HOW I SEE IT: State Theatre bailout? No thanks.

Our elected town officials want to invest $1.5 million of taxpayer money to renovate the State Theatre. Our town government needs a wakeup call to remind them that they were elected to represent all of the residents of Culpeper.

With well over 100 home foreclosures, the local food bank writing to request donations and many people out of work, surely our elected representatives can find something better to do with $1.5 million taxpayer dollars than patronize the arts.

For openers, they can begin by rolling back some of the 28 percent tax increase they gave us when they also gave themselves a generous pay increase. Reduction of the town taxes would benefit all town property owners. Remember, this is the same town government that quibbled for months about making $30,000 in repairs to our well-used local skateboard park. Incidentally, isn’t the town planning a new law enforcement facility?

Does anyone remember when Culpeper was placed on water use restrictions because the town’s water supply is not large enough to adequately serve the current population in times of even a minor drought? Why not enlarge the town’s water reservoir and reactivate the town wells that have been placed out of service with some of the $1.5 million so we have enough water.

I recently received my county tax notice. The notice was accompanied by a letter requesting contributions for the county library, animal shelter, local schools, parks and recreation, and human service’s children’s programs. Of these needs, the ones that bother me the most are the local public schools and children’s programs.

Our town government recently created a huge issue over furnishing water to the public schools. In my humble opinion, Culpeper County’s public schools should never receive a water/sewer bill from or pay tap fees to the town of Culpeper for any services to the county’s public schools. Certainly other local financial needs could be mitigated by some portion of the $1.5 million the town government is so willing to donate.

There is a profound lack of compassion for others being displayed by those governing our town. The bankrupt value judgment now being contemplated by our town government with regard to $1.5 million funding for the State Theatre renovation indicates there is a dire need for “change” locally.

Please remember these issues the next time you vote for mayor and members of the Town Council.