IRONMAN: Losers are the taxpayers

It seems that City Hall and the Police Department selectively enforce local codes, hoping to benefit the downtown district businesses. Why do they allow camping in the downtown parking lots, on city streets and in the City Hall parking lot? Especially during Ironman.

I know it's in hopes that the campers will wander into the Mayor's Jewelry Store or one of Lord Hagadone's restaurants. You have to support the DOWNTOWN DISTRICT, forget the rest of the town, no conflict of interest of course. If you have a business elsewhere in the city too bad.

There's campgrounds in the area, but they're not downtown. Once you leave the downtown area you're not supporting the part of Coeur d'Alene that counts.

Are the local campgrounds actually all full, or is it just more convenient and cheaper to camp for free downtown? If local campgrounds are all full, open a temporary campground at the fairgrounds. This would get visitors to other areas of the city and benefit more businesses. They should charge for this camping, putting the money in the City's General Fund since it's the taxpayers who are paying for the Ironman.

I don't believe for a minute the Ironman benefits the average taxpayer. If it did we would be hearing about how much it made. Politicians love to brag. I'm sure that the area bars, restaurants and hotels make money, but at what expense to the average taxpayer?

GEORGE CARTER

Coeur d'Alene