The Free Press, Mankato, MN

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November 19, 2009

Your View: Christmas lights should be cut out

Gordon Walker, Good Thunder

Recent Free Press news stories include “2010 budgets worrisome” on Aug. 27, “Offender checkups may be halted” on Nov. 2, “Mankato City Council agrees to levy increase” on Sept. 15. It should be noted that this levy increase will cause individual taxpayers to see an increase of 1.78 percent.

This is more of your hard-earned money the city wants to take. However, the city recently was hanging Christmas lights in the park on Jackson Street. I hope I am not the only person in the area who finds this extremely troubling.

I believe the city’s core responsibilities with our tax dollars is to provide solid infrastructure and public safety, not to ensure our holiday season is filled with glee.

I encourage other people to make their voices heard when the city is asking for more tax dollars and slamming our state conservatives for lack of local aid. If this is how the city is spending its money, I can understand why the handouts from St. Paul are being cut. If lights are a necessity for some, you could ask for donations to support them just like the fireworks on the 4th of July.

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