Lately, I’ve been seeing signs everywhere that read “Road closed. Men at work.” Anyone can tell that the November election must be getting close because the street holes and cracks all over the city of Auburn are getting filled and fixed.

Not all the holes and cracks though. Perhaps, the city politicians who are in power now and who have all the intentions to stay in power, are saving those holes and cracks for the next election.

Aside from the multitude of street holes and cracks, there are also several ugly sights and structures that are all over the city. I live up here in Lakeland Hills, and every time I drive down the hill to A street, I never fail to see those two rusting dilapidated World War II Quonset huts just past those two busy shopping plazas on the corner of A and 41st streets, where Starbucks and Albertsons are located.

I’ve lived here in Auburn over 16 years now. I hate to say, but it seems that that disgraceful sight has become the landmark of our city.

In the last election, four years ago, when Mayor Nancy Backus first ran for mayor, I emailed her and mentioned that concern of mine. She said that some members of the City Council had pointed out that that despicable sight has a “historical and military value.” And that she’ll try her best to move those rusty, disintegrating huts to a “museum.”

Those Quonset huts, with their “historical and military value” are still there, rusting away.

The other concern that I have as a resident of Auburn was what Deputy Mayor Largo Wales said during a candidate forum that was held recently at St. Matthew Episcopal Church. As reported by Auburn Reporter, Wales said that “… we need to make sure we are a welcoming place for our immigrants and refugees and follow through on our resolution to be inclusive. …”

Say what? The words, “welcoming” and “inclusive”: Do those words also mean that Largo Wales is in favor of making Auburn a sanctuary city? Or, are we already sanctuary city? Politicians are hard to understand. Maybe I am just too dumb to understand the words of politicians.

– Jesse Jose