Letter to the Editor

This letter pertains to the new recreation center poll that was published in the Aug. 25 edition of the Austin Daily Herald.

There are more than 39,000 residents in Mower County. A Vision 2020 poll questioned 50 Mower County residents for its $54,000 Mower County and Austin feasibility study and came up with an answer that the majority of Mower County residents favor the need for the new recreation center.

The pollsters then questioned 350 Austin residents and came up with an answer that was the same as the county poll. Austin needs the new recreation center. Just think how 50 county residents could possibly give a valid answer for the 14,000 rural Mower County residents and 350 Austin residents could possibly give the same answer for 25,000 residents. Those figures don’t make any sense at all, except to the recreation center committee and the pollsters.

The estimated $25 million cost for the center would probably be paid by property taxes. How many people in favor of the recreation center pay property taxes? How many would be getting a free ride? How about the thousands of residents that aren’t interested in the recreation center?

In closing I and I’m sure many others would like to know why the study didn’t show the negative factors.

Minnesota is fast becoming one of the highest taxed states in the country.

Duane Patten, Austin