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Who wants heavy industry?

By Staff Report - | Nov 10, 1999

Thanks for inviting us to share our views. Your question of “What should we do with heavy industry?”

Have you ever considered leaving it where it is? If you have been in the Kansas City area you have probably seen the great number of sights that have been used by heavy industries over the past. Now these areas have great expanses of space which could easily accommodate “heavy industry.” You can say that “heavy industry is a logical and inevitable part of municipal growth. Tonganoxie needs to decide how to deal with it.” I would comment that Tonganoxie doesn’t need “Heavy Industry.” Maybe a few of the people who own land to sell at a good profit need to have “Heavy Industry” to take that land off their hands, but the benefit is very limited to the majority of residents in Tonganoxie or the surrounding area.

I would venture to guess that most people didn’t move to Tonganoxie because they thought “Heavy Industry” would follow them in pursuit of high paying jobs. They moved here because of the “small” community benefits. A slower pace, less traffic, and more personal relationships.

What Tonganoxie and the County of Leavenworth needs are responsible leaders who will make decisions on what is good for the citizens and not the special interest groups that bring pressure for growth. When an individual is elected to an office or position, they should put aside any potential gain from transactions in which they benefit from decisions they may make.
To those who want this area to grow, I would say if you want to live like the people in Johnson County, move! I’m sure you’ll enjoy the traffic.

Thanks for inviting comment.

Gene Vogel
Leavenworth County