Letters to the Editor, Oct. 5

| Thursday, October 04, 2007

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Annexation of all Rapid Valley right thing to do right now

It appears that one of the city council members thinks we should annex property along S.D. Highway 44 in Rapid Valley. First of all, let me say the business or businesses in that area will not come close to paying for this transaction.

I think it is time to start a program to annex all the valley not just parts or parcels of it. This will be a very expensive proposition but the city needs to plan ahead on this and do it right.

So, when we think acres, we are talking about almost 200,000. Valley Drive is probably the closest area to the city and that comprises about 55,000 acres and the big part of the valley would be about 142,000 acres. The city did purchase some water rights and land in the valley and that is another reason we need to make some rules and regulations now.

I feel sure some will disagree with my analogy but twenty years from now, you will agree it was right and proper even though it will be very expensive or costly at this time.

MELVIN PARLET

Rapid City

Speak out about hiking areas converted to ATV trails

If you are a hiker, mountain biker, horseback rider, or hunter who likes to get away from it all in the peace and quiet of the forest, you need to take a close look at the proposed travel management map. Many areas, which were previously closed to ATV’s, are being proposed to be opened to ATV use. These areas, which currently have a sign on the closure gates which reads, “Closed to motorized use to provide a non-motorized recreational experience,” include: Red Lake Area, Crow Peak Area, an area near Eagle Cliff, and an area near the Limestone Plateau. The total mileage to be converted from hiking roads to ATV roads is approximately 44 miles.

If this makes your heart sink as it did mine, you can do something about it. Go to the following web site www.fs.fed.us/r2/blackhills, print out the comment form, and send it in.  If we don’t let the Forest Service know that these areas are important to us as non-motorized recreational areas, we will lose them. 

Paul Bosworth

Spearfish

Central States Fair a taxpayersupported boondoggle

The editorial about the state fair being a waste of taxpayer dollars is a carbon copy of the Pennington County fair.

The 2007 Pennington County provisional budget for the fair was $565,000 plus $339,130 for fair bond repayment. For 2008, $235,000 for the fair and $340,630 for bond repayment.

Supposedly the fair is making a profit. Why not? The county spent $4.5 million to build the event center. This does not include the interest being paid on the bond issued for its construction. The fair board pays no rent to the county. Any business should show a profit under those conditions. If all the taxpayers’ money sunk into that boondoggle could be totaled it would be more than $10 million and counting. It’s time to put this burden on those that benefit from it, namely Rapid City. If they want it, let them pay for it. Those of us not close to Rapid City sure as heck don’t benefit. So cough up Rapid City and pay your way.

GLEN LAKNER

Wall

Thune, Bush failed to offer a better plan than SCHIP

Senator Thune voted against expanding the State Children’s Health Insurance Program and indicates that he will not likely be joining many from his party trying to override President Bush’s veto.

He cites two reasons: 1) The program would cost an extra $35 billion and 2) The program is a step toward social medicine. Rather than turning his back on S.D.children and families he should reconsider. First the extra cost for increasing insurance coverage to uninsured children would be covered by a 65 cent per pack increase in federal cigarette taxes. We remember that in South Dakota we passed, by 61 percent on a statewide ballot, a tax increase on cigarettes of $1 per pack. Sen. Thune should share this with his colleagues and Mr. Bush. The second issue, is just the same old social medicine rhetoric used  to scare people for over 75 years, and used only to perpetuation of our current health care payment system that is responsible for over 50 percent of all bankruptcies in the U.S. and leaves 5,000 South Dakota children without health insurance.  Any plan would be better.  If Thune has any better and specific ideas, I would like to hear them.

Lou Leahy

Spearfish