To the editor:

Many of the taxpayers in Lawrence and Douglas County would applaud the County Commission for saving us between 40 and 50 percent on the office supplies used by the county annually. A quick review of the sample list provided in the Journal-World article shows that the county was paying an average of 50 percent more for the items than it would under the new contract.

But what does that say about Lawrence and Douglas County? Was the county purchasing office too inept to notice these savings earlier? Was the last contract holder gouging the county? Is the county purchasing agent conducting similar analysis with all of the goods and services that the county uses?

Or is the cost of doing business in Lawrence so expensive that our local establishments are no longer competitive with similar firms in neighboring locales? Have the local tax, building and economic policies forced our local businesses into a position where they can no longer operate on a level playing field? Is this an isolated example? The consideration of a mail service contract would lead one to think otherwise.

If the cost differences are real and are a direct result of the cost of doing business in Lawrence, then both the city and the county have very grave concerns over the immediate economic future of this community to address. If these cost differences are a result of poor oversight on the part of county purchasing departments, then it is likely that taxpayers are being taken for a ride; and both the city and the county need to act quickly to insure that we are receiving the best value for our tax dollars.

Ken Meyer,

Lawrence