LJWorld.com

chocolateplease (Anonymous) says…

Why are the taxpayers funding the Chamber of Commerce which serves business owners? I checked, and many COC's are 100% self-supporting through member dues, though I don't know what percentage. Furthermore some who receive funding get it contingent on increasing their member base or other criteria.

It seems like this Commission has a problem prioritizing.... asking for more sales tax to fund basic city services while giving money left and right for non-essential items.

On City lowers taxes

chocolateplease (Anonymous) says…

This would be great. The northwest side has the freestate pool, but it has limited hours, and for about everything else, you have to drive east or southeast. But either way, I would be very supportive. I've belonged to the Y in other states, and have seen that it's a wonderful community resource.

On YMCA may open branch in city

chocolateplease (Anonymous) says…

A distinction should be made between the Chinese people and the behavior of their government. Also, americans might want to consider how hypocritical their condemnations appear to outsiders in consideration of things like invading Iraq, hidden prisons around the world, and "water boarding" (torture) performed by our government.

Increasing cultural understanding across borders is a worthy long-term goal regardless of current political turmoil. These kind of cultural exchanges bring more attention to China in general, which helps to focus the spotlight on their government's behavior, both good and bad. Cultural exchanges also promote caring across boders. This is good, and can only help the cause of human rights in the long run.

So, I can understand why the chancellor should like to be careful about any condemnations of China. The Tibet issue is very complex in comparison with the simplistic way it's been reported in the news. The chinese government has a long and terrible record of human rights violations, but shutting the door to cultural exchange is not the answer.

On China ties place moral obligation on KU

chocolateplease (Anonymous) says…

If the LOB gets a yes vote, will the district be obligated, or have they officially committed to spending 100% of the additional funds on TEACHER RAISES, specifically?

On Some questions about special election

chocolateplease (Anonymous) says…

People need better information before committing to their opinions. For a clearer, more balanced perspective:

Two New York Times articles:
1. Article by Patrick French criticizing the Tibetan’s exiles’ approach

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/22/opinio...

2. Article on violence that resulted from ethnic tension:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/28/world/...

A Wall Street Journal Report the coverage of Western news media:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB12064692...

Historic anti-communist, anti-China fear, and concern about China's gaining economic super-power strength makes it easy to go after China. The trouble is, this current bout of Western criticism will probably worsen the situation, not help it.

On Beijing

chocolateplease (Anonymous) says…

I'm not sure the solution, but one thing I know is that the "buy local" theme is not only ineffective, it is downright annoying, and I've had a similar conversation with friends of ours who feel the same. Lawrence businesses need to stand on their merits to attract business instead of goading us into their stores based on loyalty to the town in order to line their pockets. Many do that, and they are successful, but many don't. It feels like we're being badgered to spend money here when the selection is small, the prices are above average, and service is quite variable. I hate that campaign. Everytime I hear "buy local!", it makes me want to go to Johnson county and spend money. At least they can stand on their selection, prices, and service.

On Retail drain: Lawrence shoppers taking their dollars to Wyandotte County

chocolateplease (Anonymous) says…

500K seems like alot of money for a study, especially on a topic like this. It's not as if we don't already know what our sewer needs are; we just need to project additional needs and plan for projects to address them. And are they saying that the time horizon for planning is only 5 years? Wouldn't they want to plan for the next 20+ years? I wonder if this 500K figure is anywhere in the ballpark of what communities normally spend just to figure out what they need... it sure seems outrageous. Maybe the reporter goofed.

On City commission considering study before moving ahead on sewage plant

chocolateplease (Anonymous) says…

The business owner just happens to run a business that attracts some agressive and non-law-abiding citizens, as is apt to be the case with any late night, alcohol-serving establishment catering to the music tastes of these patrons. If the bar owner knows this, what is his legal responsibility under the law, and is he meeting it? Is he legally liable for what's going on? It should be a pretty simple thing to determine. Also, is the city really allowed to close it down just because it's a nuisance to the condo owners across the street? I'm sure they'd like to see it gone (I would if I lived there). But I don't know if that's legal. It's partly a question of balancing the property owner (or business owner) rights with the rights of the surrounding community. I'm sure there's a legal precedent and this is surely not the first time a community has had this kind of problem. Why re-invent the wheel here? And why can't the newspaper reporter answer all these questions in an intelligent article that explains these things? If they did that, maybe we could give it a rest.......controversy is one reason to have alot of discussion, but maybe bad reporting is another thing that leads to it.

On City wants Last Call’s license denied

chocolateplease (Anonymous) says…

This commission seems very major-growth oriented, and a new library, along with other redevelopment initiatives downtown and elsewhere, would be bold and forward-thinking, not to mention highly-prized by the community. Shouldn't we try to envision this town in 20 or 30 years being the best it can be?

Yeah sure we could get by, continually falling behind every other library system in the area, barely able to provide for our community what others take for granted from their libraries. But what good does that do us? I'd happily pay more taxes to fund a new library.

On Commission casts fresh eye on library expansion

chocolateplease (Anonymous) says…

Cool! Science is great. I would definately support this for the most heinous drugs. Just think how law enforcement can better save resources by targeting especially infested areas of the country, and how they'll be able to get some of the really nasty drugs off the street (at least reduced) in those areas, thereby protecting people from the slow death caused by addiction to the worst drugs. I know it isn't a cure, but maybe it can help.

On Scientists discover how to give whole city a drug test