I would like to reply to the letters written by Jeffery Warr and Roger Henderson concerning the La Crosse Area Builders Association and the two people running for the Hamilton Town Board that are members of this association.

In one of the letters, it was mentioned to go to the LABA Web site to learn more about the association but it is obvious that neither of these two did or if they did, they didn’t learn much. As a member for 22 years, I was offended by their comments and lack of knowledge about what the La Crosse Area Builders Association is all about.

LABA serves its members and the community in many different ways but the most important is to promote safe, affordable housing for all people in the La Crosse area and educate its members on being honest, ethical and fair to all of the people they deal with.

Eve Zellmer and Greg Wilhelm are, in fact, president and president-elect of the association. This means they have been recognized by their peers as dedicated to the goals of the association and shown leadership ability in working toward these goals.

These goals include participation in Smart Growth planning as legislated by the state. Eve has spent countless hours working for the Hamilton Town Board and La Crosse County on Smart Growth planning. Greg is involved with LABA and the Wisconsin Builders Association on the same issues.

These two people are well educated on the cost of growth to a municipality and how to determine where this growth would best benefit a municipality. Some would like to see no growth, everything to stay the same. Unless you are going to stop having children, growth is going to occur. Where that growth is going to take place is the question and the education that these two have and are still receiving through their involvement in the builders association is invaluable to a community.

The La Crosse Area Builders Association is on record supporting Smart Growth and encourages members to work with municipalities and the county on their Smart Growth plans. The LABA is also on record supporting the concept of La Crosse County buying up some development rights of existing farmland to preserve it for future generations.

A vote for these two people is a vote to ensure that good farmland is maintained and new homes are built in areas that can be serviced in the most economical and environmentally friendly ways.

LABA endorses developers and builders paying the cost for new construction to a municipality. But only the cost, not an arbitrary fee set by a municipality. Builders do not decide where homes are built. We build homes on land owned by our customers. Developers do not decide where a development is going to be. They can only buy land from an owner willing to sell.

For farm land to be developed, the land owner — i.e., the farmer — has to be willing to sell the land to a developer. The only way for a development to take place in the town of Hamilton is for a resident to sell their land.

Why are Warr and Henderson blaming builders and developers for taking farmland? The builders and developers have people looking for a place to build, but if the landowner does not want to sell, they must look elsewhere. Eve and Greg are working to protect farmland noted in long-range Smart Growth plans, as the best use of this land and encouraging development in areas noted as environmentally and economically best suited for housing, business and industrial growth. This is their agenda.

It has been said that every good businessperson should give back to the community that supports their trade. This is a focus of the La Crosse Area Builders Association. All of our members are encouraged to give back with their time and financial support. Eve and Greg are doing both.

If you want to know more, contact them. I hope you exercise the freedom so many have died for and vote on Tuesday, April 3.