Let me say upfront, I've met the man once. He seems like a nice guy, good sense of humor. Over the years, Lorence Wenke, former Republican, current Libertarian has impressed me. As a state representative, virtually alone, he took a stand contrary to his party (and probably many in his district) and voted in favor of gay rights. He also has a nice greenhouse in Comstock.

But to get the email I got on Saturday was just shocking. Doesn't matter your party, doesn't matter, well, just about anything. This kind of thing just never happens. But it did. Lorence Wenke, politician, said (cue dramatic music) he was wrong.

I'll pause here for a second so we can all get our bearings back.

Here's the text of what he said:

I thought government was wasting our tax dollars when the two intersections of Sprinkle Rd and I-94 were changed to Roundabouts. How wrong I was and how much I appreciate the efficiency and safety of Roundabout intersections. Wenke Greenhouses has trucks and people pass through this intersection every day, and the financial savings in time are significant. The accidents I see now are minor.

Congratulations and thank you to the government employees who made a smart, bold decision and helped us all by building Roundabouts.

Two things here. 1. Grudgingly, I've kind of come around to his way of thinking, on this one roundabout. The one near campus on Solon is still confusing as anything. The one on Gull Street still seems like a colossal waste of money. Maybe. Maybe not.

But the biggest takeaway from this is...Holy Cow. A politician said he was wrong. Think about that in today's hyper-polarized environment. Yes, it's only a roundabout here, but baby steps. Imagine for a second if this grew and extended to some bigger issues and disagreements on the political landscape. An admission of wrongness here, some give and take there, and pretty soon you have some leadership starting.

Nah. Get real. Too much to hope for.

 

 

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