It’s not your fault; it’s the asphalt

Local contractor will repair potholes for free

Last week I was watching one of Escondido's televised City Council meetings, when a local citizen got up to give his opinion about budget cuts that were being considered.  His comments included rather humorous complaints about whether the city even had a pothole repair crew, because city streets are showing some obvious signs of neglect.

Within days, a local businessman and contractor, George Weir, publicly stepped up and announced that he is buying an asphalt patching truck himself and he's going to help city crews repair those potholes.

Instead of whining and complaining about the condition of our city streets, Mr. Weir is taking the bull by the horns and just gettin' it done.  "Somebody's got to do something, instead of staying on our heels complaining," said Weir, 55, a lifelong Escondido resident with a long history of philanthropy. "Maybe I can encourage others to take the same spirit."  Weir hopes other Escondido business owners and residents will follow his lead by donating services or materials until the city gets past its fiscal problems.

He suggests local companies could clean city pools for free, Realtors could paint over graffiti and stay-at-home parents could volunteer as crossing guards.

I really admire Mr. Weir's gesture and his commendable generosity.  It exemplifies how we can all get out of our comfortable chairs and search for our own ways to make a difference in our community.