AS THE BUDGET season — some call it spring — settles into Emporia, it is time to ask the people of Emporia, Lyon County and the school districts in the county and in Chase County to cut the commissions and boards a little slack.
Budgeting this year, in the wake of the loss of jobs at Tyson Fresh Meats, is going to be pretty much by guess or by golly. There is as yet no clear idea of what the loss of 1,800 jobs is going to mean to tax revenues or to school enrollments. The county, the city and the school boards are doing the best they can to gauge the effects of the firings, but nothing they can do is any more than a rough estimate.
The result may be, for the city and county, a tendency to budget more tightly than usual to ensure that spending does not run ahead of whatever revenues there are.
For school districts, the reverse may be true. The districts must make sure that there are enough teachers available for a best-case scenario, so students are not short-changed by an excess of caution in preparing for the new school year.
By next year, the effects of the Tyson changes should be clear, and the budget-makers will have hard information to base their decisions on.
But for now, the board and commission members will just have to do the best they can with what they do know and make an educated guess at the rest.
Undoubtedly, somebody’s ox is going to be gored — perhaps even a few sacred cows.
When that happens, let’s try to keep the howling to a minimum and save the outrage for next year, when budgeting decisions and public criticism can again be based on solid information.
The next few months are not going to be much fun for anyone. Constructive criticism is always welcome, of course, but this would be a good year to call a moratorium on knee-jerk contrarianism.
Patrick S. Kelley
Editorial Page Editor
allen (anonymous) says...
They can not propose a working budget with a STABILE emporia economy
March 11, 2008 at 11:15 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
CAFEmporia (anonymous) says...
Allen, yes, but nobody knows what economic stability means for Emporia right now or into the future.
I think the city and county people will do ok - but I agree with Pat Kelly that I'm going to hate seeing my sacred cows all beat up. Hopefully, the new budget will not kill outright popular or promising programs which stand to benefit the community, just reduce budgets even if it means they barely operate for a year. Even that may be too much to hope for in some cases, though, as this develops.
March 11, 2008 at 5:25 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
admireed (anonymous) says...
Sell the airport, golf course, pool, several parks. Charge enough admission to zoo, rec center, and library for them to pay their own way. Discussion? Other ideas?
March 14, 2008 at 2:18 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Bjnemp (anonymous) says...
Admireed: First, we stop panicking and acting as if the world is coming to an end. Then we improve the airport and parks, not sell them, and we SURE don't charge admission to a public library! Then we start enforcing the local housing codes and eliminate the slum shacks located all over town. They make our city look poor and trashy. We also level that ancient, dilipated, embarrassment of a fair grounds and sell that prime land to a good retail developer. We then stop serving as a sanctuary city for illegal immigrants by arresting and deporting them instead of bankrupting our economy and forsaking our heritage to accomodate them. We also crack down on local businesses that employ illegals and fine them back to a state of patriotism. We also have the Chamber of Commerce try to convince local businesses to stop prostituting themselves, our city, and our nation by conducting business in Spanish instead of English. By doing those things perhaps Emporia could once again be a small city that people and businesses would consider visiting, relocating to, or investing in. Until then, we have little to offer those who could create the jobs and prosperity we need and desire. "In the eyes of others, we are not what we think we are but what they perceive us to be." Have you heard the phrase "dress for success?" Emporia needs to clean up it's act and prepare for success.
March 14, 2008 at 3:17 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
I like what you say, Bjnemp, especially about the fairgrounds and dressing for success. Right on!
The downtown businesses sure could think about dressing for success after a snow fall. Why don't any of those downtowners do something about all the ice and snow at the curb? Getting into any downtown business after a snow is trecherous. In fact, if I don't have to go downtown at that time, I don't because I don't want to fall and break my attitude. I realize we've had a bad winter, but they have bad winters in other places and they clean up their curbs.
March 14, 2008 at 7:18 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
Tre, thanks for the information on snow removal from the curbs downtown. I had no idea. I know salting it wouldn't help because it's too thick. We'll have to figure something out because the current problem is quite dangerous for footing. I watched an elderly gentleman on a cane maneuver himself over the curb ice not long ago. It was in front of Graves, so I'm guessing he had to pick up medicine. Thanks again for telling me about the city's rule. If I were a teenage boy, I'd go downtown with a shovel and a pickup at 5 a.m. and for a fee from each store, I'd remove the snow. Hmmmm....am I being naive again?
March 15, 2008 at 10:08 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Bjnemp (anonymous) says...
Yes, create, you are probably being naive, and isn't it sad. When I was a boy growing up in central Topeka in the 1950s I often made twenty dollars mowing lawns on a Saturday and more during the week after school. Do you know how much money that was in 1957? From ten years old on I always had money in my pocket; lots of money. In the winter I prayed for snow. I could shovel 20 walks in a day at two bucks each. And that's when a double feature movie was fifteen cents and a Coke was a dime. In between I replaced screens and storm windows, tore down a garage, watered plants, dug gardens, and many other chores older adults needed help with. I was rich! Kids today don't want to work.
March 15, 2008 at 12:41 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
Yes, it is sad, Bj. We don't see many kids who want to dig gardens, rake leaves, and mow or shovel snow, but he or she can make a pretty good amount of pocket money for being industrious. The kid who mows for me now started when he was in high school, and he's about to get out of college this May. He's an Olpe kid. His mowing money went to buy books and make his car payment all these years. He told me last summer that he earned over $200 a week by mowing all day long on only one day a week. Not bad side money for one day a week. I will miss him if he decides to go; I hope I can find another one like him.
March 15, 2008 at 6:40 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Pollyanna (anonymous) says...
There are still those kids around. I happen to have one myself. He is out with his shovel before the last flake has fallen. My son has witnessed the feel good feeling when you help a neighbor (or several) out when the snow is high. Now he goes out after every snow and shovels our neighbors walks and driveways. One neighbor is always quick to line his gloves with a dollar or two and the other never offers a penny. I'm so proud that he never hesitates to do both. Don't give up on those neighborhood gems..they are still around!!
March 15, 2008 at 9:20 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
I know you must be proud of your son. He has been reared well, by the way. His intrinsic motivation to do good deeds makes him a gem, for sure, and I realize a kid needs to learn the value of helping others without expecting remuneration, but boo on people who don't at least give the kids a few bucks. Last year, I hired snow removal by a commercial outfit for my driveway. It was $30, and they did it by machine.
March 16, 2008 at 10:09 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )