The Downward Spiral

“Thieves targeting storm drains in Thurston County,” this Washington State TV station reports:

A rash of storm grate thefts have struck the Tumwater area. As many as 100 might have been stolen in the last month, and it’s getting worse. In fact, 13 were just stolen Thursday afternoon. That’s on top of 48 others stolen in the five days’ prior.

It’s putting a lot of strain on the Public Works Department.

“If we don’t have replacements, we’ll probably barricade them and secure the holes to make it as safe as possible,” said Steve Craig with Tumwater Public Works.

It’s a vicious cycle isn’t it? As the Obama economy circles the drain, thieves steal the drain. Repeat until bottom is hit — if it hasn’t been stolen already.

Related: In the other Washington, “Average Teen Unemployment Rate in D.C. is 50.1%, Analysis Shows.”