Published: May 03, 2008 06:42 pm      

Were city’s streets ever worse?

Arguably, Cumberland’s streets have never been in poorer shape. No where are they worse than up and down the length of Washington Street — where some of the highest property taxes in the city are assessed.

City employees Thursday put temporary patching on holes around the courthouse, but that is a short-term fix. There are still numerous holes where old brick is showing through the blacktop.

If it’s any comfort, similar problems are being experienced across the nation, according to The Associated Press.

Cities in the Midwest have been particularly hard hit because of a severe winter. Chicago already has filled 120,000 potholes, about 50,000 more than the previous year. Des Moines has run out of money for overlay work and has made a 20 percent reduction in the number of roads it will fix. In Milwaukee potholes doubled this winter to 5,500.

Compounding the problem is the cost of asphalt. Petroleum is a major ingredient in asphalt and it is expensive....

CSX and other U.S. railroad operators are expecting to benefit from chronic road congestion in the nation.

The U.S. Department of Transportation is forecasting the need for $5 trillion to improve highways between now and 2025. “People are going to have a hard time coming up with that money., This can be a positive for our industry,” Michael West, CEO of CSX, told CNN.

He said the trucking industry is changing its business model because of the rising fuel prices and driver shortages. This can only mean an increase for rail traffic, he said....

On the topic of rail travel, May 10 will be observed as the first annual National Train Day. The day also marks the 139th anniversary of the laying in 1869 of the Golden Spike at Promontory Summit, Utah, which completed America’s first transcontinental railroad.

Amtrak and the National Association of Railroad Passengers will use May 10 to urge policy makers to renew their commitment to expanding the U.S. passenger train network....

National Geographic Traveler magazine, in conjunction with the Appalachian Regional Commission, released its Appalachia Driving Tour Map in its April issue.

The map lists places to visit in Maryland, including the Great Allegheny Passage Trail, the Casselman River Bridge, and the Hancock Tollhouse.

The entire Appalachia Driving map includes 28 driving tours through 13 states, including along the National Road from Maryland, through Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio....

Watch out for scams associated with the economic stimulus payments being mailed out by the Internal Revenue Service.

The IRS said some people have received phone calls in which the caller impersonates and IRS employee. The caller asks the taxpayer for their Social Security and bank account numbers, claiming that the IRS needs the information to complete the processing of the taxpayer’s payment. The IRS said it already has the information from the taxpayer’s tax return and there is no need for the IRS to be calling taxpayers.

In yet another scam, an e-mail claims to come from the IRS about the “2008 Economic Stimulus Refund.” It tells the recipients to click on a link to fill out a form, apparently for direct deposit of the payment into their bank account. Again, the IRS does not send out such emails....

Writing about the economic stimulus checks, Scripps Howard New Service reports:

“Ben Franklin once said that only two things are certain in life — death and taxes. The IRS has now created a new twist: Even if you die after you filed your 2007 tax return, you will get your economic stimulus check when they’re mailed out this spring and summer. Cashing it is another matter.”....

Seen on the Internet — Actual police officer quotes made during traffic stops:

• If you run, you’ll only go to jail tired.

• The handcuffs are tight because they’re new. They’ll stretch out after you wear them awhile.

• So, you don’t know how fast you were going? I guess that means I can write anything I want on the ticket, huh?

• No sir, we don’t have quotas anymore. We used to have quotas, but now we’re allowed to write as many tickets as we want to.

• In God we trust, all others are suspects.

• The answer to this last question will determine whether you are drunk or not. Was Mickey Mouse a cat or a dog?

Jan Alderton is managing editor of the Cumberland Times-News. His email address is jpalderton@times-news.com.