Chris Norman’s letter on affordable housing and decent-paying jobs accents the flaws in the Cook County – Grand Marais Economic Development Authority (EDA), the city council, and the county board. With a bankrupt business park the powers at hand refused to consider selling two lots to support affordable housing and local jobs. This forced tax dollars to pay bond payments. Now they promote a change of course to give the land to a non-local entity as taxpayers will continue to pay bonds.
Shouldn’t we be having an in-depth community conversation on the EDA and the decision making between them and our elected officials? Refusing to sell lots in a bankrupt investment owned by the citizens? Have they given the business park their all?
In the case of Superior National at Lutsen (SNL), have they put the interests of the taxpayer first and always? In 2009 before taxpayers voted yes to 1 percent tax they were told money spent at SNL would bring the course back to profitable state. Records show that’s an 18-hole golf course. Was it ethical or legal to award $3.1 million to anything but that?
It’s safe to say none of our elected officials or the EDA have paid due diligence to the business park or have a clue what to do with it. The AEOA offer was a gift dropped out of the sky for them.
Rather than rush into this, perhaps we should think about things? Shouldn’t we put a call out to the community first? Ask for local proposals like the one rejected? If we’re going to give the land away, shouldn’t citizens have first chance? Why is it always about an out of town firm and workers? Saving 1 percent tax dollars for one year could have skipped bonding and bonding laws, allowing the library to be built by a local contractor.
Force Lutsen to take SNL. Disband the EDA. Create a new diverse board not plagued with conflicts of interests. Change the term limits. The college degree stuff is just control and discrimination. There is nothing educated or sensible coming out of the EDA. I volunteer my time without the pay the current board receives.
Tod Sylvester
Grand Marais
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