To the editor:Concerns about the taxing mechanism for the proposed police facility have a great deal of merit as raising taxes should be a last resort for a community wanting to experience a pro-growth, pro-business transformation. The city estimated that it would need to add around 3 mills to ...

To the editor:“The Good Society” by Robert Bellah (1992) and “Deep Economy” by Bill McKibben (2009), seen as bookends on the topic of what is best for our future, lay out the plans and attributes of how to best achieve societal harmony.Socio-economic and political concerns have deluged ...

To the editor:Lawrence voters will soon decide yes or no on the question of constructing a new building for our city police. It has been estimated the proposed facility will be adequate to meet department needs for the next 20 years, possibly less. Time passes quickly. Exactly the same question ...

To the editor:As the police station gathers more interest just before the election, I think we need to realize that the upcoming vote isn’t about just building a new station. I believe the vote is really just determining how the new station will be paid for.As a retired person in this city, I ...

To the editor:On the Lawrence Police Department proposal for a new facility. As a retired architect, I have found that most of the problems are fixable without spending anywhere near $28 million or even building a new facility.I toured the facility in west Lawrence where the officer who gave me ...

To the editor:It’s October, breast cancer awareness month. I’d like to take the opportunity to invite women to question the annual onslaught of pink, which (although it’s nobody’s bad intentions) urges consumerism of pink-themed products, while trivializing the epidemic of breast ...

To the editor:I don’t want to burst the city’s recycling bubble, but the 50 tons of recycled material collected is not going to be an accurate number for any analysis of how the recycling system is keeping trash from the landfill. Homeowners that were using Deffinbaugh’s recycling system ...

To the editor:Gov. Brownback chooses to waste taxpayer money supporting legislation that violates the supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution and, therefore, will ultimately be repealed. Recent state legislation regarding the lessor prairie chicken as well as the law that states that Kansas ...

To the editor:Some say that the shenanigans of the city over the Rock Chalk Park and other similar projects will affect the vote for a 0.2 of a percent sales tax increase to finance the police building project. I think it should.It’s too bad that those who really, really want a new police ...

To the editor:Alas! A way has been found to do away with Medicare as I have known it since 1973. This federally administered program has been a tried-and-true approach to meeting my medical needs and those of other elderly people. The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) strives to meet the health ...

To the editor:Gov. Brownback says that 70 percent of Kansas voters approved the constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. That is not accurate, and someone needs to start challenging him on it — every single time he says it.Here are the real numbers (all from the Secretary of State’s ...

To the editor:Nov. 4, the sales tax vote will appear on your ballot. Vote no! This is simply another dip into the pockets of citizens that isn’t justified by the city that has blatantly spent millions and millions on sports parks to libraries to parking garages to empty buses. If $25 ...

To the editor:Voting “no” on the proposed police facility in north Lawrence should not necessarily mean that we fail to see the inadequacy of current facilities and the need for new ones. At $28 million, the facility, as proposed, would give the police everything they think they ...

To the editor:If the governor (and those who agree with the governor) believes that “Activist judges should not overrule the people of Kansas,” then this position on same-sex marriage calls into question scores of judicial decisions that have stood the test of time because of their ...

To the editor:Being a relatively newcomer to Kansas, I’m still learning a great deal about our town and state. I believe our move to Lawrence was a good thing, and this is a wonderful town where a large number of the residents hold progressive views.However, there have been disappointments ...

To the editor:Many of us from Lawrence were among the 500 Women for Kansas participants who gathered in Wichita on Labor Day weekend. (“Grassroots groups tighten Kan. races” Journal-World, Oct. 19) I doubt there has ever been such a group from diverse political backgrounds coming together ...

To the editor:The Saturday Column (Oct. 18) touted Gov. S.B.’s strengths on agriculture and education. On education, the indication that “Kansas gets more bang for the buck” (Kansas Association of School Boards) is a tribute to the students and teachers and should be a clarion call to ...

To the editor:As our political elections approach, I thought it might be helpful to share the voting guidelines that have developed within me over nearly six decades of faithful voting.• I prefer to vote for the most competent candidate.• I prefer candidates who place the common good above ...

To the editor:A few days ago, my best friend took his own life. I arrived at his apartment building minutes too late and was compassionately supported by a state trooper and three members of the Lawrence police force. I remain so grateful to them for that.During my one-and-a-half-hour interview ...

To the editor:The representatives for the group of citizens against the new police facility have publicly stated there is a significant need for this facility and this project should have been a priority over already completed projects. Let that resonate for a moment. A need so significant even ...