reader COMMENTSDanHartung
Dec 7, 2007 at 2:04 p.m.
"Long_Time_Gone, please note that the land swap deal was for the COUNTY to consider. The water park proposal is from the CITY aquatics committee. It's not the same pot of money."

DanHartung - fair enough, not the same pot o'money from the politicians' persepective, but certainly from a taxpayer perspective, cooperation and communication should have occurred during that land swap debate.

That area/county/city would be well-served had the communities of Beloit and Janesville and Rock County joined hands and shared a vision of sharing "attractions." What is there today? Nothing. No stadium or race track, no new fairgrounds or exp center. No community aquatics park. But, taxes continue to increase.

Long_Time_Gone, please note that the land swap deal was for the COUNTY to consider. The water park proposal is from the CITY aquatics committee. It's not the same pot of money.

The Fitzgerald/Hendricks proposal was attractive but I think the county turned it down for the right reasons. It was being pushed for completion by the landowner's tax deadline, and the taxpayers needed more time to look at all the pluses and minuses.

Granted, I am not "local" so I have to ask...

What if Rock County had supported the land swap then negotiated a brand new fairgrounds, minor league baseball stadium, race track, expo/music stage, and whatever else was prosposed by former Bucks owner Jim Fitzgerald, at no cost to the taxpayers? Would there then be something to do in Janesville and Rock County for kids?

And what about the current site of the fairgrounds in the city of Janesville? If the fair moved to new facilities and Rock County could then stop subsidizing the fair, then that would free-up both money and land for a aquatics park.

Janesville would have no land aquistion costs and nearly every other objective of the city for a new water park would be met, at less money.

Bob...I couldn't agree more.

"WE HAVE NOTHING TO DO...I'M BORED...", the kids always whine...! (And, from my personal experience & what's REALLY sad, is that they usually ONLY say this when they have maxed out their "video game" time limit!) What ever happened to "Backyard" baseball, bike riding/racing, 500 & all other neighborhood games! I got tons of plastic bats, balls, volleyball equipment, croquet, badmittion (sp.), etc. available to play with, BUT they are ONLY used when I have to FORCE the kids to play w/ them! Going to an "aquatic" park, like it was for me (I'm 32), should be a "treat"/luxury, NOT an everyday thing! (SERIOUSLY, why reward BAD behavior....Oh yeah, build them a "Water Park"!!) The kids in Janesville say there's NOTHING to do.....well, I say, USE YOUR IMAGINATION!(ALOT of us had to, yet it didn't involve stealing things from others, wrecking things, etc.!)

I have lived a (reasonably) long time and all over this great country. I find Janesville to be focused on the opinions of many entitled, selfish people. I am so tired of hearing "fixed income" like elders have a lock on being unable to come up with money from the magical money tree. I have not gotten a raise in over 7 years. I work full time and do not get benefits. I work in public service and I am especially tired of hearing teachers man and groan, given their good income and benfit package with great work hours.
Elders who "will never use this" (water park), WHO paid for your school dances, skating on the lagoon, education, etc. when you were young? The elders who would never use those benefits. Who is paying for your 65 - forever retirement, knowing that we will never be able to retire? The people who are trying to raise children in the mess that has been left for us by, guess who? YOU! A water park is the least you can do. There is NOTHING for teens to do in Janesville. The Tallman house is lovely, but not recreational, and it is not safe enough anymore for our kids to "just go out and play".

It is sad, but the citizens of Janesville have not really been very supportive of much of anything in recent history that would make Janesville a more popular place to live and play. If you think I am wrong, please take the time to tell me so. This is one debate I wish I would loose.

Bob Kerman
Janesville

It is sad, but the citizens of Janesville have not really been very supportive of much of anything in recent history that would make Janesville a more polular place to live and play. If you think I am wrong, please take the time to tell me so. This is one debate I wish I would loose.

Bob Kerman
Janesville

I think we need this for our kids! There is nothing for kids to do in Janesville! Thats why we have so much crime involving young kids!

Let's "talk" about it AFTER we find a permanent solution to the funding problem at the Tallman House!

How about we spend our tax dollars on maintaining the facilities we have (like the ice arena and parks) instead of building more stuff we won't maintain. Or...we could clean house at Leisure Services and have planty of extra cash.

Whitewater built an aquatic center which is also the High School's pool and couldn't afford to maintain it. So Mercy took over and the last I heard it was still operating in the red.

I think our city manager is getting the msg from the citizens of Janesville, If he went ahead with this crazy idea he would not be manager very long. He came here from MA with a chip on his shoulder and was going to show us country bumkins how to run a city, I cant wait for the day he leaves.

If this was a financially good idea, a private entity would have done it already. A water park would be an eyesore 9 months out of the year just like Magic Waters is in Rockford. I drive by it twice every day, and it never looks nice.