To the editor:

Congratulations to the Progressive City Commission on the attempt to clean the downtown parking lots. However, the Progressive group is quite frankly progressively wasting money on a job half-done.

The previous commission was regressive in their attempts, i.e. doing nothing, and now the progressive group is progressively regressive.

Who is in charge of the downtown parking lots and where does the money go? How much comes in from the lots in terms of fines and meter collection? What are the expenses? How much is spent from the parks and rec budget to “subsidize” downtown?

The lot behind the former J.C. Penney store, the New Hampshire Street lot, is in the process of being resurfaced. Why are the curbs not repaired first? Water will get under the asphalt and the job will be worthless. How can this be when the city engineer gets national awards or whatever that nonsense was all about? This surfacing job is again a progressive waste of money when the drainage is incorrect in the lot.

The lots all need to have the light poles painted (and fix the burned out lights!), the shrubs have trash in them, the other sign poles and fee drop boxes need to be painted.

The elevators in the parking garage are now public toilets. Who cleans those?

These public lots are the front doors to downtown. Welcome to “quaint” downtown!

David Holroyd,

Lawrence