LETTER: District 18A taxpayers are poorly represented

Why does Hutchinson think that it needs a tar trail to uitilize it? The trail is utilized today by many people. The only people whom cannot use it today are people with rollerblades. If you tar it a large group of snowmobilers will not be able to utilize it and they bring alot more money into the towns than rollerbladers.

I am not sure where you get your information but lets get the facts straight: There is NO majority in favor of tarring this trail.

Lets spend out tax dollars on wise items. Just becuase there are a bunch of lemmings out there that want to waste tax money on other things does NOT mean we need to follow. Wise up .........

Thank you Mr. Know It All.....

- Non support from many residents have also been shown against paving of the trail. If you were at the public meeting Rep. Shimanski had (which I point out Mr. Dille was not in attendance) there was 75% support against paving the trail.
- Polls in the Hutchinson Leader is not a statistically valid method of gathering data. If you want real information try the larger population
- Mr. Dille's bill does state that everyone can utilize the trail. The fact remains that owners will not ride horses on tar trails because they will slip, fall, and be injured.
- Snowmobilers cannot use the trail because the tar will melt the snow. That is physics, but I guess they didn't cover that in journalism school for you...

Yes I have posted many comments about taring the trail because wasting tax payer money on this makes no sense.

Hutchinson is leading the state in how to spend tax money faster than anyone out there. The money comes from people like you and I. It doesn't grow on trees.

I do NOT support taring of the Luce Line Trail. That is why we call it a trail and not the Luce Line Highway!!!!

Jumping into the fray , I am also a taxpayer here in Mcleod county, and I DON'T support paving the trail. So, I think Mr. Shimanski is supporting my thoughts exactly.
Just where does bonding bill money come from? Isn't that money taken from future taxes? Just where are those monies coming from? Us, as tax payers is my guess. I don't want or need any more taxes taken out of my already shredded paycheck. If you want this trail paved so badly, why not put up legislation that requires bicyclists to pay a "user fee" just like the snowmobliers, and horse back riders? In my estimation, that could potentially pay for paving of the trail itself, then you have no reason to gripe about your representative not meeting your needs, you just do it yourselves. Why should the rest of us have to support your WANTS? In this economy, I believe this is a frivolous reason to spend tax payer money, when that money should go for NEEDS, not wants. Propose to Senator Dille who supports your wants that you should each pay a $30 trail pass, in order to use the trail. That should take care of it, and Hutchinson and the surrounding communities would STILL benefit with all the tourism this paved trail would bring in. There, you have a solution in front of you, run with it.

Mr. McMillan, the question was rhetorical...I think I know where bonding money comes from ( my future taxes).
I did the math regarding your 650 person petition approving paving the trail. There are 34,898 people in McLeod county's census as of 2000, so, if 650 people signed your petition, that means that less than 2% of the entire population of McLeod county are in favor of paving the trail. I STILL think Mr. Shimanski is following the desires of the voters.
If you attended the meeting in Silver Lake last winter, you would have heard the overwhelming majority of voters are opposed to paving the trail. As far as the farmers are concerned, the DNR has been a poor neighbor as it is, and the farmers were told ( I WAS there), that if a tiled line breaks under the Luce Line, the responsiblity for repairing the pavement on the Luce Line after repairing the tile is up to the farmer. Not much incentive for them to be in favor of paving in my book.
I also looked up all those trails that have been awarded money, and you are comparing apples to oranges here. By the way, of all those trails that received funding as of this last year, none of those trail allows horse back riding nor snowmobling ( or if they do it is only for a portion of the trail). Many horseback riders and snowmobiles make use of the Luce Line, you would deny us the usage of a trail that is ALREADY a multi use trail as it is? In Hutchinson, there are several miles of paved trail already, for those who care to rollerblade or ride bicycle on a paved surface.
For example, The Blufflands State Trail, and Root River state Trail are conjoined, and run along the towns of Lanesboro, Harmony, Lake Preston, HUGE tourist attraction there. Same way with the Paul Bunyan State trail, Runs from Brainerd/Baxter to Bemidji, another HUGE tourist area. If I go on vacation, I would want to go to one of those places and am grateful they are receiving funding from MY tax dollars. Tourism is their main source of income. Hutchinson, on the other hand is an industrial town, if I lived in another town, I wouldn't pick the Hutchinson area to vacation in anyway. I grew up in western MN, and no one I know from "back home" ever told me they were taking a vacation in Hutchinson, hence I really don't buy the argument that it will bring more tourists to Hutchinson. I mean, eat? Where? One of our many fast food joints? Don't get me wrong, I love our few sit down restaurants, but, we are sadly lacking in any nice supper clubs here. Shopping? Once again, the antique stores in town have a lot of unique items, but, someone biking into town is going to have trouble hauling a couch or loveseat on the back of a bike home.
But, you completely missed my point regarding how to get the money for paving the Luce Line, once again, propose to the "wonderful" Senator Dille that he put a bill into the senate, that requires a $30 annual "user fee" for all bicyclists to use a state trail, that will take care of the funding problem I am sure, and the rest of us opposed to paving won't have our tax dollars used for something I, personally, am vehemently against.

Several points to ponder. As a somewhat avid bicyclist, I can envision Hutchinson becoming a designation for riders coming from the west metro area to stay overnight on a weekend round trip ride if the section from Winsted to Huchinson was improved — either by paving or with a crushed limestone surface such as used on several trails in western Wisconsin. (We've ridden 100 miles of a limestone trail from Trempealeau to LaCrosse to Sparta to Reedsburg, with a side trip on a trail to Camp Douglas).

It is about 45 miles or less from Plymouth — a good day's ride for someone who rides a lot. With some promotion in the various cycling magazines, it could become popular. It would be one of the few that exit the Twin Cities into rural Minnesota. Two of the few such trails is one from Victoria, under Hwy. 7 to Excelsior, under I-494 and on into Hopkins. Another is the 18-mile Gateway Trail from White Bear Lake and north (with 9.7 miles of parallel horse treadway.)

I wouldn't mind the finely crushed limestone surface. I've ridden that type before a lot in Wisconsin. The material tends to take on a clay-like consistency that packs down fairly hard over time. They are soft, however, in the spring and after heavy rains and probably require regular grading and rolling/packing. Thus paving is usable for a longer period of the year and requires less maintenance than a limestone surface. They also are not very good for in-line skaters.

The Luce Line as it exists now, is not suitable for street bikes with narrow tires. Cross bikes with medium-width tires can sort of manage it. It really is a surface best for the wide tires of mountain bikes, which many long-distance riders don't use.

Hutchinson City Council member Bill Arndt, long an avid snowmobiler and snowmobiling instructor, has said paving should not hinder snowmobiling if properly groomed. A bigger deterrent to snowmobiling in recent years is Mother Nature. We've had very few winters where we've had consistent snow cover throughout the season. We've become more like Illinois or Missouri — we'll get an occasional good snowfall, but it melts in a week. That has kind of killed snowmobiling in south central Minnesota anyway — ask any of few snowmobile dealers who survive and the many who have gotten out of the business.

As for horses, it is my impression that the plan calls for a parallel horse treadway, which will be more interesting for horseback riders than the trail. Besides, what says horses can't go on the paving. They have horse shoes, I believe, and I've seen plenty of horses on paved roads during wagon train rides, etc., or during parades on city streets.

I don't know the exact numbers, but it is my impression that the number of horseback riders would probably be small compared to the number of bicyclists and in-line skaters.

One problem I have with the Luce Line as it exists now is the noise caused by tires rolling on the rock — especially the flint-like rock the DNR applied from Hutchinson to Cedar Mills. This material was applied several years ago in preparation for paving and was not intended to be the final surface. When my wife and I have ridden it, we can't carry on a conversation side-by-side because of the crackling noise. The problem isn't as bad east of town, but the rock is more rounded and in places it is difficult to ride on with our medium-tired cross bikes.

I would be more than willing to pay a daily or seasonal user fee to get paving. You do that on the county-operated Cannon Valley trail between Red Wing and Cannon Falls. You get your pass at local bike shops or hardwares stores, etc. I think we've paid, too, when riding trails in Wisconsin. Or I wouldn't mind a system where you pay a one-time trail assessment when you buy a new bike. Unfortunately, the Minn. DNR, seems against any type of bike-user fee program. So don't blame "freeloading cyclists." Many of us would gladly pay if we could.

LuckyDucky says cyclists would not ride to Hutchinson because it is not a prime tourism area and seems to imply that trails are only in tourist areas. Not true. The Shooting Star trail is being constructed along a former Milwaukee Road rail bed southeast of Austin in the area towards from LeRoy to Taopi. That is mostly flat, open farm country much like Hutchinson, not the rolling hills and valleys of the Lanesboro area a few miles northeast of there.

I've ridden the 22-mile Glacial Lakes Trail from Willmar to New London. Not exactly prime tourist territory except for Green Lake. About half of it has a parallel horse treadway and the rest has a grass strip along the paving for horses. I believe a trail is being considered, or is already under way from Fairfax south to Fort Ridgely. A major trail is planned for the Minnesota River valley. It got money this session. We've ridden The Sakatah Singing Hills Trail from Faribault to Mankato, Mankato to Good Thunder (It has two sections of parallel horse treadway), and Pine Island to Rochester — all passing through mostly farm country. These trails tend to become the tourist attraction in non-tourist areas. On any summer or fall weekend, you'll find all fairly busy with people who traveled there to specifically, with their bikes on a car carrier, get out and enjoy the trails.

I think one possible future link for the Luce Line would be a spur running from the area Cedar Mills north in the Highway 22 right of way (outside slope of the ditch) to Greenleaf and then on to the Greenleaf Recreation Area scheduled to take shape in the coming years. That is expected to draw tourists to this area.

Paving the Luce Line also would fit in with the city's and chamber's strong efforts in recent years to promote Hutchinson as a destination for people to visit. Perhaps that is why those groups have passed resolutions of support. Cyclists usually aren't looking for a five-star restaurant (they don't have the clothes for it with them anyway). The choices close to the trail — fast food, Squeaky's, Country Kitchen, American Pastime, and the soon to open Zella's Italian (What cyclist wouldn't want to carbo load on pasta for the trip home the next day!) downtown, would likely gain from a paved trail, as well as the many motels close to the route.

If a politician as fiscally conservative as Mr. Sviggum, formerly the Republican Minnesota Speaker of the House, sees the value of trails, perhaps Mr. Shimanski can, too.

(Terry Davis is a Hutchinson Leader staff writer. E-mail him at davis@hutchinsonleader.com.)

I'd gladly pay to use the trail. It'd be a heckuva lot cheaper than driving to Sauk or Lanesboro as we do every year. I don't know about the using tax dollars to pave it, but I'd use it. If the trail was paved, the extra money we saved would be used to sample some of Hutchinson's affordable fine dining after going on a bike ride.

The folks in St. Paul can't consider any improvements to the Luce Line State Trail for two years. Lawmakers budget improvement projects every other year.

Lawmakers did approve improvements this year to 13 other state trails listed in the letter writer's list above. Taxpayers from here and around the state will be paying for those improvements.

Luckyducky, you believe the majority doesn't want trail improvments. I believe support shown by the cities along the trail, the county, petition and Mr. Dille's two meetings show majority support. We'll have to agree to disagree.

You also talked about your satisfaction with our state representative. He is entitled to his opinion, too.

Trail supporters are disappointed because he ran in 2006 telling people he thought improvements would be terrific, and changed his position in early 2008.

I agree with you regarding Mr. Shimanslo's courage. It is rare to go against the wishes of important groups in his district including:

— McLeod County Board
— Winsted City Council
— Silver Lake City Council
— Hutchinson City Council
— Hutchinson Area Chamber of Commerce
-- Mr. Dille's bill
-- Petition by 650 voters

It takes courage to change a position against these groups after being positive about trail improvements during his campaign in 2006.

Former Speaker of the House Steve Sviggum said state trail improvments are paid for by the state.
He ran the body for many years and understands what the state pays for and does not pay for.

It is not fair to taxpayers here to have their state tax money go to improve other state trails every year and pay additional city or county taxes to pave the Luce Line State Trail here. Taxpayers from across Minnesota should help pay for it, since this is one of the first eight state trails and we've paid a portion of paving projects on the other seven.

Stephanie, you are entitled to an opinion and I totally repect that. However, when you compare a school referendum which most funds come from the school district and it's community's taxpayers AND a bike trail that would get funded by mostly state funds. These are two differnt situations. We do need improvements to our schools #1, yes, but this does not affect this areas need for a paved trail.
Then you bring up a totally unrelateable topic...Hutchinson's dining options. That is ludicrous and totally unrelated ot this. You mention our struggling economy at every level and that affecting most everyone's daily life. That is happening, no doubt. But, you cannot mention struggling in this economy to having antoher place to eat out in our community. People need to make sacrifices and eating out would be one of them.

Sportsnut, our taxes are only unrelated because we have different pools of money. As it leaves my checkbook, it is entirely related. You failed to understand that I am pointing out the system of state funds vs community funds is what is the problem. The process of my taxes going to the federal level to trickle back down to a local project is the problem. By the time my $1 in taxes gets back to a local project, only $0.48 cents gets back to us. You can choose to live within the framework which exists and continue to pay as the puppet, but I instead choose to communicate our system or process is the problem.

As for the dining in Hutchinson.... If you read futher up, you will see that I wasn't the one who brought it up. I was only furthering it from someone else's thoughts. My apologies, I should have ignored the dining comment, as the issue here is tax dollars and prioritization.

I recently moved from Hutchinson to Chaska and would have to agree after using the paved trail system in Chaska that paving the Luceline Trail would be a benefit. I think more people would use the trails if they were paved. It is a wonderful trail.