‘If it ain’t broke, what’s there to fix?’

By Ray Johnson, Decorah 

Residents,

As a lifelong Decorah resident, I think all these three-column letters are getting old. I don’t spout wattage and kilowatt hours. It’s all on paper and not worth writing again. To me, it’s that easy-touch light switch. 

I only think back and remember when we had a storm, and Alliant brought in portable generators to power part of Decorah. Also, when the transformer a block from home got hit by lightening, it was replaced in about four hours in a rainstorm.

I have a friend who worked for Alliant in Cedar Rapids and had a lot of pride helping light that city. 

I can only imagine the men in the trucks and shop in Decorah have that same dedication and pride in their work. 

How much is it going to cost Decorah tax payers to hire an electrical engineer to read schematic prints? $125,000 to $150,000? Also new bucket truck and service truck and also new pickup for that engineer and his two or three new repairmen. Do you think all these will fit in the Decorah Street Department Shop? Ooh no! Next will be the purchase of the old bus garage site on Pole Line Road for oh say $500,000 or more. 

I haven’t seen this mentioned or thought of by the voters. Maybe we need more Hanson, Johnson, Olson or maybe a few O’Haras to bring inherited common sense back to good old Decorah. 

If it ain’t broke, what’s there to fix?

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Rex Holland
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26 days ago

A good letter. I grew up in Decorah. The Decorah city council is watching Rome burn right now. It is very sad. Ironically, there is an oldtime “Olson” on the city council right now -Kirsten Olson. I guess the common sense Olson gene must have skipped right past him.