Letter: Don’t ask questions if you don’t want to know the answer

The Lakewood Village Board has an obligation to exercise care with taxpayers’ money. That means making a rational decision based on relevant and objective data. Have they done this regarding the proposed RedTail clubhouse? No. Instead, they’ve refused to ask questions to which they don’t want to know the answers.

What should have been the first step in deciding whether or not to build a new RedTail clubhouse? Answer: Finding out if the old clubhouse can be fixed.

How could this have been done? Answer: By getting bids. If no bids are received, that’s proof the clubhouse can’t be fixed. If bids are received, they can be compared to other options.

But the village staff never asked for bids, even when ordered to do so by the board. Instead, it got two letters from contractors saying the clubhouse couldn’t be fixed. What did this prove? That two contractors said it couldn’t be fixed.

Why didn’t they get bids? Because they don’t want to know the answer.

The proposed clubhouse is much bigger. The Village Board heard anecdotes about the need for more space, but never saw any objective evidence proving how much additional space is needed. Why not? Because they don’t want to know the answer.

Golf carts are to be stored underneath the new clubhouse. Were other options evaluated to see if they were cheaper, such as leaving the carts outside or building a pole barn? No. Why not? Because they don’t want to know the answer.

And the Village Board has voted to put taxpayers on the hook if it turns out the golf course isn’t profitable or if the impact fees belong to someone else.

What happens in that case? Don’t ask – you don’t want to know.

Steve Willson, Lakewood