Take a poll on local issues, very likely that at or near the top will be: “Fix the d**m roads.”

Great idea! Local lawmakers should respond to local needs.

Except that many “local” roads are funded in significant part by state money.

This is not an argument about whether state or local fuel and related taxes are too high, or not high enough. It’s about how complex, bureaucratic, multi-level issues are understood at the local level.

For example, in my town, some of the roughest streets are state highways for which a good chunk of repair funding will come from the state. But that also means that the repair timetable is driven by the state and its priorities.

Sure, my town could fix those crumbling state routes, the ones that run through town, right now… if my town wanted to pay 100% of the cost.

Which brings us back to that poll of local “needs.” I wonder what the results would be, if the pollster asked whether the town should pass up the state money and “fix the d**m roads” now… or take our turn, wait for the money, and stop complaining about the d**n roads.