Letter to th editor: JSDC unwise to throw money at railroad loop project

I am writing in regard to the railroad loop the Jamestown/Stutsman Development Corp. wants to help fund to bring in business to the community. It sounds like the JSDC has a lot of (taxpayer) money to throw around to various businesses. John Grabinger said it will cost property owners $250 a year to help fund this one, on top of the already astronomical property taxes we now pay, hence the property tax measure that will be on the ballot in June. I think people are sick and tired of a select few throwing money at projects like they belong to some kind of elite group of Washington politicians with an open check book. I also read in last weekend’s paper that they are comparing this “loop” to the oil boom out west and the jobs it will create along with taxes it will produce for Jamestown and Stutsman County. I would like to see an example of anything the JSDC has done that would compare to a fraction of what’s going on in western North Dakota, besides producing a lot of rotten egg smell. I think they are comparing apples to oranges.

And once I’ve paid my $250 a year for this when would I see my money back in return like they claim? Would they cut me a check? I doubt it. Great River Energy promised to pay 5 percent return? So that’s all it takes is a promise to pay a return, kinda like other empty promises that have been made to the city with no return at all. The JSDC would like us to believe that this loop will be the beginning of some kind of sprawling metropolis in Spiritwood but in reality it is just another huge waste of our money. I’m pretty sure other towns aren’t using the JSDC as protocol to further their communities.

Kirk Dietrich

Tags: opinion, letters, jsdc