Photo Credit Firsthand Weather
Heavy snow is in the forecast, so if you want to get out of town for the weekend, you may want to head south to a warmer locale. It’s certainly a reasonable thought if you’re not working and have the means.
Unfortunately, if you live in Massachusetts, you no longer have that option. Gov. Deval Patrick has made the decision for you, according to WBZ-TV Boston.
Patrick declared a state of emergency Friday afternoon ahead of the blizzard that’s expected to bring up to three feet of snow, and he’s signed an executive order banning travel on all roads in the state starting at 4 p.m. Friday.
Emergency workers, those who work in hospitals and the media, and others required to be at their jobs are exempt from the ban. Otherwise, you face a fine of up to $500 or a year in jail if you’re caught on the road.
One year in jail?
Often accused of having an obsession with global warming, Patrick said the blizzard is “a profoundly different kind of storm than we have dealt with.”
As a Florida resident who has experienced a number of hurricanes, I can’t recall a time when travel was outlawed. Sure, there have been many advisories recommending residents stay off the roads, but not under the threat of jail.
Is this an overreach? A continuation of the “nanny state” mentality?
Have the American people forfeited liberty in exchange for temporary safety? Have we become a soceity that looks to government to protect us from ourselves, to tell us when and when not to act?
Or is this a perfectly reasonable function of government, in the name of public safety?
It’s not difficult to imagine how colonial Massachusetts resident Sam Adams would respond to such questions.
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About Tom Tillison
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I agree that the hysteria is stupid and designed to drive traffic, nothing to do with safety, but….the difference between a hurricane and snow storm is that if your car gets stuck or buried, it causes problems for plows. If the plows have to go around your car, now you have a big snowbank in the middle of the road until Easter. Why these become federal problems is beyond me, though.
Never underestimate the value of and/or ignore a good crisis. Alinsky 101
What an absurd plan. How long has this Governor lived in Massachusetts? When I was a small child in the 1930′s in MA, the snow storms often left mounds of snow, way over my head. It was an opportunity to have a day or two off from school, play in the snow, and build remarkable snow tunnels. The only activity that was prevented, was jumping off your garage roof into a huge pile of snow….and that rule was made by your parents, NOT the State. Regulation was self-imposed by good reasoning.
If the snow’s too high, stay home. I think the Governor’s decision is beyond dumb.
The author seems unaware that governors have imposed travel bans many times – even in Massachusetts. The purpose is so public works can do their job – and save the taxpayers money. Otherwise dollars are spent digging out those who venture forth unprepared. Good management during a hazardous situation requires some cooperation from the citizens. One would hope that the author would already know that is a conservative thing to do.
One would hope that a person knows that the plows do not come out until after the snowing has stopped. One would hope that a person would know that when a vehicle has to be dug out, the owner pulls out a shovel and calls his friends, not the city, for help. My experience In New York City was when the plows do finally come out, the snow is pushed to the side of the road or street; if there are vehicles on the side of the street they are wedged in by the snow pushed aside by the plows. If there is no vehicle in that area, that area is not available for parking until the mound melts – because usually at this point the snow has turned to ice.
There is no justification for banning travel in this case other than the desire to tell people what they can or cannot do, The lefty loves it. And some love being ordered around.