For years I’ve listened to bleating about the government funding cuts to our area—the lack of monies to refurbish our municipal pool and the constant and inexcusable diminishment of school funding and school programs. Now apparently, like a rabbit from a magician’s hat, someone is pulling out an $11 million dollar community center.
During the pseudo-prosperous days before the economic collapse, we had no money. So if we had no money then, how can we have it now when times are so much worse? And why is it burning a hole in our pocket?
All around me nationally recognized economic planning advisors are urging prudent spending plus generation of additional income. To me, the community center venture is like urging someone in foreclosure to go out and buy a Lexus.
And if we can cough up $11 million, why isn’t it being used to lure some job opportunities to our community? Instead of paying out good money to hire architects and planners for a community center, wouldn’t the money be better spent hiring someone who could suggest ways to attract jobs with a base not reliant upon tourism?
In addition, I propose our county commissioners run a cash award contest for the top three most feasible ideas for attracting employers to Cook County. This way, more nimble minds may come up with better answers to improve our circumstances. After all, UW-Stout students just came up with a new pizza box design that’s brilliant.
Let’s repair/replace our existing municipal pool and push on with the stuff that’s really important: jobs. The proposed community center seems like one of The Little Match Girl’s lovely pipe dreams and just about as practical.
Pam Dorris
Lutsen
Leave a Reply