Voting YES is a no-brainer

Dear Editor,

In an Open Forum letter in Monday's Gazette, Dick Trail advised the good people of McCook to vote against the Amendment to the Economic Development Program question which will appear on the Tuesday, May 10, Primary Election ballot.

As I read through Dick's letter, I noticed one glaring omission. What he did not mention is that whether McCook citizens vote FOR or AGAINST, the McCook sales tax will remain the same as it is now for the next 17 years. That's right, 17 years. This is true because the sales tax authorization approved in 2015 allows the current sales tax level to remain in effect until 2033.

Dick probably has his reasons for suggesting that McCookites vote no, but saving money is not one of them. No matter how McCook citizens vote, the community's 7 percent sales tax is going to continue.

I don't know about you, but I -- for one -- am glad that the City of McCook is proposing that the McCook Economic Development Corp. help the community with economic development. I know the MEDC is serious about economic development because their members kicked in $65,000 of their own money last year to help with economic development.

And, over the past 40 years, going back to the 1970s and 1980s, McCook Economic Development members have pitched in well over a million dollars to help fund McCook's economic development efforts.

I'm grateful to the men and women of the McCook Economic Development Corp. for their faith, loyalty and dedication to the McCook community. By voting YES Tuesday, the citizens of McCook will ensure that the City of McCook can count on the full-fledged cooperation and support of the men and women of the MEDC.

Dick's a good guy and I admire him for standing up for what he believes. But, when it comes to what's best for the City of McCook, I like the advice of Bill and Sandy Graves, who concluded their "VOTE FOR" letter in Monday's Gazette by saying:

"So it's really a no-brainer to take the next step and vote FOR the economic development program. If we don't, we'll be paying the sales tax but not getting the economic development benefits."

Respectfully yours,

Gene O. Morris

McCook, Neb.