----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, June 21, 2006 12:13
PM
Subject: [Winona] (no subject)
[Winona Online Democracy]
Kathy,
Thank you for the informative reply, I was also directed to a
website which is helping me to further disect where the GRSF funds actually
end up. I am still hoping (most likely in vain) to see a comprehensive plan
for the GRSF to be self sufficient. Your statement that they will be doing it
through ticket sales is perplexing. We would have to build them one heck of a
theater to recoup/revenue $600k to $1,000,000 per summer so I have a real
hard time believeing ticket sales are going to produce 2/3 of their operating
budget anytime soon.
Regarding the park system.uhhh...I really dont appreciate you
pigeonholing me into someone who stymies their budget because I dont like to
pay property taxes. Kathy, I have absolutely zero problems paying property
taxes, especially when they go to our park systems. Because I dare to question
where our hard earned dollars are going does not make me an enemy of the
city or the parks. I do however have a problem with excessive public funding
of projects which stymie the budgets of others. 75,000 was spent last week(
they requested 250K!) for a study...the total cost of this study is now 325k
and nobody seems to know why it costs that much or what exactly the breakdown
of those costs are. $75,000 dollars...meanwhile, the Miss Winona project you
referenced, of which I was well aware of, still goes on. The tennis/basketball
courts in Gabrych were redone last year...by whom? not the city...a private
resident did it on his own and of his own volition(and funds) so the kids
in the East End would have some decent courts to play on...he was sick and
tired of waiting for the city to find some funds...$75,000 for a study that
money we can find...does that NOT raise a red flag to you regarding the
spending of our public dollars? (and I am not even going to get into the
"safety assesment" we are about to be blessed with...).
Kathy, I appreciate your informative and insightful post, however, no
matter what budget that $75,000 dollars came out of, at one time it came out
of my paycheck or my property taxes.
My premise was an remains that our public dollars are being
mis-spent on frivilous services/programs while the most basic
infrastructure goes unattended.
respectfully
c.e. woodford
CE:
Have you contacted the GRSF Board or the interim general
manager, Jeff Stevenson, with your questions about the Fest's funds, grant
applications or strategic plan? Maybe a request of an annual report would be
in order? I have every confidence that this organization must be independently
audited each year and account for every penny spent! I haven't requested the
figures, but I have every reason to believe that if you ask the appropriate
person involved, s/he will provide any and all public information regarding
the financials.
Bob has shared that his impression is that the goal is
for GRSF to be funded at 2/3 ticket sales and 1/3 private/corporate
contributions or public support. I'm sure that any application for the public
funding of a feasibility study has a budget specifying exactly what will be
done and for how much. I imagine that a copy is buried somewhere in your
congressperson's office--especially since the funding has been approved by the
state. I also believe that the City has this information as well and your City
Councilperson might also be a source for the information you seek. Are these
the places where you've been "asking around" only to have no response? I
suspect (and hope!) not.
As far as whether the community's parks are
being properly maintained--of course they are not (no offense to the
department--I'm sure you do your best within the budget you have!). But it
isn't because the GRSF received public funds!!! I am aware that last year's
Miss Winona, Pam Chapman, began a fund-raising effort for improvements to an
East End playground.(Here is a link to an article about it:
http://www.winonadailynews.com/articles/2005/07/30/neighbors/00neitxt)
I
believe I read a recent statement by her that she hopes to carry on the work
after she retires her crown as well! The parks are like many other services
provided by the City that end up being low on the priority list when competing
for the same funds as police and fire departments, water supply, streets, etc.
This is another example of how private citizens and organizations are having
to raise funds for things that we've come to believe are a public
responsibility, but the government can't pay for it because citizens like
yourself don't want to be taxed for them.
I doubt that the funds given
by the Port Authority or the CVB were funds that could have been provided to
the Park Rec Department. The Port Authority is charged with maintaining the
Port and promoting the river and local commerce. The CVB's role is to promote
Winona as a destination. Clearly the GRSF falls under the purview of both of
these organizations--both of which have their own commissioners or directors
who are charged with responsibility for budgets, decision-making, and
accountability for funds.
The park/rec department is a department of
the City, and its budget is set by the City Council. I think that all three
(the City, Port Authority and CVB) operate independently. Please don't frame
this in a way that is simply false by implying that the City gives money to
GRSF instead of improving our parks!!!
Kathy Seifert
Do you Yahoo!?
Next-gen email? Have it all with the all-new
Yahoo! Mail Beta.
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