Damned if they do - Damned if they don't

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In light of recent revelations that the county land is worth considerably more than once thought, the Mulder buying group will change the proposal to acquire the land while simultaneously implying it is doing so to the benefit of the fairgrounds project. It’s one thing when a paid spokesmen for a buyers group deliberately misleads in order to coerce a favorable reaction from a seller. But it’s entirely another thing when the only investigative reporting in town allows the false statements to go unchallenged.

JG excerpt:
“What we hope to achieve in working with the county administration is to demonstrate another level of sincerity to bring a new fairgrounds to Rock County, and I think we…..”— Brian Christianson

This, despite final denials from Fitzgerald, Mulder and Hendricks that the land deal is strictly a real estate transaction.

JG excerpt:
“To me, it’s so simple.” Said Fitzgerald. “Just get this down to one thing – just farmland for farmland – and forget all this other stuff.”

It appears the group of buyers are willing to go to the ends of the earth to get that county land. Too bad they were not willing to do the same for the stadium or the fairgrounds. As a visitor commented on this blog,”we must remember who approached whom.”

The county property more than doubled in value in less than two years based on location, location and potential. If the dollar continues to free fall in value, the AAA+ county land will continue to rise in value at a faster clip than the three parcels of B+ land being dumped by the investors.

JG excerpt:
“You would think that there would be some contribution (to the land) for being close to the interstate, even though it does not have the premier access that others do.”— Jim Viney, Viney Appraisal Service

We’re not talkin’ Newville here. The Mulder properties offered to the County reside within a relatively undeveloped area near the Interstate.

JG excerpt:
Our farmhouse is 60 feet from the highway, and we hear trucks 24 hours a day. – Elton Broege, Brunland Farms

The psychology behind the misinformation places the county board at a clear disadvantage. If they take the deal, residents will expect the county to pursue the stadium/fairgrounds plans with splintered land burdened by an interstate, railroad tracks and poor excess, AND no one willing to commit the $45 million needed for the project except for ……..the taxpayers! If the money isn’t there from the taxpayers, the residents will blame the board for poor planning and making too hasty of a decision to sell off the prime land. If they don’t take the deal, residents will blame the county board for crushing the stadium/fairgrounds plans even though parties in the swap said the transaction has no bearing on the stadium/fairgrounds plans. Uhh, except for Brian Christianson, but he doesn’t offer a $45 million letter of credit either. I empathize with the county board. This is why it was so important for the local media to ask the tough questions and challenge the misstatements in the run-up to the transaction. Not only did they fail, they helped pass it along.