This evening I had an opportunity to listen to the District 4 MPRB
candidates debate at the Kenwood Rec Center. ( I was really there for
the at-large debate but stayed later) Being from Northeast and not
having the Lake of the Isles issues or the Hidden Beach issue as part
of my neighborhood I asked a question pertaining to Northeast because
though the district members are really tied to their own constituents
they vote on issues that pertain to all parts of town. My issue was of
course the fact that prior to it becoming the Lupient Waterpark, the
northeast pool had reasonable family rates that people like my family
could afford to pay for and use. I asked the candidates what they
could do to help solve this problem.
Christine Hanson was of the opinion that the MPRB should be making
these places free and that more partnering with foundations would give
the needed dollars to make this happen. With her background in
business she would be able to help make the grant requests more viable
with better plans for how the money would be spent.
Tracy Nordstom was of the opinion that some park services should
require fees but that by making a sliding scale and setting reasonable
prices the cost for upkeep, lifeguards, parking lot maintenance etc...
could be covered as well as providing an opportunity for all to
participate.
Most people now would say... vote for that free lady.... get the money
from some foundation and get a pass. NOT ME
I am of the old school that says you do not value something unless you
have had to work for it. But the current fee is for many families just
unattainable regardless of how many hours you work. I think that the
MPRB should spend my tax dollars wisely and should be providing
services to me at a cost I can afford. If they get too many foundation
dollars they are no longer accountable to me the taxpayer but to the
foundations that pay for their programs. And crazily enough when times
are tough and folks really need the help is when foundation donations
go down.
The current board has a majority that never seems to question their
poor decisions even when the losses appear in the budget year after
year. Having someone like Tracy on the board will bring in a person
who will give you not the prettiest answer but the hard answer that
really makes better sense in the long run.
Liz Wielinski
Columbia Park
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