LETTERS: GOVERNMENT OWNS TOO MUCH LAND

To the editor:

I would like to applaud U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson for voting against the so-called Green Grants Bill that allocates federal funds to be utilized to purchase park and recreational facilities. At this time our governments own over 29 percent of the land in the United States. This land is bought and maintained with tax money. Land owned by government is no longer in the property-tax base. Therefore, individual landowners must pay more property taxes to make up for every acre owned by the government.

When it is stated that the Green Grants will bring $17 million to Missouri for park land and recreation, I wonder how much it really costs us individual taxpayers. If there were a need for more parks and recreation and if it were profitable, I do believe some individual would open up a park and charge the people who really wanted to use it. This would actually bring money into the state and would not take property taxes out of the coffers.

MARY NALLMarble Hlll