> I quess I don't understand why the swimming pool at the U of I is not
> adequate.
> It's paid for , owned by us already, indoor, warmed and accessible.
>
> Along these same lines I don't understand why the Whitworth building has to
> be bought by one agency from another for more tax dollars. It already
> belongs to the
> citizens of Moscow. Eminant Domain is still a viable option.
It is a mistake to lump all of the "publics" together.
For example, the "public" that owns the Whitworth Building is not "the
citizens of Moscow." The Building is in fact owned by the taxpayers of
the Moscow School District -- a group that includes but is significantly
larger than the "citizens of Moscow." I presume that people who live
outside of Moscow but within the school district would be justifiably
upset if the School Board decided to give the City their property.
The "public" involved in the UofI swim center issue is even more
complicated since the swim center is not as a matter of right available
for the public use.
Eminent domain does not resolve the problem since it requires the
condemning authority to pay "just compensation" for the property taken.
Dale Goble
Moscow