Make adjustments when they are needed

The editorial cartoon (at right) this week got me thinking about what we're willing to give up. It's Lent, but I doubt a lot of people gave up eggs. They are a pretty basic food staple that everyone buys. With the prices going up, people are still buying eggs. There are some substitutes, but applesauce and bacon isn't really the same as eggs and bacon. People adjust.

Just like when gas was near $4 a gallon. There were still plenty of cars on the road. Some people adjusted by getting rid of their big trucks and SUVs. I got a smaller car and am enjoying the smaller bills at the pump.

We make adjustments all the time. There are just certain things that are out of our control. Take, for example, last week's meeting in which the county was asked to sponsor a grant for Vermilion River restoration, a project that has been ongoing for a couple decades. The county acts as a pass-through for grant money all the time. The ARPA funds that resulted from COVID are just one example. At the meeting last Wednesday, some residents were upset that the county was considering taking the DNRC grant money. The county technically isn't taking the money, they are just holding on to it until it is spent for the planning of the Vermilion project. The funds have already been earmarked for planning projects. The state agency is awarding it for that purpose.

Yes, this country has a spending issue, but in this instance, the county level is not where that is going to change. Legislators approved the funding. If Sanders County doesn't sponsor the grant, another entity will. That money will still get spent on planning projects, so Sanders County should help our local project progress.

I just hope that the people who are concerned about spending area also reaching out to legislators in Helena and D.C. to suggest adjustments before issues like this get to the local level. — Annie Wooden