The Emporia Gazette

Submit questions for city commission candidates

Do I think it's the government's responsibility to try and bring jobs to the area and create opportunities for citizens to make a living and possibly even prosper? Absolutely. Do I think there are citizens in Emporia who are having to make some very tough choices due to economic realities beyond their control? Absolutely. Do I think a candidate should have some realistic ideas on how to bring jobs to Emporia? Absolutely.

February 19, 2011 at 9:31 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Submit questions for city commission candidates

1. Have you ever gone without a meal because you didn't have money to buy food?
2. Have you ever had to make a choice between buying food for your family or paying a utility bill?
3. Have you ever been really sick, but didn't go to the doctor because you don't have health insurance and couldn't afford to pay for the doctor visit?
4. Have you ever had to tell your child they will have to wait until next payday for their birthday present because you had to pay your car insurance (or some other bill)?

5. What are your plans to try to make sure fewer citizens of Emporia have to make those types of decisions?
6. Why should I vote for you?

February 18, 2011 at 5:31 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Mattress & Appliance Outlet to close

Sad.

Another business run out of town by all the anonymous negative bloggers on the Emporia Gazette Website.

If only we had listed to our city leaders and let them go ahead with rocks project, this would never have happened and the Mattress & Appliance Outlet would still be in business.

I hope you're all happy.

Disclaimer: For those who may not have known, this post was entirely sarcastic.

February 11, 2011 at 6:15 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Sound Off - Repeal in-state tuition for illegal immigrants?

The answer to the question of the "children of illegals being penalized" is simple:

If a social security number is required for admittance to college....

....and these children are providing false social security numbers for admittance and/or financial aid...

Isn't that fraud? Isn't that a crime in itself?

The "children of illegal immigrants" wouldn't be penalized for the crimes of their parents, they would be penalized for their own crimes - namely fraud.

Now, if the children of illegal immigrants are provided valid social security numbers by the Federal government, then that's a completely different story.

February 11, 2011 at 5:58 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Supporting the monuments

Ask anyone who works in retail or tourism how many people actually read signs.

The other article on hungry children perfectly illustrates why so many people are upset over the rocks.

There are many people in this town who can't afford to buy food to feed their own families, yet our town leaders want them to help buy $140,000 worth of rocks.

Please. Use the tax dollars for what you said they were going to be used for - infrastructure improvements. Roads, water & sewer systems, etc.

Save the fancy decorations for when the economy improves.

January 27, 2011 at 6:13 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Emporia in the next decade: we'd like your help!

1. What do you think Emporia will look like in ten years? (More or less retail, More or less population, better off then than now, etc

Ten years is a long time and there are so many variables, it's hard to say what Emporia will look like in 10 years, so I will answer the three parts specifically mentioned.

Retail. Ok, again with retail, retail, retail. Retail will continue to fail until we are able to attract well-paying jobs to replace the thousands that have been lost over the last decade. That should be obvious. If the population can't earn a living wage to pay for their basic necessities, they are not going to have money left over to spend on 'retail'. Therefore, the vast majority of new retail will fail.

More or less population? Also depends on the jobs. The population will follow economic opportunity. If we have no good jobs here, the population will go where they can make a living. It's already happening. If something isn't done to bring jobs here (REAL jobs...not minimum wage retail jobs), the trend will continue.

Better off now or then? Depends. More job opportunities = population better off.

2. What will Emporia need to do have bright future?

Jobs. Good jobs. And lots of them. Jobs that pay a minimum of $10 per hour.

3.What will your organization or business look like in ten years? Bigger or smaller. What will be the keys to your success. How can the community help you?

Does not apply.

1. Any final thoughts?

I (and several of my friends) are planning to leave Emporia. It's a great town. Wonderful place to raise a family. But I'm being taxed to death...and the taxes keep going up. There are no jobs here for my children when they grow up. I'd love to stay here, but I owe it to my children to offer them the opportunity to prosper. If we stay, I'm offering them poverty.

January 18, 2011 at 6:52 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Budget reaction

Bobhornet said, "Landa, don't expect the people who post on here to read carefully or understand your common sense reasoning!"

Well, bob...perhaps you, with your vastly superior intelect, would care to explain it to the lowly ignorant savages who post here.

You should be careful of your nose's angle. If it points much higher, you might drown during the next rainstorm.

January 17, 2011 at 2:03 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Turning Point expanding

Rewba: "Hateful scumbags. elitists and racists"

Rewba: "Sorry your children have been so overprotected that they cannot not fit in with their peers."

Rewba: "trying to adjust to a world where mama's not around to defend them."

Rewba: "just like your children. Mama's boys who would break down and cry anytime someone looked at them with a war face."

Rewba: "They are the blunt of jokes"

Rewba: "Yes, I'm a military man."

Rewba: "I served in the United States Southern Command "

I was done with this, but this requires a resposne. You, sir, are a coward. No, you are worse than a coward. You don't deserve to be honored as a soldier. If those in your unit read this, I expect they would be ashamed as well.

January 15, 2011 at 5:01 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Turning Point expanding

Rewba says, "I am acquainted with several of the parents with children attending TPLC. The ones I know have stated that they wouldn't send their children to Riverside or William Allen White and told me why. Can you guess the reason?"

Hmm...first you don't know a thing about TPLC (is it private? is it public??)...now you are "acquainted" with several of the parents.

Which is it?

You seem to have a great deal of trouble with reality and honesty.

Sounds like a great group of people you choose to hang out with. Explains a lot about your comments.

January 14, 2011 at 9:16 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Turning Point expanding

Rewba: "If anyone cared to re-read all of my posts on this thread you will notice that I never once called the TPLC a whites only program nor did I accuse them of racism." January 14 at 4:37 p.m.

Really?

Rewba: "Is it special education for mentally or physically handicapped children?" January 12 at 9:47 a.m.
Rewba: "is it kids with parents who don't want their children mingling with minorities?" January 12 at 9:47 a.m.
Rewba: "Someone should look into this. NAACP? " January 12 at 9:47 a.m.
Rewba: "Are the demographics of this "charter school" available to the general public?" January 12 at 2:11 p.m.
Rewba: "One thing I didn't see was dark skinned children. Only whites." January 12 at 3:43 p.m..
Rewba: "Now that you assured me that there is in no way any chance that this program can't be segregation...Maybe I should recall the e-mail I sent to DREDF."
Rewba: "I sure hope the Hispanic community get their names on the waiting list." January 12 at 3:43 p.m.
Rewba: "The students chose English, French and Italians for their hall of fame and the Portuguese and Spanish explorers were relegated to their wall of shame." January 12 at 4:51 p.m.
Rewba: "All I saw on there website was white kids" January 12 at 4:51 p.m.
Rewba: "One little girl who had crispy dark hair was in a picture but I couldn't tell if she was dark skinned or if it was poor lighting." January 12 at 4:51 p.m.

Sounds to me like that's exactly what you are saying.

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You've also tried to insinuate that this is a private "elitist" program:

Rewba: "Is TPLC a private school? January 12 at 9:19 a.m"
Rewba: "So TPLC is a public school? January 12 at 9:32 a.m."
Rewba: "This is a selective public school program not offered to everyone". January 12 at 8:44 p.m.
Rewba: "That is what this is right now. A few lucky people get the best the we have to offer. Everyone else gets the crappy system." January 13 at 8:17 a.m.
Rewba: "It isn't fair" January 14 at 10:44 a.m.
Rewba: "They expect everyone else to provide a special program exclusively for their child. Isn't that what TPLC is?" January 14 at 10:44 a.m.
Rewba: "When my children were in school $100 textbook fee only let my child borrow some textbooks" January 14 at 10:44 a.m.

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Rewba: "The parents with children in this program have stated on this thread that if this program wasn't available, they would be forced to home school their child." January 14 at 12:05 p.m.

That's also a lie. Two people mentioned home schooling. MarieA said, "I'm apart of the blended program, Witch is we go onsite 3 days, and Homeschooled 2" PinkPintoPony said, "I could have gone homeschool route, but TPLC is here and it's great"

Nobody said anything about being "forced" to homeschool their child without TPLC.

Seriously, Rewba, get some therapy.

January 14, 2011 at 7:01 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )