Cook County News Herald

Proposed county prison project, budget process questioned


The momentum is growing for another building that not even the company hired to research the need can support. No numbers have been provided that show the county will need a bigger, better law enforcement center. In fact the growth in the next 25 years of criminals – yes, 25 years – is minimal.

Facts say the Minnesota statistics reflect that the state is an aging – that means getting older – population and Cook County is already at the head of that list and expected to grow older. So…are we citizens of age going to be more criminal-like? Will there be a wing for geriatric prisoners?

Maybe “no” to a $4 million monument facility is the right answer!

One more thing: The public the county officials are here to serve seems not important enough to keep their schedule. Pardon me – it’s hard enough to speak up and when you get the courage to open yourself up for scrutiny you are put on hold.

Did you know that the only reason we, the public, are invited to an open discussion is because they have something more important to discuss and we are an aside? So what do you think about the Committee of the Whole? Have you ever been to a meeting? Did you know this is supposed to be your time to have a dialog, a back-and-forth exchange of ideas?

There is no time for public input before we are saddled with another outlandish levy. What next?

Arvis Thompson
Colvill

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