Very interesting perspective. While this is more of an editorial than news, I think it gets right to the point - who really benefits from the veteran park? It is whoever gets the money and contracts to build it. Let's see if the city will put its money where its mouth is this time.

The real question is whether it should be built with tax dollars? I say no.

who has really sacrificed here? no one except veterans. tax payers? what a joke ALEX! what tax have you paid in your life? have u been shot at? have you carried a bleeding child in arms? u must be naive and young. i bet u are a white collar!

The Special Ops Museum is great and we have that memorial park next to it thanks to Mr. Talbot (i think). If the park becomes a destination, I think it is a great idea. Downtown is really booming, especially along Hay st. with all the new shops and restaurants.

There are two questions. First, what is the purpose of the veterans park? Second, should veteran owned companies be given a preference? Is the purpose for honoring veterans, economic development or is this a money grab - bring home the bacon regardless of who eats it? The key is the process of managing how the money is spent or in other words, what is it spent on? That leads us to "who" manages the budget and bid process? Should it be by committee and what is the criteria of committee selection? I think it should honor veterans and be used for economic development. Someone should look at the other major projects like the museum, freedom park and the defense incubator? They all have honoring or helping the military in some way but did they achieve those goal? Have they brought people downtown? I think veterans should have a say in these projects and receive preference. I bet the other projects were built by veteran owned companies. Does anyone know?

To #3 that's not fair and is over looking the fact that veterans and the families of vets are tax payers too! And to criticize people for the simple fact they are not active military (or to assume that because they are not, that they don't make "real sacrifices" is also in poor taste. So when you are ready to sit at the big boy table and have a fair minded and balanced discussion get back to us. A park an a monument for veterans is a nice thought. However I can condone spending 15 million dollars a lot of which will be tax payer money, on a mere symbol honoring veterans when the money could be invested in giving them and their families true support. We could better spend the money in establishing programs to help put veterans in touch in terms of finding jobs by veteran owned firms that understand their situation, programs of support for medical problems and therapy for the disabled who didn't get the appropriate amount of disability. You would be amazed at how many vets get screwed when it comes to full disability. And nobody is helping them. Their are disabled vets who can't make it off the check they get and are staying at the salvation army right now, and were at the city rescue mission before it burned down. Honoring our veterans with a park is a nice thought, but the right thing to do to honor them is to create systems of support and stability that allow them to live their lives with less pain, less difficulty, and with all of their dignity after all they've sacrificed on behalf of a country that more often than not seems to forget about them.

I have to say that honoring vets might be done by setting up a local veterans center that linked in with ACAP and actually set them up with their own business or placed them for employement. Why couldn't we have a meaningful memorial, a building or two that costs a couple of million out of the $10 million budget, but use the rest of it for a staff and program that helped vets start businesses and get jobs? Large companies who need to partner with veteran owned businesses or even hire a % of vets could use it to visit and "honor vets" but also hire them.

I have to say that honoring vets might be done by setting up a local veterans center that linked in with ACAP and actually set them up with their own business or placed them for employement. Why couldn't we have a meaningful memorial, a building or two that costs a couple of million out of the $10 million budget, but use the rest of it for a staff and program that helped vets start businesses and get jobs? Large companies who need to partner with veteran owned businesses or even hire a % of vets could use it to visit and "honor vets" but also hire them.

Does anyone know what the local county and/or city budget is for helping veterans? I mean, we say we are all about honoring the veterans but how much money does local government allocate?

I really dont see why veterans should get preferences when it comes to contract awards locally. I am a loyal American citizen. I pay taxes. I serve my country and community by doing volunteer work for the Salvation Army, my church and lots of other things. Why should my family be placed at a disadvantage for contract awards when I have also served this nation?