I’ve had enough
As I drive through Mon Valley towns from Marianna to Bentleyville, California and Donora, I find myself so very disappointed with the current state of affairs in our region.
Too many of our municipalities are blighted, with masses of substandard rental properties and abandoned buildings. Historically, residents of rental properties have little or no personal investment in the communities in which they live. Owners of these properties are not motivated to improve the quality or value of the buildings. Residents who do own their homes suffer the consequences of these properties, which bring down home values, and attract crime, arson, and drug users.
Hope is lost among those who live in these municipalities.
But there is a solution. A simple question must be asked: who has been voted into office for the past 30 years or so in municipal, state and county offices? These elected officials are responsible for a lack of leadership and not making hard decisions. This has led directly to the demise of the Mon Valley.
Do we want our communities to thrive again? Do we want our properties to increase in value? Do we want great, high-paying jobs back in our towns, instead of on the other side of Washington County in a business park? Do we want to be able to stroll through local streets feeling safe and having stores in which to browse? And are we willing to continue to watch the many opioid overdoses that take our children and loved ones while elected officials struggle to come up with effective answers?
I can tell you I have had enough.
Laura Hough
West Pike Run Township
Hough is the chairwoman of the West Pike Run Township Board of Supervisors.