Growth leads to a ghetto

"We need more growth." These entrepreneurial "experts" who continue to know what's better for us than WE do need to move to Ada County or Twin to realize their fondest dreams of "growth, fame and fortune."

When I came here in 1972, a population sign in Railroad Park read "3410." At the time, there were more bars than churches, yet still, you could leave town for three weeks, homes unlocked, keys in pickups, and all would be there when you came home. Would you risk that today?

I don't remember more than three stop lights in town, and traffic didn't resemble the warm up laps of the Daytona 500.

We had neither the smog haze that you see over Boise, not mandated emissions testing which has never to my knowledge gone toward fixing any roads. With this

"growth," both will come. Count on it.

Continued growth will also invite crime, gangs and vandalism. Watch any train coming through town and count, if you can, the number of freight cars that are tagged in spray paint. What size towns do you suppose that originates in?

Elmore County's water table has always been questionable. It'll never support what the fat cats want this town to become. Supply and demand is already "impacting" our community. Looked at your water bill lately? Wait'll we "grow" some more.

To hear the carpetbaggers, you'd think it was some sort of felony to be a small peaceful town. We need to vote wisely before Mountain Home becomes a ghetto.

— Mike Bradbury