‘Throw-away’ attitude is wasteful
To the editor:
Having read Sheena McHatten’s and Carol MacPherson’s “twin” letters in the Dec. 31, 2014, Star-Herald, I am moved to endorse their positions completely.
Why? The “throw-away” attitude regarding our civic buildings has got to stop. It all began years ago, with the loss of the Training School (I went there grades 1 to 6), the Fire House, now the Haskell Rec Center. Yes, buildings do need upkeep, but we have tended to forgo maintenance and renovation until suddenly it appears cheaper to cast away buildings that have meant much to us, and finance new ones. This is wasteful. It’s as if there were no sense of historical continuity.
With shrinking state contributions to our tax base, and a shrinking city and county population, we lack a burgeoning populace knocking at our doors to expand our civic buildings and to hire new “services.”
We must build into our line-item budgeting a revolving fund to prioritize on a reasonable timeframe, a yearly maintenance, and if need arises, the renovation of our buildings.
May our city councilors and manager take note.
Gary M. Boone
Presque Isle
