Letter - Event Center: Government needs to stay out of private enterprise

To the editor:

I was shocked, disappointed and disgusted to read on the Echo Press website that the Alexandria City Council voted 3-2 to spend up to $10,000 to look into the possibility of building an event center.

I have several issues with this decision, but here are just a few: Why would our local government even begin to think that their role is to look into something like this? Furthermore, why would they spend up to $10,000 of our money to study it? This is not the role of government.

We have the Ballroom, Arrowwood, and the Holiday Inn, just to name a few of the fine, privately-owned venues that are available to the public.

I think the good people of this city ought to be outraged. We have roads to fix; people are hurting. While your property values go down and your property taxes go up, your city council is voting to throw $10,000 into what will ultimately become a large black hole.

If someone wants to build an event center, more power to them. However, the fundamental issue is that government should not be anywhere near this type of issue, and they need to stay out of private enterprise. When will our elected officials get that? Let the businessmen who want this event center pay for the study.

Council member Owen Miller made the motion to proceed with this study, with council members Elroy Frank and Dave Benson also voting in the affirmative. Thank you, council members Sara Carlson and Virgil Batesole for your no votes.

Steve Hensley

Alexandria, MN

Tags: opinion, letters