You think times are tough for City Hall in Fort Wayne? Just imagine how they felt in LaPorte, which is so economically stressed that the city decided it couldn't hang Chrismas lights downtown this year. But then:
The mayor says local contractors Monday morning offered to fix the electrical receptacles for free and have been repairing the 30 to 40 that need to be repaired.
[. . .]
The mayor says these are difficult times and they've been operating without money for over a year. But fortunately in these difficult times people have come forward to help and get them back their Christmas lights.
"It's fantastic. I think it was a shame, but I thank those who came to our defense. LaPorte is good at that," said LaPorte resident Merle Prozil.
I know some will decry the privatization of another vital service that government should be providing. It's surprising, now that I think about it, that nobody has yet sued a city government for paying for Christmas decorations. Oh, wait. I'll bet they're really just "winter holiday" decorations. What was I thinking of?
