We often see big numbers tossed around when we speak of infrastructure—for example, rebuilding Duluth’s Blatnik Bridge, which links Minnesota and Wisconsin to the world economy, will cost a billion dollars (see https://winonadfl.org/2024/02/03/bridges-billions-and-republican-bankruptcy- minnesota-democrats-score-while-republicans-flounder/). But smaller amounts of money can also make a big difference in people’s lives. Many townships, especially in Greater Minnesota, are strapped for cash, and this was made worse by the pandemic. When President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan (ARPA) into law in 2021, the act included funding which communities like these could access to help bolster local infrastructure and boost local economies. 

Winona County’s Saratoga Township, just outside of St. Charles, received $66,443.60 through ARPA. The township spent approximately 1/3 of the money each of the first two years on two projects: the first project was to remove an old bridge that had become a hazard– broken cement and exposed rebar–and replace it with a new box culvert bridge. The second project was to replace the old handicap ramp for the Saratoga Town Hall and also to replace hall’s front steps, which had crumbled to bits and lacked handrails. The remainder of the funds will be spent on resurfacing the Township Hall’s crumbling parking lot and doing road maintenance throughout the township.

A box culvert bridge and a wheelchair ramp and stairs may seem hardly comparable to a billion- dollar interstate highway bridge, but think of what a difference the projects make in the lives of people who live in Saratoga Township. People in wheelchairs can now get to 4-H Club events. Citizens can safely walk through the front door to attend township meetings. They can also safely drive to those meetings without fear of a bridge collapsing or a road flooding during heavy rains.

In a time when Republicans are obsessed with culture war issues and re-litigating the 2020 election, Democrats are following Michigan governor Gretchen Witmer’s advice: “Just fix the damn roads.” And make sure grandma can get to the town hall to see her grandkid’s 4- H project!