This big box proposal is creating a division and lines in the sand as I've never seen before in Ark City (I've only lived her four years).
I hear people saying grave things like "It will kill downtown" or "the city will be dead without it"
As is normally the case, the truth lies somewhere well between those two statements. I'm sure there will be plenty of superlatives and weighty declarations made on the 18th at the public hearing. I just hope this doesn't leave deep resentments that linger and prevent progress and pulling together in the future, whichever way the Commission goes.
My prediction, based mostly on hearsay, is that this will fail. We know there is at least one NO vote in Mel Kuhn, and two or three other commissioners on the fence. Word is they are hearing more arguments against than for, and I think they will be very influenced by community imput on this one
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Once again David you just about got this one down to the nitty gritty. you have managed to see part of the divide in the community 1.the county,2. the school board, 3.the city commissioner and their swollen ego.But the one left out is the people of this community. It stands with no question to me that the politics of this whole matter will be how much dollars (denarios) each group will pad their budget with for the next few years.
Sounds like we make more money with USD 470 if people are not able to afford to buy lunch. oh yea that was a big item on the debate for school funding with the state a couple of years ago.They may have to trim the budget some. oh yea lets not forget how the school board was so against working with the cowley county college to build the sports complex north of the school a few years ago. Couldve had a new track and football field already (yea).
Then the city folks must have forgotten, (oh yea none of them were there) to see how much protesting was going on when they decided to pave 8th street from Radio Lane to Sky Line road. those people did not want to be in the city they wanted to be outside, just a little country living, but even when they rejected the road which was against city code (all new roads will be curbed and guttered)interest if the city one out. Now they want to have bigger roads for more traffic and noise.
Then you got the county commissioners who are about to get left out to only get the crumbs and that just will not work well with there budget after the dumping deal this year. Gotta get my hands full and their pockets fluffed' (With the Cash)
Just seems like budgets will be the bottom line and since they cannot share equally they will more than likely not share at all. But when we think we have it all figured out they will work it out.
Then there is us, the people of this city whom may speak our pro's and con's at the forum in public but when the doors are closed our words will be silent to those three groups whom have deemed them selves as "the public" "the community" and our merry band of leaders who have forgotten how they got elected and for whom they represent, all hell to the almighty. As it was stated by a former city commissioner (will allow you all to speak because we don't have to do this, we could just make a decision).
So there you have my friend from someone who has been here 20 plus years. The four sides that put this community in division. Just think about this, what we have here is four boxes that make a BIG BOX and there is even more division inside of those boxes in the great divide of Ark City USA motown litte bubble in this State.
Once again David you just about got this one down to the nitty gritty. you have managed to see part of the divide in the community 1.the county,2. the school board, 3.the city commissioner and their swollen ego.But the one left out is the people of this community. It stands with no question to me that the politics of this whole matter will be how much dollars (denarios) each group will pad their budget with for the next few years.
Sounds like we make more money with USD 470 if people are not able to afford to buy lunch. oh yea that was a big item on the debate for school funding with the state a couple of years ago.They may have to trim the budget some. oh yea lets not forget how the school board was so against working with the cowley county college to build the sports complex north of the school a few years ago. Couldve had a new track and football field already (yea).
Then the city folks must have forgotten, (oh yea none of them were there) to see how much protesting was going on when they decided to pave 8th street from Radio Lane to Sky Line road. those people did not want to be in the city they wanted to be outside, just a little country living, but even when they rejected the road which was against city code (all new roads will be curbed and guttered)but the interest if the city one out.
Then the county commissioners are about to get the crumbs and that just will not work well with there budget after the dumping deal this year. Gotta get my hands full and their pockets fluffed.
Just seems like budgets will be the bottom line and since they cannot share equally they will more than likely not share at all. But when we think we have it all figured out they will work it out.
Then there is us, the people of this city whom may speak our pro's and con's at the forum in public but when the doors are closed our words will be silent to those three groups whom have deemed them selves as "the public" "the community" and our merry band of leaders who have forgotten how they got elected and for whom they represent, all hell to the almighty. As it was stated by a former city commissioner (will allow you all to speak because we don't have to do this, we could just make a decision).
So there you have my friend from someone who has been here 20 plus years. The four sides that put this community in division. Just think about this, what we have here is four boxes that make a BIG BOX and there is even more division inside of those boxes in the great divide of Ark City USA motown litte bubble in this State.
Lowes would provide contract plumbing services through a local contractor.
As predicted, once again, progress will be squashed because it doesn't suite certain power structures in this community. I am sick and tired of this town crying for new stores and businesses to come and when they do we turn them away. It is no wonder that new businesses stay away from here. We should be asking ourselves why business won't come. We complain about money but was willing to pay for the utilities and water to the non existant hospital. We need new business.
heres something you can look into, and why doesnt your paper look into more items concerning city government and how tax dollars around here are REALLY being spent? the people of this town deserve a newspaper that will watch our local government and report on waste and catering to a select few, heck has anyone noticed that the new commisioner KUHN suddenly is doing all the citys work, isnt this a conflict, sorta like the conflict (and moneys owed the city) with Kan Pak yet Hockenbury is also a commisioner. concerning the big box store, the gentleman who wrote in had a good point about the other strip malls still sitting empty. just look, where blockbuster is the other stores still sit empty, the new one up on the hill still just had a phone store and the others empty last time i looked, and we have two other strip malls that have been around for many years, and they even have some stores sitting empty at times. we are a small and dying town and the city needs to preserve and take care of what we have and quit wasting money on pipe dreams, catering to new businesses or trying to annex more people ! they cant even take care of what they have, look at our streets canals city owned buildings and grounds, etc, and they are now even taking away from their own city employees! just look at what the city spent BEFORE those doctors even had their loan for a new hospital! now it looks like there will be no hospital but what about all those tax dollars YOUR TAX DOLLARS they wasted on that pipe dream, which they wouldn't have done for the average tax payer by the way, just those with money and influence like a few select doctors here in town. i wish the traveler would go up there a find the exact dollar amount and do a story on that for the tax payers because they deserve to know how much the city wasted on that venture i bet it would be close to half million at least if not a million, so why doesnt the traveler look into that and maybe the state of kansas should look into it also, how can they blow our money like that without telling us the people in this town deserve to know about this huge waste of tax dollars that was done without them knowing and for what? nothing? that is a huge amount of money that could have been put to good use where it was REALLY needed. come on traveler, get busy and report on items like this that the tax payers need information on be a REAL newspaper for once
Im sure Lowes would do that and I bet it would be mr commisioner KUHN dont you? after all the city would surely point lowes in that direction as they have pointed all their work to lately or hasnt anyone noticed? kinda odd to see your commisioner also doing so much work for the city he serves and i thought that wasnt legal but in this town they make their own rules up as they go along
It probably would not be Kuhn and maybe that's the problem.
People are talking about empty stores, but they miss the point. There won't be a 30 + million $ investment with an empty store. If the developer moves on this it will be real.
well has anyone noticed the number of KUHN trucks at the new Walgreens construction site lately?? CHA CHING for the man that is "representing"...and I use that term extremely loosely..our city. WHO VOTED THIS GUY IN??
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