To the editor:
All taxpaying residents must demand that City Hall and high-salaried city employees cease to rob our public treasury in the name of special interest and against the majority opinion of the electorate.
The T bus is a prime example of City Hall’s loose fiscal policy that results in higher taxes.
The Republic of Lawrence obtained three diesel/electric hybrid buses through the 2009 so-called federal stimulus bill at a cost of $1.8 million. This bill was financed with new debt. Therefore, our children and grandchildren will be left with our generation’s debts long after the buses have been salvaged for scrap metal.
Our T bus operating cost per passenger mile is already the most inefficient on planet Earth. Our city manager is now proposing a $250,000 budget expense to study the merits of extended hours for the T bus. Why do we need a city manager?
The T bus should be allowed to suffer the same fate as Tyrannosaurus rex: extinction. No one ever rode T rex and very few ride the T bus.
The electorate is paying an enormous price for allowing incumbents to remain in office. The one and only solution coming out of City Hall is, “We will have to raise taxes.” This is not leadership but rather a dereliction of fiduciary responsibility. Each of us has a duty to participate in the political process or we face the consequences of being ruled by our inferiors.
Comments
Richard Heckler 1 year, 9 months ago
The thousands of cars with one person = empT = the largest and most expensive budget item ever.
Now so many of the EmpT cars keep demanding a $200-$300 million trafficway. Then millions more in new expenses for maintenance and snow removal.
Hmmmmmmmm
none2 1 year, 9 months ago
As accurate as the author is, the fact is that he won't convince many people to change their mind. Lawrence is full of the leech mentality. Can you convince a leech to voluntarily give up sucking blood? No; it is their nature to suck blood.
Large numbers of people in Lawrence suckle at Uncle Sam's teets. He may be old and male, but in a culture that rewards the entitlement mentality, they'll still do it regardless. These aren't handicapped, elderly people who are on their last leg. These are mainly angry, bitter people who feel that society owes them an easy life because someone gave them a funny look when they were in Kindergarten.
Armored_One 1 year, 9 months ago
If the T is such a wonderful, self-sutaining project, then explain this...
http://www2.ljworld.com/qa/sound_off/2012/may/27/transit-system-fares
From what I read, without the forced participation of every tax payer in Lawrence, the T would fold within one month, maybe two if someone was feeling magnanimous...
rockchalk9erschiefshawk 1 year, 9 months ago
To Oneeye: The letter writer IS indeed against having bus service, he stated as much. These are his words....."The T bus should be allowed to suffer the same fate as Tyrannosaurus rex: extinction. No one ever rode T rex and very few ride the T bus".
tomatogrower 1 year, 9 months ago
Most people who whine about the T are just mad because they get behind one when letting off and putting on people.
Hey Joe, the people voted for the sales tax to help the T by a 70% margin. You are the minority. If you don't like it, move to Ottawa. They don't have public transportation. And you'll have a major high speed highway to get to work soon.
chootspa 1 year, 9 months ago
The T is "against the majority opinion of the electorate?" Um, might wanna go check the electorate on that one and get back to us. We'll wait.
oneeye_wilbur 1 year, 9 months ago
I doubt the letter writer is against having a bus system. Most likely he is expressing the fact that this system is an experiment being led by mindless officials who do not care about other's money. After all, do you really think the City Manager at $12,000 a month gives a hoot about paying more taxes. He justs gets a 3% raise and all is well. .
They do not are, the five commissioners. They have allowed the city staff to run roughshod over the citizens. and as a result have run off viable construction projects that would raise the tax base, but unless Compton or Fritzel can have them no one else can. oh well, that junk at the end of 9th street is for the wannabees. If it had value, Compton or Fritzel would have already done something with it. In fact, Mr. Schwada was smart enough not to waste his money on it either.
Face it, the fix is in and the head puppeteer is at 6th East 6th with his five friends on the commission, Barney, Ms. Piggy, Kermit, Betty Boop and Clarabelle the Clown. Any guesses who is which?
Liberty275 1 year, 9 months ago
"No one ever rode T rex"
Actually, there are pictures on the internets of Jesus riding a T. Rex.
JayCat_67 1 year, 9 months ago
"All taxpaying residents must demand that City Hall and high-salaried city employees cease to rob our public treasury in the name of special interest and against the majority opinion of the electorate."
You mean that 2 to 1 majority that just a few years ago voted FOR a sales tax increase to continue and improve bus service? That majority?
Carol Bowen 1 year, 9 months ago
Nonsense. Every bus passenger saves the city in police, courts, road maintenance and repairs, traffic controls, expanded road systems, emergency services, and parking lots. I suspect Mr. Herynk is afraid he will be expected to ride a bus. Someday, he may find that he needs to.
funkdog1 1 year, 9 months ago
Seriously? Someone is still griping about the T? We have bus service in Lawrence. Have had for a decade now. Get over it.
somedude20 1 year, 9 months ago
Now this would be a popular ride in the L-Town
by somedude20
Flap Doodle 1 year, 9 months ago
Hyperbole much, bub?
rockchalk9erschiefshawk 1 year, 9 months ago
It's just amazing how a dingleberry causes some people to be constipated :-)
rockchalk9erschiefshawk 1 year, 9 months ago
Oh, and while you are getting rid of the bus system, be prepared to provide 300 to 400 jobs to the people that you propose to put out of work. 300 to 400 people that pay taxes, have children to put through school, have medical bills, buy groceries, support local business.
cato_the_elder 1 year, 9 months ago
In other news:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/07/09/political-statemate-leads-to-city-workers-salaries-cut-down-to-minimum-wage-in/
rockchalk9erschiefshawk 1 year, 9 months ago
Your hero must be Willard "I'm not concerned about the poor" Mitt Romney. BTW How was having no winter, and these 100+ degree tempurature days workin fer ya?! Try riding the city transportation system. You will find that your rant is an invalid one. When school is in session, and the population swells to over 100,000 people, you just get out and see how EMPTY the buses are, go to some places of business around town especially on the edges of town, and see how absolutely NO ONE uses the city transit system. Ask ANY "T" or "KU ON WHEELS" driver about how much the buses are not needed. The three hybrids... there are roughly three months out of the year that those three buses do not have to leave people standing waiting for another bus due to being FULL, I repeat FULL. Thats right three 40 foot fifty passenger buses FULL. Instead of just bitching because you can, bitch because there is something to bitch about, because this ain't it.
FalseHopeNoChange 1 year, 9 months ago
DRD4 Genies will 'say' and 'do ' anything to take other people's money.
it for the children
they are 90 years old
they're hungry
the handicapped
too many...not enough....to warm....my (fill in the blank) itches.
cato_the_elder 1 year, 9 months ago
An excellent letter. What if Mr. Herynk were to find two other like-minded individuals and with them run for the City Commission, get elected, clean house and seriously attempt to return our local government to fiscal sanity? It won't happen, of course, because those who have the intelligence and common sense to make a difference simply won't run for the office - a sad fact that has been true for years with all of our local bodies, especially the School Board.
Les Blevins 1 year, 9 months ago
Our mayor and city manager are all to busy figuring out how to spend taxpayer dollars and I've discovered they will not even discuss a proposal I've made that would reduce costs for taxpayers, create a few jobs and provide better waste management to Lawrence residents. If you would like more info on this contact me at LBlevins@sunflower.com and I'll provide it. If one follows the money it would appear that the landfill owners have our city over a barrel and are "in the act" so to speak because my proposal would save the city around $110,800 per year in disposal costs of an increasingly valuable resource commonly called municipal waste.
pinecreek 1 year, 9 months ago
"We have a glut of unnecessary cars on our roads every day. it's unsustainable, expensive, and destructive. We must make other modes more attractive."
I don't disagree about the number of cars on the local roads. The T is the unaffordable component in this particular economic model--low usage, high costs, and a very poor demand model. When oil is $200 per barrel, you will have an economic argument that people will listen to. At today's prices, you have no chance getting them onto the T. Until that equation changes, park the buses and use the alternatives (however much you may dislike them). Remember, economics always win.
grimpeur 1 year, 9 months ago
The bus system must be expanded and improved. This is what grown-up cities do.
It's nice to reminisce, but we can no longer afford to imagine ourselves a quaint little town which has no modern transportation needs.
If there is one transportation moneyhole that we must address, it is the current model of personal auto use in Lawrence. The single-occupancy paradigm is bankrupting our city with wasteful trips of one mile or less, excess parking at KU and high schools, and false claims of parking shortages downtown.
We have a glut of unnecessary cars on our roads every day. it's unsustainable, expensive, and destructive. We must make other modes more attractive.
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