just_another_bozo_on_this_bus (Anonymous) says…

“The city should take a hint from major corporations”

The city is not a corporation.

Godot (Anonymous) says…

Or the city can follow the example of Vallejo, California, and default on its bonds and declare bankruptcy.

Godot (Anonymous) says…

The city is going to have to cut personnel, programs and services. Period.

hawkperchedatriverfront (Anonymous) says…

Godot, they wont layoff. If they do, they, the city manager and commission will create some kind of new job. Creative bookkeeping is in the works. Period.

merrill (Anonymous) says…

Amen Ken to new commissioners

If the bus isn’t completely full it is now empty for a very vocal minority. So if a bus is empty when not completely full then how can we afford the thousands of empty cars that drive around 16 hours a day and do nothing but tear up roads. Not only that these tax dollar supported cars require police time for accidents,speeding and running red lights which means this empty car business is really getting expensive . Then comes snow removal = the tab keeps going up. Then comes traffic lights,stop signs and stop signs…and those traffic lights are very expensive. Why does this city replace working traffic lights? Empty cars are way too expensive no matter who is driving them.

Yep thousands of empty cars daily are putting taxpayers in the hole big time. Once again it is not the buses creating traffic congestion….. it is the thousands of empty cars. Buses are part of the solution to traffic congestion. And less wear and tear on our roadways.

If city officials need cars they should 45 mpg hybrids.if the cost of gasoline is a concern?

Lynn731 (Anonymous) says…

No maybe about it! Thank you, Lynn

gccs14r (Anonymous) says…

Funny Ken should mention New Coke. That was a huge scam, radically changing the taste so folks wouldn't notice when they switched from sugar to HFCS in the old formula.

The City claimed to give us bus service, but it's missing a few key ingredients that would make it palatable. The intent isn't to add the necessary ingredients to make it good, but rather to claim that no one likes it so they can give the money to their buddies.

hawkperchedatriverfront (Anonymous) says…

Interesting that not one of the commissioners has the guts to bring forward a motion to raise the price to ride the T. Also, to stop giving money to Pee Wee Lorings playhouse which in turns buys bus passes to give out free. Money from one hand to another. Creative bookkeeping already at work.
And the bus would work if run as a bus system and not a block to block around the block taxi service.Dump the T? Maybe it is time to vote out the commissioners. Put that issue on the ballot also.;

Sigmund (Anonymous) says…

The Commission does not own the Lawrence, they are elected by all the citizens to be care takers. They have a fiduciary and moral duty to ALL the citizens of Lawrence to do their best to leave the city in the best financial position possible. If in their best judgment the empTy is not of sufficient value to the vast majority of the citizens and if they are convinced that keeping it or expanding it damages the city financially, they have no choice but to tell MV Transportation they have reached the end of the line.

Speaking of MV Transportation they are a private corporation. If for some reason the City decides to extend their contract and to throw $2.6 million dollars a year in corporate welfare their way, they should subject their finances to an independent audit and reveal the names of ALL of their partners so we know who is pocketing our money and how much.

hawkperchedatriverfront (Anonymous) says…

Sigmund, should the voting populace be the ones to decide the T? Us or them(the commissioners?) The commissioners hired an auditor, to do what? The commissioners present subject themselves to the decisions of past commissions, why then are the voters being brought into this? We now have a commission worse than previous ones. Chestnut was touted as being a financial genius, but where is the genius now? Dever was touted as being a small business owner, where is his expertise now? Boog has been on far too long and unable to make up his mind which side of the fence he likes best. SUE is a disappointent, just a pretty face on the commission. And Mike the barber wants to put a smile on everyone's face without making hard, cold decisions. And enough said about Corliss. He is a mouthpiece for himself.

Ballot issue #1= Vote all commissioners and city manager out!

Ballot issue #2= Vote to let the trash department run the city.

Ballot issue#3= Give no more money to the Chamber of Commerce or related interests for industrial development. Period.

Sigmund (Anonymous) says…

hawkperchedatriverfront (Anonymous) says… “Sigmund, should the voting populace be the ones to decide the T?”

Sure that is fine, BUT if the citizens vote for the empTy then the Commission needs to cut an equal amount out of the budget. So the proposal can read;

“The City of Lawrence shall continue to fund the empTY at its current level and cut all other city services and departments and personnel, excepting police and fire, equally in an amount that pays for the subsidy paid to MV Transportation, a private corporation.”

It is gutless and they are literally passing the buck, but they could handle the issue that way. The amount of tax dollars Lawrence wastes per year (year after year) with MV Transportation despite how few people use it and how much it costs, makes me wonder if there aren't a few partners in MV Transportation who have forgotten to disclose their interest. While we are talking about undisclosed interests, lets add the following to the ballot;

“The City of Lawrence shall not do any business with nor offer any tax breaks or tax abatement to any private corporations or private partnerships unless such business entity fully discloses the name of the real persons who own their shares or have an interest in said business entity. For purposes of the rule, “real person” shall not include other private corporations or partnerships who have an interest in the business entity and such owners shall also disclose the names of their real owners. These disclosures shall be made available in a common electronic format and available to all members of the public and the press.”

Enact that last rule and you will be well on the way to eliminating problems like the Mayors “technical violations” (for which she was not “technically punished”) and the pork will be so squeezed you will hear the pigs squealing all over town.

Will it ever happen? Nope, because the current Commission, like past Kommissions and current city manager, don't want you to be able to find out where the money goes. Also don't expect the new auditor to issue a detailed public audit of city services, spending, and departmental efficiency. The planet will burst into flames from global warming sooner.

Multidisciplinary (Anonymous) says…

Thanks gang, now I'm craving a Pepsi.

hawkperchedatriverfront (Anonymous) says…

Correct Sigmund. I like the part about cutting the budget. The same approach should take place when a new business and new tax revenue comes to the table. Instead, the commission, the county and Weseman's warehouse treat the new revenue as a way to triple the budget. I am still waiting to find out who the private partners are and how much they have profited from EAst Hllls business park. We know who the public partners are and what their return is. zilchmo