OUR COMMUNITY has some interesting times ahead. We have three community issues that are sparking some lively conversations.
Two weeks ago, a developer from Kansas City did a presentation to the community about putting a Lowe’s in northwest Emporia. At the meeting, landowners turned up to learn about the project. Many said they had concerns about drainage, property values and traffic.
The neighbors are, in essence, saying “Not in my backyard.” But they don’t really have much leverage to tell whoever purchases the land what they can do with it. There have been some discussions from existing businesses that don’t want another retailer competing for shoppers’ dollars.
The next community issue receiving much discussion is a push by Clean Air Emporia to make Emporia smoke-free. Supporters are hoping to eliminate smoking in buildings accessible to the public.
Although the coalition is working to make our community safer, their efforts are not appreciated by everyone. Owners of bars and restaurants have been in opposition because they believe being smoke-free will hurt their businesses. Business owners also don’t want local government to dictate what they see as a freedom-of-choice and property-rights issue. Odds are, commissioners will not decide this issue but let voters decide at election time.
Law-enforcement consolidation was discussed last week when a study by the Springstead Group recommended cutting 19 enforcement positions. Needless to say, proposed staff reductions are not welcome news for law enforcement staff. As the issue is discussed, governing bodies will have to balance community safety versus cost.
Typically, our community may have one or two issues to work through, but three issues should make things interesting and give people plenty to talk about.
Everyone has an opinion and in our community everyone’s voice can be heard. Why not exercise your freedom of speech and make your opinions known? Send or e-mail us your letters for our editorial page.
Christopher White Walker
Editor & Publisher
Comments
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Posted by eiggohp (anonymous) on August 27, 2008 at 3:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm here to tell you that you do NOT want Christie doing anything in Emporia.....he has had a huge part in ruining Junction City.....and wanted to do more~~
Posted by create (anonymous) on August 27, 2008 at 4:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Perhaps a trip to Junction City for a few interviews is in order. See what the horse's mouth has to say.
Posted by dhcc66 (anonymous) on August 27, 2008 at 11:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)
from what i'm reading, the study for consolidation wants to pretty much serve the city AND county with the number of officers that the city has at present. what happens to all the patrol deputies? and can that number, which barely seems to be patrolling the streets of emporia, expect to take on all the county calls that come in too??
next question would be who gets to fund it? from previous studies, the riley county thing is just now paying off the last of it's start up costs from 25....YES THATS RIGHT...25 years ago....
when is the county going to just give up and let the sheriff run his department? why do they feel as though they have to have control over it? and why don't the citizens speak up and tell them...NO MORE STUDIES??? it's like a child running around a family event asking each relative for candy...if they get turned down at one..they go to another until they get the answer they want.
IT HAS TO STOP HERE!!
Posted by zeus (anonymous) on August 28, 2008 at 12:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Hey dhcc66, don't you mean let the UNDERsheriff run the department. Maybe if the sheriff would run the department things there would run smoothly and there would be no talk of a possible consolidation.
The undersheriff and his patrol "supervisors" have created such a debacle there that maybe a consolidation is what the county needs. Let Old go back to K-Mart security.
Posted by jayhawker (anonymous) on August 28, 2008 at 2:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The Riley County consolidation occurred in 1974 (34 years ago). I understand that while there are some advantages, the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. For example, the department is funded by action of the county and each municipality in the county, and there are constant disputes over whether each municipality is getting its share of service, whether the county residents are getting patrol and response, etc. Since the head of the department (the Director) is not elected, citizens often feel that they have no say. The department is governed by a committee (called "the Law Board") made up of the County Attorney, a County Commissioner, a City Commissioner from Manhattan and the mayors of the other smaller cities in the county. The board has no power to raise funds. Law Enforcement personnel are said to be dissatisfied with decisions made by the Law Board because it is made up of people who have no real understanding of law enforcement.
Posted by alfalfa (anonymous) on August 28, 2008 at 6:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)
If anything, there need to be MORE patrol officers. When you have laws and a justice system that requires offenders be arrested over and over again, that takes alot of manpower. I have no inside information as to the Eichorn/Old situation, all I know is that if I need to call for a deputy out in the county, I don't want to wait for a longer time because some brain surgeon decided they needed to cut patrol positions.
From what I can see, the police, deputies, state troopers and even KBI for the most part do their jobs well, it is the lawmakers and judges failing us. If I was in law enforcement I would get REALLY tired of picking up the same people over and over again.
Why is it that whenever governments want to make cuts, they always do it where it will hurt the most?? Everytime I see the courthouse I think how THAT would have been a much better place to economize.
Posted by Weltha (anonymous) on August 28, 2008 at 9:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)
What is wrong with the old K-mart- Big Lots building/land?
Posted by eiggohp (anonymous) on August 28, 2008 at 10:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Maybe a trip to Junction City is in order.....good idea but talk to someone else other than their city manager and city commissioners.....they all supported the "bust" by Christie and are blind to the effect that he has caused, because they do not want to admit that they made a huge mistake by getting him involved there.
You can go to www.jctaxpayers.com and read some of the posts there...although their old web-site that they had previously had a lot more information than the new one has..or sign up and write questions on a post of your own and I am sure you can get Scott Johnson or George Marcus to give you specific details.
Posted by dhcc66 (anonymous) on August 28, 2008 at 11:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
hey zeus. i can only say this one thing to that....VOTE THEM OUT!!!! that is why they are elected...if you folks in the county don't like the "package"...and that includes the sheriff and undersheriff...then don't vote them back in. PERIOD
Posted by lancemountain (anonymous) on September 9, 2008 at 5:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)
As long as they don't outlaw my chewin’ tobaccy I don't care what they do.
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