To qualify as a public road, a street should provide access to destinations along it AND beyond it. Cul-de-sacs only provide access to destinations within themselves and therefore function as private streets. Yet we all pay for their upkeep.

Strange, but I don’t hear The Guardian fretting when taxpayer-supporter private streets are built, and the disproportionate benefit those people receive. Why is it any worse to spend tax money on streets, but not private streets?

EDITOR NOTE–Gee Wonk, do you want me to fret about EVERYTHING? Years ago either the ACHD or Boise City declared “No more private streets.” I agree with that and I agree with you, but the developers won’t give up the land to make new streets connect with existing streets.

Aren’t leaves from my yard more likely to be contaminated with dog waste than leaves from the street?

Are twigs contamination?

How much contamination is too much?

Who had the available time to spend thinking about this issue and come up with this “contamination theory”? He or she has way too much time on their hands and should be doing something more important like re-arranging their sock drawer.

Has anyone done a study? Is there an over-supply or a shortage of leaves required to create the amount of compost used in Boise each year? Can Boise export excess compost to leaf deprived areas of SWC Idaho, like maybe Kuna? Should we export bales of raw leaves to Kuna so they can compost them themselves or would we make more money selling them the finished product?

There are just some things that enquiring minds should “leave” alone.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Some people seem to live in an alternate universe, but it provides amusement for the rest of us.

Whiners one and all – why don’t you file a grievance with your union steward if this bothers you so much.

I would gladly pay extra to be able to have a city street sweeper/labor crew suck the leaves up and take them to a compost pile for recycling back into the community.

The only trees Parks and Rec trims are the small ones that can be reached from ground level. I went as a volunteer on one of the rounds, once. Boise P&R has free tree care classes every year in Feb/Mar. Put it on your calendar.

The problem is flooding. Special north end does not have special storm drains. The storm drains are old and woefully inadequate. Leaves left on the street eventually clog the storm drains, possibly leading to an even more expensive flood clean-up.

FWIW, I compost all my leaves, including most of the ones that make it to the gutter.

But in our “representative republic,” we all (at least those who pay taxes) subsidize one thing or another. Some pay for public school education even though they don’t have kids in school. Some pay for libraries that they never go to. Parks they don’t picnic in. Indigent hospital bills … roadways … leaf disposal … firefighters. You name it.

I believe Mr. Spock said it best: “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.” But that’s just a fancy way of sayin’ “COMMUNISM”!! (/sarcasm)