I am writing in response to Brian Hensley’s recent opinion article about putting everything on the table when planning for Albert Lea’s future.  That is the main problem with what is going on in deciding our future. The public is not given all the information necessary to make an informed decision. They are only told enough to peak their interest and told these $100,000 consultant studies are only suggestions and we can implement as much or as little as we want, when we want. All the while city officials are having constant and private discussions with outside entities to bring them on board in their grandiose idea of partnering with and housing them in a massive new community center. Someone should also take into account how much parking space is going to be needed, especially if a sports arena were to be incorporated into this facility, that area will produce no tax base.

I am not a negative person, but I do consider myself realistic and without explanations on how we are going to pay for all of these things some of our city officials and outside entities want, I am hesitant to get on board. This idea some community members have of “build it and they will come” just does not work for me. That idea was used when the school district wanted a new school and also to some extent when the new county government center was built and how did that work for us? I have not heard of any major manufacturing businesses or any big businesses at all for that matter knocking down our door to come to this community because of those taxpayer expenditures. I don’t see how it would be any different with an expensive community center that would house all the different public and private entities being discussed.

I am all for developing the Blazing Star Landing, but I do not believe a multi-million dollar community center will expand our tax base in that area. Where are all the private developers we would need to make this idea work?  I am for all the jobs we can bring to this community, but construction jobs will only last as long as it takes to build this project and retail, service and professional jobs have to be sustained by decent-paying manufacturing, warehouse or long-term industrial jobs. We need to look at the young people we have graduating from high school who would just like to get a job and earn enough money to start a family, buy a house and invest in their future so one day they can retire into their golden years comfortably after years of paying taxes and contributing to this community.

It seems like no matter what direction we go we have some very important decisions to make. We need to decide if we are going to be a tourist destination, a retirement community or a community on the move incorporating a little of all these aspects.

 

Gary Hagen

Albert Lea