I haven't taken time to read all the stories about the East Coast blizzard, but there seem to be a lot about the various governments not being prepared. Do these critics want to pay the taxes necessary to have enough equipment and personnel ready to clear the snow?
The people who clear the snow work harder and longer than most of us would tolerate. I know it's hard enough to drive a bus for eight hours on dry roads; try running a snow plow with obstacles everywhere you look.
In the case of New York City, they assigned park employees who normally took down trees to drive plows on city streets. See "Obstacles at Every Turn for Plow Crew", New York Times, 2010-12-29.
