Well, Utah State University has done it again. First they say they are going to dump 600 to 800 students here in Grand County with no housing. Now they say they want to dump 3,500 students on our county with no housing.

Can Grand County afford the burden of 3,500 or more additional people? Where is Grand County going to get the money? We already have the highest taxes in the state, (7.85 on food and another 3 percent for non-food items). Are we going to need a new larger sewer plant? Where is the water going to come from? Who pays for extra law enforcement? Who is going to build and pay for the housing needed. Are we going to have tall apartment buildings blocking our views.

I say not in our view! Our taxes go up so someone can come then leave nothing but garbage behind.

If USU wants to bring in so many students then Grand County should charge a fee, like $1,000 per student, as an impact fee.

The Grand County Council needs to stand up to USU and say “whoa, folks, first you say 600 to 800 now it’s 3,500. Let’s back up here. Let’s see some housing for the students.”

Or do we want them living up the river road like the good old days.

   Lets stop USU now, before they start building school buildings, until this housing problem is solved!

Have y’all noticed the extra 3 percent tax on your receipts from the stores? It’s a non-food tax that is extra, so now we pay 10.85 percent on all non-food items. I called the city, the county and the state tax commission about this new tax and none of them had any idea that this tax is in effect. And nobody could tell me where the money goes.

Have we been hacked? I know we are getting ripped off.

—Lance Johnson

Moab