Letter to the Editor: Why should property owners be forced to pay for and maintain sidewalks they don't want or need?

(The following Letter to the Editor has been submitted by Mary Ann Krammen of Decorah):

"Just why is the city government so insistent on forcing homeowners to pay for and maintain sidewalks they don't want or need?  The Bruening Addition is a perfect example.  I read that over $600,000 would be spent on those sidewalks alone--that lead nowhere but merely meander around a neighborhood.  That is a colossal waste of taxpayer money, while very necessary projects like the Locust Road repair get put off due to cost.  Well, $600,000 certainly won't pay for Locust Road, but it's a start."