To the Editor:

I agree with Mr. Colbeth, We cant afford a new fire station, not at this time. 

The economy stinks, and nothing looks like its going to improve. The last time I counted, there were 15 empty storefronts in the downtown/Main Street area. Oh, and the population of John Day has dropped from 2200 to less than 1755. (2011) 

The school system has half of the students. Unemployment is crazy, and will be out of sight when the last mill closes. Get ready to roll up the sidewalks.  The Industrial Park is booming (?), but the airport and hospital are pretty.

The city already has us $3 million in debt. And it wont be long before were an additional $7 to 10 million in debt for a new sewer treatment plant.  And little money was put aside for all this when the economy was good. 

Oh, we paid off the county jail complex, so instead of giving the people a break for a few years, no, lets sock it to them for another 20 years. The city doesnt have enough money coming in to handle its current level of spending for such things as public works. More water and sewer rate increases. 

Money for upkeep and repair of the existing fire station has been nonexistent. If you let upkeep go undone for 60 years, you are likely to have a piece of junk left. With fund-raising and volunteers, I would rather the city spend $200,000 to remodel/update the existing fire station than to burden US with a 20-year, $1.2 million-plus bond. 

When and if the economy does get better, then lets talk again about a new fire station. The city has been talking about a new fire station for over 10 years, and yet nothing has been saved to build it. Continue to pay down our existing debt and find ways to save for future improvements. 

I repeat, now is not the time to build a new fire station.