The Wollman Rink in NYC

Those who know me well know that my first choice for president is Ted Cruz. Without doubt, he is the most conservative of all the candidates. If, however, you believe as I do that government in general is slow-moving, wasteful and often cannot seem to get things done, then you owe it to yourself to check out what happened to the Wollman Skating Rink in New York’s Central Park. 

The rink was originally opened in 1949 and was a gift to the city from a wealthy lady, Kate Wollman. In 1980, it was closed for a two-year, $9.1 million renovation with NYC in charge. After six years and the expenditure of $13 million, the project was still not completed. Donald Trump offered then-Mayor Ed Koch that he would finish the project in four months for $2.5 million. At first Koch refused, but with public pressure, he finally agreed. The result was that the job was done in three months and under budget too in spite of the fact that everything the city had done had to be completely torn out and redone. Now, one might say that it was merely luck or that it is only anecdotal information, but Trump has a long record of doing this sort of thing with virtually every project he has ever worked in his career. Read his book, “The Art of the Deal (1987).” Perhaps there is reason to rethink support for “The Donald.” What do you think?

Rick Heiberg

Coulee City