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Open thread
- By Phillip Brownlee
- Posted July 9, 2006 at 12:09 a.m.
- Filed under Uncategorized
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76 Comments
The proposed downtown arena is often called a white elephant and a boondogle by the public. Now we need find out which it is by letting the public vote on whether they want a 1/4 of a billion dollars of their sales tax money spent on this monstrosity.
Applying the usual multiplier of 8 to this $250,000,000 for another more grandiose skating rink for ice hockey — we get a two billion dollar, that’s $2,000,000,000 hit on our Sedgwick County and Kansas economy for a building for which a real use is unknown.
Some say it might draw a Britany Spears concert. For $2 billion dollar fiscal wreck on our economy, the public gets a Britany Spears concert??
I think most Sedgwick County voters now have a better understanding of the economic issues involved. Presumably the County Commissioners will soon have a better handle on estimated costs — so I suggest another vote be held on the arena in the April non-partisan city and school board elections.
Some people like to say the vote was already held. These are the people who don’t want this arena to slip out of their grasp.
Because the vote was a virtual tie, with about 80,000 voting for the arena and 80,000 voting against the arena — this enormously expensive project has the means to split the voters for years to come.
This arena is an example of “tyranny of the slight majority” at its worst.
SO, COUNTY COMMISSIONERS LETS TEAR DOWN THIS WALL AND ALLOW THE VOTERS TO VOTE AGAIN ONCE AND FOR ALL.
Jerry Winkelman
Eagle board, you will be relieved to know there is one phone call you will not have to make this week.Pastor Fox just said you need not bother to call to verify something he said. AS you do every week, since you focus solely on every word he said. I know you are just dieing to, since he is such an important person that daily he is called by national media. How luck this community is to have such an important person, just now he took credit for defending the preaching of the Gospel! If not for him and Joe Wright the other Pastors would not be able to preach the Gospel must longer! Damn all you out there the want to destroy religious freedom in this country!
FYI, according to the Wilson Dictionary for Schools: Pharisee, one of a religious sect among the ancient Jews which paid strict regard to the outward observance of the law:- Pharisee, one who observes the form rather then the spirit of religion.
Far be it from me to say nor imply anything by this! Just curious huh?
Remember, I was one of the first to suggest that a modest arena of say 10,000 seats should be built by a PRIVATE SPORTS DEVELOPER south of Lawrence-Dumont Stadium, on the south side of Maple, just east of the City’s Ice Sports ice rink. This would have met my criteria:
1) Paid for by a private investor from funds borrowed from one of the nation’s large insurance companies or financial institutions.
2) Located in Wichita’s sports area triangle.
3) Built adjacent to the Arkansas River for the utilitarian reason of draining storm rain water directly into the Arkansas River instead of through an expensive system of underground concrete boxes.
4) Full view of the automobiles passing by on the Highway 54 flyover.
5) Full view of the airplanes flying in and out of Wichita from Mid-Continent Airport.
6) Much better traffic patterns on and off the freeways and thoroughfares.
7) In the historic area and family atmosphere of the Lawrence-Dumont Stadium vicinity.
8) Mutually supportive downtown sports area.
9) Nearer the downtown hotels.
10) Good SAFE location to hold national bowling conventions and other similar conventions in downtown Wichita.
My position all along has been the arena should be PRIVATELY FINANCED so that it makes economic sense and is not the over-priced dream of some governmental agencies.
Of course, without the gigantic lug of spending enormous amount of tax dollars for an unneeded downtown arena — then a plan should be established to renew downtown Wichita saving the buildings that are savable and eliminating the remainder. Use the best ideas of nationwide planners for renewing downtowns across America.
OK, Maybe we don’t care about Britney Spears, BUT what about the Rolling Stones?!?
JWink,
Why would anyone want to build anything here and have it be privately financed? The city and county do such a great job of subsidizing that there isn’t a need to…
Oh, and the Rolling Stones wont come to a arena with fewer than 25k seats. Neither Will Britney.
Hell, the NCAA FIRST ROUND playoffs wont even come to arena with fewer than 15k, infact the smallest arena this year was 21k.
Writerdog,
I see you sitting there with disgust for what Fred Phelps does, rightfully so.
Please show one ounce of intellectual honesty and stop lumping Joe Wright in with him.
If you insist on lumping Joe Wright in with Fred Phelps, then lets see you bring forth a case for why.
I find the two men completely different and beyond your obvious bias against Joe simply for preahing the truth, I don’t understand why you insist on lumping him in with Fred Phelps.
Joe Wright doesn’t picket funerals with God Hates fag signs nor does he preach any such message.
Writerdog,
I see you sitting there with disgust for what Fred Phelps does, rightfully so.
Please show one ounce of intellectual honesty and stop lumping Joe Wright in with him.
If you insist on lumping Joe Wright in with Fred Phelps, then lets see you bring forth a case for why.
I find the two men completely different and beyond your obvious bias against Joe simply for preahing the truth, I don’t understand why you insist on lumping him in with Fred Phelps.
Joe Wright doesn’t picket funerals with God Hates fag signs nor does he preach any such message.
JWink! The arena was ALREADY BEEN VOTED on. Tough! Deal with it!
Since you hate Bush! Let’s just have a Presidential election every month, until you’re happy. You know! Because the voters didn’t know what they were getting into when they voted the 1st time.
“tyranny of the slight majority” LOL! Ok! Kerry is our President, since he barely lost.
And no! Not a single person would ever privately build a stadium of any size where you want it.
There was a guy that wanted to, but he found out that he would go broke if he privatly build and ran it.
Where they are building the downtown arena is the best location because it will spur development from the railroad tracks to the river. A very depressed and neglected area of town for decades. That will now change.
Get back with me in 10 years, and unless you are stubborn or can’t admit you were wrong for any reason, you will see that the downtown arena was an excellent public investment.
And don’t give me Britney Spears. Her career has been over for several years. She will never have another concert. She’s gone like all the other pop singers. The Spice Girls effect. One day here, gone the next. Saying Britney Spears won’t have a concert with less than 20K seats, is like telling me that Debbie Gibbson and New Kids on the Block won’t have concerts for venues under 20k seats. In reality, they won’t be having a concert at all, because they are a has been.
We should make a time capsule for these Arena comments. I’m with JW that it will be a fiasco; I was also one who knew long ago about the additional costs for land acquisition for road improvements. In fact, I was one of those who informed County officials of that long ago.
I would like to offer congratulations to home-town boy Mike Pelfry for a job well done in his major league debut on the pitcher’s mound for the NY Mets. I only wish he had also hit safely in the batter’s box. I understand that Mike was hitting over .400 for his minor league team. But hitting isn’t what he was up there for. We are proud of you, Mike!
Much as it pains me to say so, Joe is right. The arena is a done deal. The vote was held, the arena won, even if by a small majority. We need to move on. We can’t conduct city/county business under the threat of coming back every so often and having a re-vote.
Joe Williams — I know you’re one of the arena cheerleaders but I was hoping you were moving away from your socialistic, “waste the money since it comes from taxes” position on the arena.
Let me take your points one by one. “The arena has already been voted on.” Sorry, the result was a virtual tie. I doubt if you have taken any political science courses, but this is a perfect example of “tyranny of the majority,” a situation described in every political science text book in America.
In fact here in Wichita, the public has learned the real truth about the arena. Its my observation that a huge majority of Sedgwick County voters DON’T WANT THE ARENA AT ALL NOW.
Also the scope of the project has changed sufficiently so the project should be voted on again by the voters before a shovel full of dirt is turned.
As far as your remark, “Since you hate Bush,” I don’t know what that means. I have been a Republican for many years and have served on various city and district Republican committees over the years and as Finance Chairman. I doubt if you have done anything but claim to be politically interested somehow. But, in the words of Ronald Reagan, “I refuse to hold your youth and inexperience against you.”
“And no, not a single (private investor) person would build a stadium …. (here in Wichita.)”Another one of your illogical allness statements. The fact is you don’t know that to be true and nobody else does either because the arena promoters were too lazy to go out and search for sports investors who might have built an arena here. It was so much easier to just “charge it” to the taxpayers with no provision to pay anything back. A win-win for the promoters and a lose-lose for the taxpayers.
Your claim that where the “big boys” chose to build the arena is so good. Sorry, you’re wrong again. A privately financed arena should be built on the east side of Ice Sports, south of Lawrence-Dumont Stadium. This is in Wichita’s sports triangle where it should be, adjacent to the Arkansas River. I would also agree to putting it in the River Walk footprint since River Walk is not looking very good. I will say I favor the River Walk development.
In ten years, I will try to get back to you and an aging Britany Speers selling popcorn and conducting tours of the empty Two Billion dollar, that’s $2,000,000,000 (using the multiplier of 8) downtown arena, the empty Exploration Place, the empty Old Cow Town with its vacant brand new visitors center, the Indian Statue tottering high above the deteriorating fake limestone base and defunct “circle of fire.”
The best investment would be renovate downtown Wichita using successful techniques used around America. And reserve a footprint for a downtown arena in case an actual viable tenant appears for it. Then a private investor would be happy to obtain the financing to build the arena. Thats what is meant by the private enterprise system in America.
And hope you and Britany sell tasty popcorn in the virtually vacant downtown arena museum in 2016.
I just spent the past hour reviewing the new Airport Terminal plans… They are actually quite interesting and answered a number of questions I had.
I encourage all to check out the airports website: http://www.flywichita.com/About/NewTerminal.htm
There is a complete review of the plan plus giving the reasons the new terminal is needed.
Check it out, lets discuss it here…
I would like to correct Ben on something… I was the one who originally realized the additional costs that were going to be occurred by the improvements that would be required at Washington and Waterman.
I also said (and will still say) the council/commission will find even more “additional costs” as it does a real traffic study and realizes that the Central Business district interchange will require a bit of upgrading as well as Kellogg and Washington. Douglass and Washington also should be upgraded to include NB/SB turn lanes.
They will also find that intersections like Broadway and Waterman will/should be upgraded because of the large amount of traffic being funneled E-W along waterman. Emporia from Kellogg to waterman, another one that will need to be upgraded…
Heck, i still count, at least 6-12 blocks of roads that “SHOULD” be upgraded to begin to accommodate the traffic and parking requirements…
JW
I agree that a new arena that would be privately financed would be the best option, but i don’t think the local E of the Ice Rink would be the best location. The reason i would say why is that in the event there were actually an event there large enough to draw say, 15k worth of patrons there wouldn’t be enough parking in the LD, Hyatt, Ice Rink, WaterWalk, etc.. parking lots and therefor spill into blocks of neighborhoods. Not only that but prevent any other events from occurring at any of those venues.
I still say any arena, IF put downtown should have been placed South of Waterman, East of Topeka, West of the Railroad Tracks and North of Kellogg.
Plenty of space for public spaces, parking, road revamps, good traffic flow, low income, etc… It’s still within walking distance of many of the parking garages in downtown and old town and far enough away from any neighborhoods to prevent major issues there.
That location would also be perfect for anyone wanting to build a hotel/convention center that would connect directly to the arena (like John Q Whats his face did in topeka) in the area West of Topeka or North of Waterman.
Since you hate Bush! Let’s just have a Presidential election every month, until you’re happy.
Why not do it every hour then maybe the jerks could stay out of every ones business.
Can ya tell it’s getting closer to a election. Millions of terrorist plots are being trotted out for your viewing pleasure much better than color coding.
Correct location of the Arena should be just west of the Canal Route north of 9th St. Plenty of open land for re-development; shuttle buses could serve the bars in Old Town and the bars can foot the bill.
Tony – I should have acknowledged your role in that and the maps you produced. In fact, if they are still available you might post a lonk.
JWink! What information do you have that suggest that NOBODY wants the downtown arena now, just because the cost of it went up a little bit?
You mean the people on the opinion line? Do you mean the people on this blog? Is there a scientifically conducted poll that shows the public no longer wants the downtown arena and therefore they want another election to end the funding for it?
What proof do you have? The only thing you are basing it on is your own observation. Hardely crediable account of the interest of the voters.
“Tyranny of the majority” Dude! It’s called elections. Do you suggest another way for the public to case their voice? How about you become a sole dictator of Kansas. Would that help?
“The fact is you don’t know that to be true” You don’t know either. Why is practally every arena and sport stadium, with the exception of a very few, all are constructed using public funds in one form or another. You explain that to me, and then get back to people who aren’t lazy to promote a privatly built arena in Wichita.
“I doubt you have ever taken a political science course.”
Wrong again! I actually have a degree in Political Science from WSU. Next?
Also! Just read everybody elses comments about your idea of where you want an arena. Looks like you are on the losing side of that issue. But again! I forgot! We on this blog are just the tyranical majority.
You just sound like a sore loser! You are making any excuse you want to believe is true, but it isn’t.
Try again on Wichita’s next public project that goes up for election. Maybe you can convience enough people to vote it down. That way you can supplant that win to your lost on the arena…. I mean tyranical forces who made you grab your ankles in your mind…vote.
Tony! The new airport terminal is going to be sweet! I had that PDF file for quite awhile and I’ve read over it several times and I’m always keeping my eye on the news about it.
It’s going to happen, I just wish it would come sooner.
Wichita is really blooming. :) I’m so proud of our city. What a great future we will have. :)
Yeah! Whatever happened to those “ORANGE ALERTS! Buy DUCT TAPE AND PLASTIC SHEETING NOW!”
Must not have polled well . . .
Joe,
I’m not 100% sold on the ideal of a 2 level Airport… I’ve been in a lot of them and never have really liked them… But, if it is designed right, than i could go along with it…
But beyond that, a lot of my trepidations have fallen by the wayside…
TO EAGLE STAFF:
(Please comment Eagle Bloggers)
I would like to see a way of the Comments section attached to each story also somehow included into the blog. It seems to me that there are a number of areas where the blog and the comments on each story overlap.
Other bloggers, ideas, comments?
But Nathan I did not lump Joe Wright with Phelps, where do you see that? Fox is the one that gave himself and Wright credit for defending the right to preach the Gospel. Not me, I did not even mention Phelps and yes the two are not with him. Though some may see them as in the same description.
This morning Terry Fox mention that he was the center of media attention eight time in the broadcast. That the WE calls him weekly to verify something Fox is suppose to have said. Yet I do not recall the last time I even saw his name in the WE. He takes pride in stating he is in the news, he seem to relish it looking for the next “crusade” to undertake.
To be honest short of his actions involving the amendment, I have not hear much about Pastor Wright. Oh yes the reading he did at the state house, that too but that was overshadowed by teaming up with Fox on the amendment. But Nathan it bothers me that in reading what I posted earlier, you saw Wright in it as being with Phelps. Is that how you see him?
Joe,”Tyranny of the majority” is a line by DeToqueville (sp?). Because of this obvious problem, we have a Bill of RIGHTS.
Using a Mac laptop now (Nice but keybd is a PAIN!).
Tony, welcome, it looks like we gained a good one in my absence. Joe is likely to twist your head 360 tho (along with his own!–No offense, Mr W!).
P.S. Palm trees rock!
Rage in Tucson
Joe – so we will have a cavernous largely empty airport. Not sure how that helps Wichita.
Joe — No offense but I wish you would proof read your postings before submitting them to eliminate the obvious mis-spelled words and sentence errors so your comments can be more easily read.
You asked how I know a lot of people don’t want the arena. It’s because I know a lot of Wichita business people as a result of being a salesman when I first arrived in Wichita, selling some 6,000 accounts. I keep in touch with a lot of my old customers and friends. Of course, many times we do discuss the arena. Even the people who got tricked into voting for the arena, have generally now turned against it knowing that it will be a long term drain on the Wichita economy.
If you took political science in college, you probably learned about socialism. That is where government pays for everything off the backs of the hard-working citizens. Here in Wichita, virtually everything local and county government touches in the way of business operations is “in the red,” and needs bailing out.
If we were talking about small items, I would say go ahead and waste the money.
But here we are talking about wasting some $2,000,000,000, yes, that’s two billion dollars sucked out of the Sedgwick County economy when the usual 8X economic multiplyer is applied. That means two billion dollars worth of houses, automobiles and jobs won’t see the light of day here in Sedgwick County.
Also there is no guarantee the arena will bring anything new to downtown in the way of business. But lots of business is already flowing out of downtown.
Joe, at your relatively youthful age, you should be actively working against the spread of socialism, not helping to spread it. You should be working in a positive way to help Wichita to achieve all it can. We all want Wichita to grow and prosper.
Joe, you need to re-think your position now to be a positive influence, not a negative one.
*waving to Rage*
Rage: I might remind you the Bill of Rights (the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution) came long before the highly observant Alexis DeTocqueville made his famous trip across America in the 1850’s or so to observe and report on the good and bad of American society at that time.
Of course, DeTocqueville saw a major problem in a democracy where a slight majority of citizens might usurp the finances of the minority in a way not beneficial to all the taxpayers in a given jurisdiction.
I know of a community where this sort of thing actually happened creating a deep split in the community that has never healed. And that possibility exists here in Wichita. Thats why I maintain we need to vote again on the Arena.
I always liked DeTocqueville’s books, DEMOCRACY IN AMERICA, Parts 1 and 2, but can’t find my copies at the present time.
I think Joe Wright, Terry Fox, and Fred Phelps are alike in that they are narcissistic ego maniacs that think they have a direct line to God and the power to interpet His word as they see fit. Maybe Terry and Joe are a bit more discrete, but they condone hatred and intolerance the same as ‘ole Fred.
I don’t want socialism to spread anymore than you do. But the United States is a socialist nation, so we are deep into this experiment.
What one person agrees as a positive use of tax money you will always find somebody that will disagree with it. Not everybody is going to agree on a particular government spending project and even during the course of time, they may change their minds. e.i. Bush getting re-elected vs. approval numbers. Should we have a vote of no confidence on the President right now?
But I have to disagree that the downtown arena will cost $2 billion or that it will be a huge drain on our local economy. You are going to have to explain to me how this abitrary 8X factor you are talking about.
Yes! A lot of our local attractions are in the red and that can be caused by a number of factors. For example about Old Cowtown Museum, I believe they should only be open on the weekends during the summer months, and during the school year open by appointment only for schools. That would save a good amount of expenses to allow them to profitable or break-even.
I also wish that a downtown arena could be funded privately, but in Wichita, I doubt that it will happen. Although our economy is ok, people here are not as active in community development as they could be for a city our size. You can’t even get people to go to a Wranglers game, where as a town with a population of 60,000 will.
JWink! If I had the money, I would finance the arena myself. If I was a multi-billionaire like Buffet, I would spend practally all my money on the city for the community.
I don’t think a 1 cent temporary sales tax will hurt our economy. But I think we should really refrain government spending as much as possible and keep our taxes low. But property taxes and income taxes is what effect our business climate, much more than sales tax.
I understand your point that a slight increase in taxes just leads to more slight increases until the taxes we pay are to high.
But if you don’t want the downtown arena, including ever single one of your business contacts, should Wichita have the Kansas Colisuem? Is that a white elephant? Does the Kansas Colisuem put a net drain of $2 billion on our economy?
It would be easy to close down Cowtown, Ice Rink, Exploration Place, City Arts, Art Museum the Zoo, all our parks and what others I’m missing that is paid and ran by government. Lets just not have nothing for economic sake.
Most of what government does is a business looser. Why have roads? They cost the government so much to build, expand, repair, and etc. Do they have a economic drain by the factor of 8?
But a growing city needs to have cultural and entertainment ammenities in order to attract people and businesses. I consider the an arena as vital to that concept. It just so happens that the voters decided on a downtown arena.
One area we can agree on is your assesment on “mob rule” and democracy being dangerous. Because it is. Once people figure out how to use the power of government to take money away from other people and give it to them, then you will see this power being exercised. Only problem is that we are already there.
What is funny is that all these leftist and Democrats want the rich to be taxed more. But not because it benefits them, because it benefits government. Taxing the hell out of the rich doesn’t put a single extra dollar in your pocket.
But people have found out how to live off the government by exploiting welfare programs and the most abusive is SSDI.
This may be controversial for most people, but I for one think that we have too many people voting and too many issues being decided by government using the people in the democratic process. We need less democracy. So JWink, I agree with you there.
Although I support the Downtown arena, I will keep an eye on it as we all should to keep the cost from going out of control and only special interest gaining on the project. Because I will raise hell. I can’t stand for corruption and people gaining off of government projects.
Sorry! Didn’t use spell check.
See Joe Williams?
First Outlander the evangelical wants to jump on you. Now you are getting it from Jwink. Typical conservative basher of all things publicly financed. And he managed to attack your punctuation? I call petty.
Still feel “right” at home Joe?
Jwink Joe is no socialist. That desription would better fit me. I find your attack on socialism offensive. Perhaps you’d like to attack me as a “negative influence” as you did Joe. Sometime you must expound for me on your vision of a world where everything is privately financed and how that is somehow better. I don’t think I have the money to live in that world. I don’t think that world would be much worth living in.
That said.Now I am against the arena too and Jwink is right to call for a re-vote. My reasons are a little more “socialistic” though.
I say the arena is being paid for by people who will never be able to afford to use it. Too those who do get to go will have second rate seating and parking…..so that the swells get VIP treatment.
NONE of this was revealed before the vote. If it had been, the arena would have never passed.
This is also the reason I have switched my position on the Wranglers. Apparently they must have a glassed in club house on the right field line. Hardball cafe aint exclusive enough. People have to be able to watch baseball from indoors. More cush for the well heeled. So regretably I must reverse my earlier advocacy for the city to save the Wranglers.
LoL you can generally tell when I do not use a WP program to write up what I post. Misspellings and sentences that do not generally make sense. I try to run spell checker and re-read before I post.An old habit I had when I started out was instead of just correcting the misspelled word I rewrite it.Some of my ideas appear stupid, I try not to appear stupid also.
Posts crossed.
I must withdraw some of my defense of Joe based on his last.
J R – socialism would be a description of state support for public services – health care and education for example. State ownership of the means of production (e.g. Gander Mountain, WaterWalk, etc) is better described as Marxism or Communism.
JR,
Are still trying to convince Joe to leave the dark side for the darker side? lmosrfao
This arena is just another instance of a taxpayer funded white elephant. This is just more circus for the sheeple.
Viva La Raza Blanco!!!
Has anyone else lost the side board of who posted, and where they posted at?
check out what Adam Carolla said to Coulter after she called into his show an hour and a half late.
Its hilarious.
http://www.crooksandliars.com/posts/2006/07/08/adam-carolla-hangs-up-on-coulter/
Steve,
If you lose the sideboard, just hit refresh. That usually means that there has been a recent post made.
V.L.R.B!!
It’s pretty funny. It’s not hilarious or anything, but she deserves it anyway. Coulter needs a Hannibal Lecter muzzle whenever she opens those flaps on her face.
Must be a problem in my browser, it just stopped coming up at all, even when I first enter the blog site.
Jack WHO? Oh yeah he showed up to shake hands and take pictures, seven times I might add. Hes a big fan!!! Walker Bush
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=2166642&page=1
I saw the movie “American History X” and I must say that the white supremacists there had some very valid and true points. However they lose all meaningful credibility when they resort to unfettered violence, making them seem like little more than mindless brutes. They really need to rethink their approach.
I have said it before and I will say it again; dpeort these vermin, every last of them!
Grand jury: No plan exists to expel repeat offenders
NASHVILLE – Gustavo Reyes Garcia had been jailed at least 14 times before he was accused of driving drunk and smashing into a sedan in last month, killing a Mt. Juliet couple.
Ruben Hernandez Martinez was cited or arrested three times on misdemeanor charges before police said he began terrorizing women, committing a series of armed home invasions and rapes in south Nashville in 1997 and 1998. He was jailed in Nashville last month after being extradited from Mexico.
In both cases, the men were in the country illegally and federal authorities failed to deport them or take them into custody despite multiple previous contacts with law enforcement.
The cases point to a problem highlighted in a report by the Davidson County grand jury, which found that poor communication between local law enforcement and federal authorities was allowing some illegal aliens to commit crime after crime without being deported.
The report comes as the number of foreign-born people booked into Metro Jail each year continues to soar. The 4,173 foreign-born prisoners who moved through the Nashville lockup during the past fiscal year is nearly double the number booked five years ago, county figures show.
“Our concern is that there does not appear to be a clear plan of action to communicate their illegal status to the proper federal authorities,” the grand jurors wrote in the report of their April-June term. “This is exemplified by the fact that in several cases, these individuals are repeat offenders.”
For those who support an open-borders policy, the cases are isolated incidents being used as political ammunition, but for those who advocate enforcement of immigration laws, the report offers another example of the federal government’s failure to deal with the estimated 12 million illegal aliens in the United States.
“I think they should be sent back to their home country,” said Verna Wyatt of You Have the Power, a crime victims’ advocacy group. “They break our laws. They don’t respect our laws. And they’re not here legally. They shouldn’t be afforded the same consideration that our U.S. citizens would be afforded.”
Full articleSource: The Tennesseanhttp://www.nationalvanguard.org/story.php?id=9507
Viva La Raza Blanco!!!
Affirmative action isn’t meritoriousand unfair. It goes against everything the American people stand for i.e. the democratization of labor. It is a grave travesty to employ someone solely on the basis of their skin color, this is little more than reverse discrimination.
Welcome to our America CrusaderX.
It needs a lot of work.
Quote of the Day:
“We can’t be so fixated on our desire to preserve the rights of ordinary Americans …” [President Bill Clinton, 'USA Today' March 11, 1993: Page 2A]
Viva La Raza Blanco!!!
http://www.narconews.com/Issue42/article1967.html
A Full Recount Would Show that López Obrador Won Mexico’s Presidency by More than One Million Votes
The Tip of the Iceberg of the Crimes Committed by Mexican Electoral Authorities Is the Fraudulent Vote Count of 2006By Al GiordanoJuly 8, 2006
Commercial Media organizations are reporting that Felipe Calderòn won Sunday’s presidential election by 0.58 percent of the vote and will govern Mexico for the next six years, beginning on December 1.
It would not be the first time that the Commercial Media has been wrong.
Many of those reports have claimed that Wednesday’s first official count of precinct results in Mexico – 130,000 pieces of paper that claim to represent the vote tallies – was a “recount.”
The truth: No recount occurred on Wednesday, or before, or since. What occurred – we repeat – was only the first official count of precinct tallies.
*****Conclusion: Mexican authorities can’t permit a recount because they’re busy destroying votes for Obrador. This will inevitably come out. Lazy “pack journalism” has already gotten everything wrong.
You really believe that Jose? Did you vote in Mexico election?
Nice try, Ian.
Here’s the entire quote:
Clinton said the country “can’t be so fixated on our desire to preserve the rights of ordinary Americans to legitimately own handguns and rifles . . . that we are unable to think about the reality” of unsafe streets and violence throughout the country. “I hope the leadership of the National Rifle Association will go back to doing what it did when I was a boy” — providing information about hunting and safety rather than fighting gun control proposals like those here and in Virginia, he said.
*****
He is saying neither that guns should be outlawed nor that citizen’s rights should be ignored, merely that the right to own a gun needs to be balanced against the right to live without fear of gun violence.
Simple facts get in the way of your biased conclusion though, don’t they.
BTW, if you google that quote, you get about ten thousand hard-right websites that truncate it just like Ian did to make Clinton look like a “communist” or something.
I had to Lexis-Nexis it just to find the original quote.
Why are people still going ape-shit over what Clinton SAID while ignoring all the stuff Bush DOES?
JWink, you lose all credibility in your arguments. A negative 8 multiplier on the arena? Get real.
Ben Huie, you might try to educate yourself on the airport terminal before you start commenting about “cavernous largely empty airport.”
Ian Santiago’s Top ten Reasons Why There are NO Black Nascar Drivers:
#10. Have to sit upright while driving.#9. Pistol won’t stay under front seat.#8. Engine noise drowns out the rap music.#7. Pit crew can’t work on car while holding up pants at the same time.#6. They keep trying to carjack Dale Junior.#5. Police cars on track interfere with race.#4. No passenger seat for the ho.#3. No Cadillacs approved for competition.#2. Can’t wear helmet sideways.AND THE NUMBER ONE REASON WHY BLACKS CAN’T BE IN NASCAR:When they crash their cars, they bail out and run.
V.L.R.B!!!
Ben,
Re: The new terminal…
Maybe it’s a “build it and they will come” kinda thing. ;)
JR,
Can you further comment on this Wranglers deal that you were talking about? What glassed in clubhouse? Am I missing something?
Last I had heard was that at the council meeting the council approved (or are going to approve) a consultant to look at what needs to be done to the ole LD stadium. Current things being thrown around by Eric (Wranglers GM) were things like the infield needs replaced (reasonable), dugouts and locker rooms need repaired, possibly upgraded (repair – reasonable, upgraded, maybe depending on whats done).
I dont see those at totally outlandish but some of the things u described, make me question… Please update me on what im missing…
tx
Oh and to you guys talking about using spell check and using word or something to compose your messages…
I have one better, i still compose my messages here in this little box on the Weblog website but i use the Google Toolbar to spell check it. It even has a neto “Autocheck” feature that automatically spell checks and fixes a majority of my spelling errors for me… so, if you sometimes get a there confused with a their, well that’s probably why… but beyond that, it works great, fast too…
check it out at toolbar.google.com
Big Daddy – I have. The airport is currently nowhere near capacity; a larger one will simply be less near capacity. Or do you somehow assume that it will magically fill up – kind of like RD’s “build it and they will come” thing?
JWink, yep & yep. Don’t need to qualify anything I said, now do I?
Hi, RD!
Ben! The new airport terminal isn’t going to be any bigger than the current one.
Actually it’s going to take up less space and it will have the same amount of gates.
But in a post ADA compliant and 9/11 security enviroment, there are things that need to be changed. They have some option, but the cost to renovate Mid-Continent would be as much just to build a new one.
Might as well build a new one and start by scratch.
I looked at the airport concept photo posted by Tony and noticed it was bilevel (top road for departures, bottom for arrivals). It’s pretty, apparently modeled after Portland International’s big-glass model.
Of course, Portland is usually overcast. Even with e-glass, Wichita’s version may generate huge AC bills.
But more to the point, I thought, before reading Ben’s post, the exact same thing. The two-ramp model was invented for very busy airports . SEA-TAC would be unnavigable without them–even with them it often takes 15 minutes to go the last half mile to drop somebody off or pick them up.
But getting into and out of Mid-Continent is a breeze. You’d have to qaudruple traffic volume to justify bi-level ramps, and that increase isn’t going to happen.
Wichita’s economy is not going to be invigorated by building “form” amenities, such as a beautiful airport, or a big arena. You first have to make a foundational plan for economic development. How can you generate thousands of new well-paying jobs? What kind of educational system do you need for a 21st century economy? Since nobody in local government has any ideas on these things, Wichita resorts to “gimmicks”.
On the arena, per se, let’s be honest about the “slight majority”. First, the city council and construction moguls set up, in advance, a plan to sneak through the necessary council action to create a special May election. Arena opponents were not notified until the Eagle published the fact that a special evening council session was being held that very night. This nicely precluded effective debate. You see, the election deal was already done. The open meetings act was obeyed in letter, but egregiously violated in spirit.
Why the special May election, instead of putting the arena proposal on the June primary or November general election ballot? Because the proponents didn’t want a full-citizenry voter turnout. Like seniors, who might think, “I’m not going to the arena, and I really can’t afford higher taxes.”
But, the deal is done. Fine. The proposed cost that a relatively small number of voters thought they were approving was $148 million. So, let’s build the arena for the stipulated-at-the-time cost.
If the builders say, “We can’t do it for $148 million,” then why did they specify that figure 3 years ago? If they say, “Well in our rush to get this proposal on the ballot, we didn’t have time to develop a comprehensive plan and accurately account the total costs, we just decided to wing it,” that’s bush league. It’s basically bait and switch: give a lowball bid now, get approval, and jack the price up later. It’s taxpayer money after all, not our own. Crap like this is why Wichita don’t get no respect.
Either the arena should be built for $148 million, including all access and egress infrastructure costs, or else there should be a new election on the matter–and this time put it on a regular June or November ballot.
I’ve seen a Wranglers game from one of the sky boxes. I was not impressed. I’d rather sit much closer on the 1st or 3rd baseline.
Ha’aretz
Anti-Zionist, pro-IsraeliBy Jill CartwrightBritish Jewish journalist Arthur Neslen doesn’t feel comfortable being in Israel – and not because of the stifling heat. Rather, his discomfort stems from political and ideological reasons. It wasn’t easy, he says, to follow a path that led to a situation where he is in effect living here and “accepting benefits as a Jew over an indigenous population that has very few rights.”
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/735648.html
Joe,
If ADA and security reasons are the “why” for the new aiport, I’ll hush. I do remember having to stand in a long, long line to have ID checked before even getting to the security scanners. That was 3 years ago. It was faster getting checked in at LaGuardia to come home.
RD
Check out the airports homepage and the PDF file associated.
http://www.flywichita.com/About/NewTerminal.htm
It goes over all of the reasons. Not only ADA, but security, baggage, A/C, etc…
Plus the fact that the Fed and the Airport is paying for it, not the Tax Payers.
Tony, thanks, I will. It pays to be more informed, and I admit I’m not on this one. I’ll correct that.
heartlander…
I agree with your point but it will never happen. It would take a signature ballet of half the population before they ever would consider a re vote…
I think the only way it might happen is if we have a bunch of pro-re-vote council members and mayor get elected.
Sorry getting back to you so late Tony.
I cannot post links. If I could I would go find it.
My info as to the wish list of the Wranglers comes only from what I read in the Eagle. A search of their recent articles as to the Wranglers might find it for you.
Some person or other affiliated with the team expressed a “need” for a glassed in club house on the right field line. I am sorry I cannot say who that was. I do not know if this is conditional to the Wranglers staying or not. It was just something I read on at least 2 occasions that I felt was sort of unreasonable.
JR,
I’ll do some poking around and see what i can find… I used to know Eric over there a few years ago, maybe i can pull some info out of him…
tx anyway…
No prob Tony. Glad I could help put you on it.
You are doing very well here and you are a credit to your Dad.
Oh come one JR… Dont say that… I thought we said we wernt going to insult each other here… ;-)
Ok, so now we have THREE father-son teams here.
Welcome Tony! I dont always agree but I do like your posts and the way you have instantly become part of the community.
Dont let the “bastids” (heheh walker) get you down!
RD, Damoon, where are your daughters? Julie’s is too young, and kelly? Dont know. We need some mother daughter teams here too!
My dog didnt blog… otherwise…
KFG,Well my daughter would love to post but since she can’t type worth a plug nickel…She’ll tell you all about it when you meet her :)
I think MM and I are the only current posting spouses – but he’s not posting right now because I’m such a slave master (I’m the majority owner of ‘his’ company) :) maybe I’ll let him come out and play soon :)
Why can’t we get father/daughter or mother/son bloggers on here? No need to be same sex. Even a blogging dog would be cool and I’m sure that Beezly would be quite the conversationalist!
Heheh. Beasley is smart enough to not have to work, to have a beautiful woman cater to her every whim, she has a nice three bedroom airconditioned house to lounge in and yard boys who come every week to make sure she is as comfortable as possible when outdoors. She gets free medical care from the best of docs, sleeps on 300 count sheets under a down comforter, and she gets her meals cooked from human food.
I want Beasley’s life…