Bob McNamara, Upham

I’ve advocated previously how many people want things but want others to pay for them. Fortunately, the property tax measure went down. Unfortunately, too many still want things for others to pay for. They don’t want to invest in their future.

We consider ourselves conservatives but every week you can read in the MDN how our senators in their free spending frenzy brought money for this or that from the federal government to pay for something ND wants but can’t or doesn’t want to pay for. Now I see the city plans to go after 1.5 million from the feds (11/20) to start, not work on but start, work on the Third Street bridge. We want the bridge but we want others to pay for it.

I also see the parks people want field turf and to reduce taxes on Minot residents. But you want the region to pay for this. How about if you want field turf maybe you should have user fees that pay for the turf. That way maybe the people who want the turf can pay for the turf.

I also see a councilman (Fuller) complain about using city sales tax dollars to help pay for flood control for another community. Who do you think pays sales tax , Mr. Fuller? Only Minot? Who do you think pays for flood control in Minot? Only Minot? No, in addition to the federal government and state government, everyone who comes to Minot to shop pays the tax along with everyone who pays state or federal tax. Ironically, you spend tax dollars to bring tourists and regional people to Minot to shop and pay the tax for things you want but you don’t want to pay for. And you don’t want anyone else using those dollars.

I’ve long been a believer in shopping locally because those businesses who get your dollars put those dollars back into the community. There is even an ad campaign to shop locally. But foolish words such as those put forth by Mr. Fuller tell me to advocate for everyone living outside of Minot to shop online. And to Mr. Blessum, the people of Minot may be strapped but so is everyone else. Maybe you should stop wanting so much, or have the fortitude to tell people who want the city to grow and prosper they have to put money into it. Stand up and say if you want the city to have all these things, you have to invest in it. Maybe Minot would be a thriving community like Bismarck or even Williston. Growing not stagnant.

Stop spending money taxpayers can’t afford.