To the editor:

What dream world does City Hall live in? Eagle Bend is now and has always been a drain on the taxpayers of Lawrence. A facility that pays virtually no rent, no water bills and no taxes and still needs money to bail it out is not going to be “profitable.”

Notwithstanding its competitive advantage over any similar facility in Lawrence, Eagle Bend has done little to improve its position in the marketplace and has forced tax-paying and bill-paying facilities into more difficult financial positions.

And our city officials think this is only a temporary situation. I wish I could cook my books like they do. The real expenses to the taxpayers of Lawrence are not just the additional $150K we have to kick in again but also the lack of tax revenue and the cost of the “free” water we pay for.

Eagle Bend’s books have never been in the “black”; the city has just hidden the real costs of operating the facility. It is past time for city officials (managers and commissioners) to realize that they do not have the funds to operate this facility or a number of other luxury items (the T and Sesquicentennial Park, for example).

Wake up, City Hall! The city needs to learn to live within its means, not continue to run budget deficits and raise taxes to cover the expense.

Ken Meyer,

Lawrence