Reader responds to latest RAID column...

I wanted to fisk the article, but I have been traveling and actually, once I saw my email... I didn't think I could do a better job than the person who contributed the following.

Congrats Ken on being the first contribution to 'Letters to MOCO'. Here is Ken's response...

To the people of Kingman:

Harley Pettit has a column in today’s Miner. As usual, RAID is crying and whining about how they are looking after the interests of the people of this town, and Harley does not appreciate being “attacked” by “Monica Busch, Ken Wilson, and Michael Dye are the latest critics”.

Well, Harley. I suggest you get used to these “attacks”. The influential people listed about as well as most Kingman citizens are starting to get tired of your negative stances and disrespect / contempt for our elected officials and city employees.

Also, everything that RAID stands for is negative, and people in this town want to see progress and positive solutions to the challenges we face. Generally, RAID offers none…well except for Harley’s new idea… Harley says that we should take 60 to 80 acres of the city’s 168 acres and use it for “flood control”.

WOW! 60-80 acres of “flood control” along I-40??? I don’t think the entire town of Kingman would require so much land for “flood control” 80 acres would hold an enormous volume of water. Harley, are you expecting GOD to break his promise and flood the world again??? Actually, this simply goes to show that Harley and other RAID members simply don’t know what they are talking about.

Here is the best part of Harley’s hair brain scheme….. He said that this using the city’s land for flood control “doesn’t cost us any additional money”. THIS IS WHERE I LOVE TO BEAT UP ON RAID FOR “PLAYING MR. DEVELOPER”! HAVE THESE GUYS EVER DESIGNED OR BUILT A WATER RETENTION BASIN?

Well, I have.… Really. I have! And believe me, it is NOT FREE!!! It takes 1) an engineering study, 2) a hydrological study of the area, 3) enormous amount of earth moving, and 4) retention wall building. ALL OF THIS COSTS MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

Here again, RAID puts out misrepresentations and/or lies that hurt the people of Kingman. They throw out ideas that are flat out wrong and incorrect. So, the people of Kingman are told that using prime commercial land worth tens of millions of dollars is best used for “flood control”. NOT!

RAID, you guys really have got to pull it together. Your credibility is quickly slipping away…

-Ken Herskind

PS Let me throw out my idea quickly… 1) Rezone the 168 acres, 2) build the interchange, 3) let commercial develop north of the interchange, and 4) THEN, sell the city’s 168 acres for $50-$100 million. With that money, we can repay bonds, build more parks, hire police/fire, and improve more infrastructure. ALL THIS WITHOUT RAISING A PENNY OF TAXES!!!

PSS Oh…Did I also happen to mention about the millions of dollars of sales tax revenue for the City of Kingman that would come along with the additional commercial?

PSSS Oh, Did I also happen to mention about the effects of this growth on your home values? Maybe if Kingman had the shopping and growth back our home values would pick up again?

Good job Ken, thanks for your contribution. Everyone, keep the contributions coming. I will post them here. Tell others about this site and let them know that there are plenty of people speaking up for them. They are not alone.