The events center may or may not be a good idea. As with everything else in the world, time will tell. The supporters of the project have produced a lot of information that supports their idea that given sufficient funds, they can build successfully operate an events center in Bemidji. I have seen one article in the Bemidji Pioneer (Jan. 11, "Financial strategies planned not to affect taxpayers") that discusses a deficit range and proposals to generate funds that would cover any deficits without using tax dollars.
While I am not suggesting we will lose money on the events center, I am saying we should look into possibilities that there will be deficits and that we should be just as thorough in projecting deficits as we are in projecting costs.
I guess my question is; do we have a reasonable accurate estimate of possible shortfalls (for whatever reason), and who will be responsible to cover those shortfalls?
Donald McBride
Bemidji
