Dear Editor,

A few weeks ago, the Turlock City Council held an informational meeting about the condition of our roads.  I was hoping to hear a solution to fill our cracks and potholes, but only heard a weak idea to move funds from one account to another.  It's a clever shell game, but it won't make a dent in repairing our streets.

We're far beyond simply painting a few new yellow and white lines on the road and calling it a brand new road.

Turlock needs a serious investment in our transportation infrastructure today.  We cannot hope the county will provide funds, or for voters to pass a ballot measure in 2016.  Modesto Mayor Garrad Marsh just last week proposed putting a sales tax increase on this November's ballot for Public Safety.  Also, last November the City of Oakdale passed their own sales tax increase to go into the General Fund.  With Oakdale already passing a measure and Modesto proposing one, the chance these same voters supporting additional increases in 2016 is very low. 

It's time for Turlock to stop kicking the can down the road and develop an infrastructure plan for Turlock.  I encourage Mayor Soiseth to follow the lead of great leaders like Presidents Eisenhower and Reagan and make the necessary investments in our transportation system.

— Larry Rumbeck