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Man Builds Park Stairs for $550 after Govt Estimates Cost at $65,000

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Tired of Government Ineptitude, Man Takes Initiative on Stairs

But without government, who would build the park stairs? One man has the answer for that question, and his city isn’t happy.

In Toronto, retired Mechanic Adi Astl took matters into his own hands after several of his neighbors fell down a path to a nearby community garden. Astl and his neighbors pooled their money together to construct steps for $550, far less than the $65,000 to $100,000 the city estimated it would take for construction.

Astl built the steps in hours, enlisting the help of a homeless person. The city now threatens to perhaps tear down the project because it does not abide by regulation standards. City bylaw officers taped off the stairs until further notice.

That notwithstanding, Astl’s neighbors seem pleased with the project. “We have far too much bureaucracy,” said Dana Beamon, an area resident. “We don’t have enough self-initiative in our city, so I’m impressed.” Astl’s wife, Gail Rutherford, stated “I’ve seen so many people fall over that rocky path that was there to begin with . . . It’s a huge improvement over what was there.”

Astl’s project proves the superiority of private enterprise over government bureaucracy. He and his associates completed the project in a responsive and timely manner at a fraction of the cost.