I get a little sad when I pick up the News-Herald and see another letter to the editor expressing all that is wrong with Grand Marais. Writers seem quick to point out some perceived crumbling of our infrastructure and then suggesting all could be saved with lower taxes.
I am a taxpayer here too and, like everyone else, would like to pay less. But paying less means getting less, less to pay for fixing the “crumbling” infrastructure, less to pay for a good education system, less to pay for quality health care facilities, and yes, less to pay for libraries and community centers; all of which leads to a less attractive community for new residents.
If you want Grand Marais and Cook County to grow and thrive to the future we need to make investments. Don’t complain about the taxes, get involved and make a real difference. There are at least three organizations deeply involved in studies and recommendations to build to a better future: Go Cook County involving the business community; Moving Matters working toward a physically healthier community; and the County Planning Commission, working on an update to its Land Use Planning Guide.
All of these seek public input and will work to engage the entire community in finding the right pathway.
The people who volunteer for these committees are the community’s greatest asset, they are the engine that drives the community forward, and they are the ones whose letters to the editor I want to read when I pick up the paper, letters that celebrate what and who we are, and who have the imagination to guide us forward to what we can be.
I am excited for the future of Cook County, and hope everyone will join the process.
Jerry Hiniker
Grand Marais
Leave a Reply