"Fault Lines" in Saranac Lake

Todays editorial in the Adirondack Daily Enterprise finally defines a problem that we have all been aware of, but have ignored, for decades. It's a problem that has been ignored for good reason. It's a political problem and may actually be unsolvable. Many of us realize that the Village of Saranac Lake is divided between two counties (Franklin and Essex) and three townships (Harrietstown, St. Armand and North Elba). But get this:

Worse still, the village is split between two U.S. congressional districts (McHuge and Sweeney), two state Assembly districts, two state Department of Transportation regions and two Blue Cross/Blue Shield health insurance companies.

The village of Saranac Lake is split so many ways it's not surprising consensus on many issues is hard to come by. Here is one obvious solution posed by the ADE:

Get Essex County and the towns of North Elba and St. Armand to pull back out of the village.

What are the chances of this happening? Who knows, but the ADE suggests:

Essex County, North Elba and St. Armand may not like losing all that sales and property tax revenue, but they could be convinced since, from a regional standpoint, redrawing the lines makes so much more sense than the current system. Plus, maybe they could get something in return. In the meantime, they’re really dealing Saranac Lake an injustice with its lack of Essex County representation and services. Getting them to pull out will take some wheeling and dealing, and perhaps some kicking and screaming, but it can be done.

Kicking and screaming, no doubt. What could they possibly get in return? Whether you are anti-Wal-Mart, pro-Wal-Mart or somewhere in between, it is definitely time to redraw the "Fault Lines".