To the editor:

Now that the committee for the Sesquicentennial Park has begun raising the estimated $475,000 for their “gift” to the city; the tax-paying residents of Lawrence had better begin to figure out how they are going to pay for this “gift.”

Few of us actually believe that the $475,000 will actually cover the costs of construction for the memorial plaza, given the ever-increasing cost of materials and labor, but little or no provision has been made to pay for the basic infrastructure required to support this “gift,” and no budget is currently projected to pay for the upkeep and maintenance that this “gift” will require.

When was the last time the city had a balanced budget? Our expert planners downtown don’t foresee a budget surplus this year or next. When the city cannot maintain its current level of services to the community and is not keeping up with the maintenance of existing facilities without excessive deficit spending, why would you add a further burden to the city?

Guess who gets to accept additional tax burdens to pay for this “gift?” We already subsidize the T and Eagle Bend well beyond what these facilities/services bring to the community.

This is one gift the city should refuse to accept, but we know better. The city will just pass the extra costs along to the taxpayers. And then they will wonder why housing is so expense in Lawrence. Thank you soooo much.

Ken Meyer,

Lawrence