, is indicative of the salaries of the other county executives, there is a lot of money that could be put to better use.

GLENN REED

Merced