Editor:
As a taxpayer in the city of Rhinelander and like alot of other taxpayers in the city, I have many unanswered questions about the revitalization project of the downtown area. When I ask taxpayers if they know who the driving force for the project is, or who started it, or who are the people involved in it and what do you know about it? In response to that I get shrugged shoulders. They use common reasoning to formulate a guess but its not definite. First, we heard of plans of a river project and that was blended with storefront remodeling and redistricting and now grants for the sewer downtown mixed with ideas for streets. The only thing definite is that the project is moving and we are informed about the physical changes but nothing about the big plan or where this is headed. Some taxpayers think we have to do it and some think its a lost cause and that the cancer is beyond cure, but it all depends on the plan. Some taxpayers ask if its like the Field of Dreams. Build it and they will come. Or does someone have the talent to bring in trendy updated corporate businesses. Is it the strategy that makes it elusive? The typical ending response to the conversation is, if you find out will you let me know. Why are taxpayers not kept in the loop and why are they left so detached on a need to know basis? Is this a dead end or a four lane highway or maybe we are all wrong; maybe there is no plan and we make it up as we go? We are looking for the right answers to our questions. I picked up my husband’s pen since he is on an unplanned and unexpected two week vacation which he calls “Play without Pay”.

Gail Strid, Rhinelander