Potholes ... sigh

Someone could write a book about the road around the island. Their attempts to build a road around the island led to instability and war and contributed to the failures of the Spanish and German colonial powers. The reasons against building the road are lost to me in Pohnpeian culture and tradition.

The road only was completed in the mid-20th century, when people wanted cars and wanted some place to drive to. So the Americans built the road. Just last month the road was paved all the way around. The Japanese did the paving.

After these generous gifts by the Americans and Japanese, the only obligation that the Pohnpeians had was to maintain the roads. Alas, this seems to be more than they care to do.

So the roads are now riddled with pot holes. Drivers have gotten used to it; most of us drive a zigzag path down the road as we avoid all the pitfalls and axle-grinders. Apparently it's even worse in Chuuk, but that's no excuse for Pohnpei.

When the Tuna Commission had their big conference here in December, the road crews filled up the pot holes with gravel. That took care of the problem until the Commission members left. Now the holes are back, bigger and better than ever.

Recently there have been some foreigners going around fixing the pot holes. Apparently they are volunteers doing this out of good will.

It is awfully nice to have the holes repaired, but once again the government got off the hook. The lesson learned is that if they wait until the problem is bad enough, some foreigner will come fix it for them. What ever happened to tough love? Sigh.

My consolation is that the foreigners will someday leave, but the pot holes will always return.