The St. Patrick’s Parade weekend is a joyous annual highlight for Montreal — also heralding hope and enthusiasm as the end of winter grows nearer. But it also coincides with the Quebec horror show known as pothole season, which seems to have arrived even earlier this year. The war-zone condition of many roads is sure to get even worse over the next few weeks, with cars blowing out tires and axles, and accidents caused by drivers swerving to avoid the craters.

There with you then. Here with you now. As a critical part of the community for over 245 years,The Gazette continues to deliver trusted English-language news and coverage on issues that matter. Subscribe now to receive:

Unlimited online access to our award-winning journalism including thought-provoking columns by Allison Hanes, Josh Freed and Bill Brownstein.

Opportunity to engage with our commenting community and learn from fellow readers in a moderated forum.

Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.

Montreal Gazette ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, where you can share and comment..

There with you then. Here with you now. As a critical part of the community for over 245 years,The Gazette continues to deliver trusted English-language news and coverage on issues that matter. Subscribe now to receive:

Unlimited online access to our award-winning journalism including thought-provoking columns by Allison Hanes, Josh Freed and Bill Brownstein.

Opportunity to engage with our commenting community and learn from fellow readers in a moderated forum.

Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.

Montreal Gazette ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, where you can share and comment..

There with you then. Here with you now. As a critical part of the community for over 245 years,The Gazette continues to deliver trusted English-language news and coverage on issues that matter. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

Access articles from across Canada with one account.

Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.

Enjoy additional articles per month.

Get email updates from your favourite authors.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

Access articles from across Canada with one account

Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments

Enjoy additional articles per month

Get email updates from your favourite authors

Sign In or Create an Account

Every spring this issue gets under my skin as a classic reminder of how taxpayers are being fleeced, and we just grudgingly accept it as the norm.

Libman: From potholes to gas prices, taxpayers feel taken for a ride Back to video

A few years ago, I met a chemical engineer working with a team of university researchers. Technology exists today where a modified polymer asphalt composition could produce an almost indestructible product, much more resistant to temperature fluctuations. You would think that this could save a fortune in annual road and pothole repair budgets. Guess again.

Recurring government contracts are cash cows, so seemingly little incentive exists for a resistant asphalt industry to innovate in longer-lasting products through further research and development, despite weakness of their product in our climate. One can also question whether substandard work in road repair and patching by contractors might not be a means for perpetuating lucrative annual contracts. Common practice that awards contracts to the lowest bidder also encourages the use of cheaper products and processes.

This is a maddening example at a time when all levels of government are at a major breaking point — struggling as revenues cannot keep up with the costs of providing quality services and adequately maintaining infrastructure.

This week’s Quebec budget again highlights the constant tug-of-war between the level of government service and taxpayers’ ability to pay for these services. Deficits are an easy way out at times, but invariably beget greater long-term debt.

Libman: Are the Quebec Liberals poised to peak at just the right time?

Libman: Say Bonjour-Hi to more scapegoating, divisiveness and waste

Advertisement 1Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.document.addEventListener(`DOMContentLoaded`,function(){let template=document.getElementById(`oop-ad-template`);if(template&&!template.dataset.adInjected){let clone=template.content.cloneNode(!0);template.replaceWith(clone),template.parentElement&&(template.parentElement.dataset.adInjected=`true`)}});

Elected officials have been delinquent by not pushing much harder to challenge the status quo or question certain practices, as taxpayers are being pummelled.

Another circumstance that has many grumbling about feeling taken advantage of is gas prices. Take the war in the Middle East and the partial blockage in the Strait of Hormuz. It seemed that within minutes of the media starting to talk about the potential impact on gas prices, sticker shock hit the pumps at corner gas stations here in Canada, as if oil reserves were already depleted. I would dare wager that when the war ends and things get back to normal, it will take much longer for prices to work their way down compared to how quickly they started climbing.

Also, this week Hydro-Québec denounced the Régie de l’énergie decision for capping residential electricity rate increases at “only” three per cent. Hydro wanted more, saying this cap will limit its ability to “improve service quality.” I wouldn’t be surprised if our Hydro bills, despite the supposed cap, continue to rise nonetheless at a much higher rate, enmeshed in the complicated billing formula — with varying rates, usage and meter readings — which we’re expected to accept and pay for at face value.

We’ve had commissions such as Charbonneau, a public inquiry exposing corruption and collusion in the province’s construction industry that filed its report over 10 years ago. But where is the followup mechanism to delve into whether recommendations or other means are being pursued to effect change?

We bitch and complain, but we resign ourselves to mediocrity. Renowned American author Frederick Douglass said: “Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.”

Perhaps it’s high time to draw some inspiration from the spirit of St. Patrick, who embodied resilience, faith and commitment to serving others, and demand a higher standard of politicians — to step out of their comfort zone and start challenging accepted norms.

Robert Libman is an architect and planning consultant who has served as Equality Party leader and MNA, mayor of Côte-St-Luc and a member of the Montreal executive committee.

© Montreal Gazette