Dear editor:

For about two years I’ve read everything in the area papers, as well as emails sent to me, and Karen Richard posts about the Wyoming State Shooting Complex.

It started with $10 million of taxpayer money, state and Wyoming Game and Fish funds. However, once Park County was chosen, month after month the figure keeps going up. Next around $14-plus million, then $19.4 million.

There is not one area that backs up a project like this. Only rhetoric by Sandy Newsome, James Klessens claiming, at times, that the WSSC would bring in $20 million to Park County per year. Bull. Nothing to back that up. A white elephant.

But plenty of taxpayer money to spend on: rifle shooting out to a mile, a clubhouse, restaurant, store, RV sites, convention/meeting area, ATV’s to rent, water storage, sewer, bathrooms, handgun, trap, skeet, archery, ranges, a gravel road, and the list goes on.

There are no concrete deals to back up projected attendance, only blue sky. 

Newsome was quoted that if “we” need more motels and restaurants that “we” would build them. We who? The taxpayers, again?

This should never have been a taxpayer funded venture.

There is a very short business season, as weather, times of day, seasons, migration, sage grouse, etc. are limiting their time, IF we can believe what we are told. In rifle and other competition shooting a good deal of the time after around 9:30 a.m. wind will be a major deterrent. At Cheyenne, during the proposal presentation, it was spoken of as a year-long season. That sure has changed.

Randy Selby

Wapiti