Wondering if council will address concerns over new business

Gary Templin raises some interesting issues and some of those issues are worthy of serious attention by anyone concerned for the welfare of the community. None of the issues raised by Mr. Templin however, are likely to be discussed in city council meetings nor are they likely to be of concern to the city council negotiators.

There are those at City Hall who are very much committed to the Ritzville Public Development Authority’s (RPDA) seriously flawed Light Industrial/Tourist Park, aka Agricultural Discovery Center. Love’s Travel Center, it is hoped, will be the vehicle through which the city can get utilities across I-90 just in case there are enough silly people to provide millions of dollars of grants, and taxpayer dollars for the RPDA to use to induce folks to open up a business on the taxpayer’s dime.

The City Council’s negotiators will do their best to see Love’s Travel Center become a part of the local economy. The possible positives or negatives of this major change to Ritzville are of little concern to our planners and are unlikely to influence their decisions. However, the RPDA’s crony-capitalism project, paying companies to come to Ritzville, is the driving force.

Barry Boyer, Ritzville