The person who wrote the March 29 letter, “Wolford’s numbers not good for Ames,” is totally ignorant. The numbers and logic from the column made absolutely no sense whatsoever.

First of all, when people go to the mall it is by choice, so therefore the money they spend getting to the mall is their choice. It was stated that vehicle expenses to go to the new mall would cost Ames residents $5.7 million a year. That figure is all personal expenses and should not even be a factor to consider when talking about a new mall.

Also, if people are going to the new mall and “wasting” gas, at least they will be filling up in Ames. If the author of the letter is so concerned about the gas money Ames residents would spend to go to a new mall in Ames, then why isn’t she concerned about the money people are spending to go to malls in Des Moines?

Also, if you want to consider the gas to get to the mall, then you better figure the roughly $50 to $100 people spend every time they go to the mall. If you take that into account, the cost to Ames residents is now $180 to $360 million.

Wow! Hurry, residents of Ames, close down all the stores in town that charge people for merchandise and require an automobile to get to. Now, of course, these numbers are not accurate — frankly, I have more important things to do, but I’m just trying to make a point.

Second, when people go to the mall it is usually in their free time, so there should not be any loss in income. People do not work 24/7, nor do they take vacation from work to drive 4.4 miles to the “new mall” in town.

If one is so concerned about the possible loss of income from going to the mall, then shouldn’t we be concerned about the time spent sitting on our behinds doing nothing? What is that costing? This being said, I think it is reasonable to throw out the $7.3 million in estimated lost wages because of the new mall.

Third, in my experience many residents, especially younger residents, of Ames would much rather travel 35 to 45 miles to a mall in Des Moines to do their shopping. Why is this? Des Moines malls are bigger and have a better selection of stores than North Grand Mall.

Furthermore, people who travel to Des Moines not only shop but they usually eat out and possibly fill up with gas before they head home. This results in a lot of money leaving the Ames community.

Last of all, the new mall, being located next to Interstate 35, would draw people from outside of Ames. No one driving through Ames on the interstate wants to stop in Ames, because they see factories lining both sides of it. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against the industries along the interstate — they do many great things for the community — but they don’t draw consumers looking to spend money.

A new mall located next to the interstate would be beneficial to Ames and the surrounding community and wouldn’t cost tax payers anymore money than North Grand Mall. Some people just fear change and growth, but in an ever-changing world one either needs to change with it or get left in the dust.

Ryan Noble

Junior

Agricultural Engineering