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How should the city address the proposed budget cuts?

Asked at The Merc, 901 Iowa St. on February 3, 2009

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Photo of Rachel Nyp

“I think they should put it to a vote and ask for a tax increase.”

— Rachel Nyp, Web writer, Lawrence

Photo of Marcia Fisher

“I don’t think they should be cutting into the types of things we enjoy in Lawrence … like the wading pool and Prairie Park Nature Center.”

— Marcia Fisher, homemaker, Lawrence

Photo of Frank Schawaller

“If the cuts really are necessary, then the city’s got to do what the city’s got to do.”

— Frank Schawaller, substitute teacher, Lawrence

Photo of Dave Spangler

“They need to adopt (the policy), ‘If you don’t work, you don’t eat’ program. The social programs need to be reduced dramatically.”

— Dave Spangler, restaurant owner, Leavenworth

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Comments

Sharon Aikins 8 years, 7 months ago

Tighten their belts like the rest of us. Turn off some lights, turn down some thermostats. Instead of buying so many vehicles, pay some milage. Restrict cell phone usage to city business only. Fix rather than replace some broken items. If it came to taking a pay cut of 1% or losing my job, I'd take the pay cut. Charge more for some things that benefit only a few. Cut back on all the landscaping, lovely as it is. I could go on for a long time, but I think the picture's clear. Be responsible, spend it like it's your own money because part of it is.

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jonas_opines 8 years, 7 months ago

Megan: They did that already. There will never be enough money for everybody. I think, for the question, that anybody can make a reasonably accurate priority list, with necessities at the top and non-necessities (such as redmoon's landscaping) towards the bottom, and then cut from bottom up.

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Omegatron 8 years, 7 months ago

“They need to adopt (the policy), ‘If you don’t work, you don’t eat’ program. The social programs need to be reduced dramatically.”That way people will stop going out to restaurants to eat, cause they have to save money to help those relatives that are to old or disabled to work, and thus put Spangler here out of business.Nice one! Does he have any other words of wisdom he care to share?

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jumpin_catfish 8 years, 7 months ago

Marcia and Rachael failed and Dave and Frank pass, the gentlemen move on to the next round of our game we like to call "Use Your Brain People".

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Flap Doodle 8 years, 7 months ago

blue gets the Golden Fruitcake.

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flux 8 years, 7 months ago

If I was on a boat with Marica and rations got low, she would be the first going overboard

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oldvet 8 years, 7 months ago

Don't be too quick to toss her overboard... just put her in the freezer for later in case those rations run out...

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Emily Hampton 8 years, 7 months ago

Starve those who can't get a job in a strapped economy? Nice.

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free2bme 8 years, 7 months ago

Or 785-832-3400All email addresses are listed on the city website under the City Manager's office. Call and/or email your comments!

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another_concerned_parent 8 years, 7 months ago

Attend the city council meeting tonight.

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labmonkey 8 years, 7 months ago

R_I-Who are the team captains?

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jonas_opines 8 years, 7 months ago

labmonkey: Definitely Boog for one of them.

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d_prowess 8 years, 7 months ago

Maybe non-necessary things shouldn't be free? The wading pool and Nature Center are free. Why? Why shouldn't people have to pay to go to the wading pool when they have to pay to go to the big pool? Just seems silly to not charge something for these places.

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Linda Aikins 8 years, 7 months ago

gootsie: "Toll gates at roundabouts"? Aw, what'll that a$$hole think of next? [turns to the cars] gootsie: Has anybody got a dime? [drivers grumble, search their pockets] gootsie: Somebody's gotta go back and get a %h**load of dimes!

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beatrice 8 years, 7 months ago

Pop up ads.

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TacoBob 8 years, 7 months ago

Gootsie - har har. 100 points for the Blazing Saddles reference. BlueHarley, best one so far.

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Richard Heckler 8 years, 7 months ago

I say let voting taxpayers decide which they want to keep at the same time they vote for city commissioners and USD 497 BOE.Then the city commissioners would need to find the money.Voting taxpayers are big boys and girls = ability to know what is working and what is not.Put everything on the table: All of the road projects the multi million dollar Clinton Regional Park Projects Chamber of Commerce funding OR move economic development into city hall both new industrial warehouse projects new library or library rehab on site satellite libraries for the “westside” green industries which provide both blue and white collar jobs USD 497 elementary school maintenance Prairie Park Nature Center Crossing Guards* sidewalk repair on major streets…….and last but not least let the taxpayers decide if they would like an opportunity to approve economic growth projects with their votes considering these projects will involve their tax dollars.

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countrygirl 8 years, 7 months ago

How about putting a cop on New Hampshire street between 7th and 9th street about 6:30 every morning? I can promise they'll nail several speeders who fly through there trying to beat a few cars to the intersection at 9th and Conn. There's some of those drivers who need to have their wallets lightened a bit--they're dangerous!

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bunnyhawk 8 years, 7 months ago

I knew there was a reason I don't eat at Spanglers! Now I know what it is!!!

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Erin Graham 8 years, 7 months ago

I'm absolutely astonished by 3/4 of the original responses to this - I truly hope that is not an accurate representation of #1 how people in this city really think things should be handled, #2 global awareness.... I've always considered Lawrence a (generally) more "aware" and "educated" community than most in this region of the country. In the hypothetical that this is even remotely close to an accurate representation of community thought, I am even more frightened for the rest of the region....and for heavens sake, save the wading pool!

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rusty2 8 years, 7 months ago

those departments with the biggest budget increases since 2000 should take proportionately the largest cuts.

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