Response to Jim Shunemans column in Sauk Valley News Opinion Page

In Response to Jim Shuneman saying I live in a fantasy world, I am preposterous, Exaggerates and deals in a hyperbowl. I just do not know where to begin. Fantasy? Hmmm lets see my fantasy must be that there was a Economic Impact Report that says if 4 locks were restored that the impact to communities would be 45 million dollars! That many men smarter and wiser than Jim said that the Hennepin is a gold mine just waiting to be tapped into. Jim needs to point out my fantasy world! On preposterous I think I can answer. Depending on what Rock Falls has spent on the Hennepin in tourism dollars and that is the question. Over lets say the last 10 to 15 years what monies by the city and tourism have been spent on the canal?  So lets say this money has been saved sitting in a bank collecting on the higher side of interest at 10% for ten years. . Ok so if for every dollar spent on tourism you spend 1 dollar you make 6 dollars that is 500% return on your money and that does not include the extra heads in the beds and the business retail that also would have been generated. Lets ask Jim to do the math here. 500% verses 10% return on the tax payers money> So if we take 10% from the 500% that leaves us at 490% loss. Equate that into dollars lost and there is where ya have millions. Not only the tourism dollars but what about the local businesses money that has been lost due to not spending the tourism money to generate visitors. So how much has the yearly hotel tax total increased since tourism department was created? How can we determine if spending 80,000 on a tourism director has benefited the city and the community? Could millions save the Hennepin, yes! This is what I posted in the Opinion section of the Sauk Valley News. Fantasy world? Well I believe that the Hennepin can be a Huge powerhouse when it comes to drawing tourist and tourism money I think the Hennepin alone if a commitment was made to spend tourism dollars to open the guard lock gate, clean the banks, clear the trees from the canal, add docks add events and promote the Hennepin the city could fill the hotels and increase jobs and businesses all from the Hennepin.Guard Lock gate opening 300,000 dredging, 100,000 cleanup 2.5 miles high end 250,000 docks 300,000 these are ruff estimates that I need to research but could be done over short time. This is a 5 year plan possibly. But first you promote events, clean up, add docks, remove trees, then the Guard Lock Gate and dredging and then the buildings. This is just a very ruff idea just to get some numbers out there. This maybe where Shuneman thinks I have a pipe dream.