Posted on September 4 at 11:48 a.m.
sjschlag, the thing is that the K-10 connector does pay for itself. It is part of the JO system. I think a increase is in order for the addition of more buses. I commend the Johnson Counties bus system for succeeding in the free market system where bus systems in Lawrence have failed. The fact is that the local bus company, MV transportation, lost the contract war to the JO for this project so I'm not sure how the school would be able to help unless an additional contract was drafted. These sorts of systems make more sense for students than they might for working class Americans as students are most likely more tight on funds and resources like cars. Plus this route just makes a lot of sense for someone like myself who made the commute to JCCC and KU for over a year and advocated for a connector.
On The K-10 Connector’s overcrowded buses are making riders feel unsafe
Posted on September 4 at 11:40 a.m.
This is exactly what the leadership of Students of Liberty told you. Thank you to the author for bringing this to light. OK people listen up. When you socialize anything, it gets over used and abused. That is a fact. As we exposed early on before the referendum went through, it was stated that yes it may cost $20 (to ride "free") plus $40-$50 (transportation fee) to support this system now but down the road they will incrementally add further fees and adding further buses. Instead of living within our means we begin to defeat the purpose of the bus system all together. Recall the socialized bus system now before this private corporation starts asking every student at KU to foot the bill for a required annual bus pass.
Posted on September 3 at 9:51 a.m.
First off it is our Republic not "our democracy", get it right. Crack open your history book or refer to the Constitution every once in a while.
Next, Democracy doesn't stand for freedom of speech or freedom of the press. It most often stands for freedom of popular speech and freedom of popular press. You are experiencing decent from a somewhat more popular line of reasoning, hence all the mail, but in a true Republic like ours your freedom of speech is protected even if you are the only one proclaiming it. In a Democracy on the other hand, as we see in other countries, you risk the threat of suppression of your views as you may not be in the majority of thought. That mindset is beginning to sink in here, hence all the cease and desist style e-mails. They don't realize in this country you can express whatever crazy, fringe, or distasteful view you choose as long as you don't infringe upon the very right of other, in which case you have not.
I agree, criticism is patriotic, as it ensures the preservation of a value system and keeps governments accountable to the people. It is indeed healthy. I'll ask you though, why is it that you seek "global democracy"? Are you sure that people outside the US all want that? How would you go about establishing global democracy? Would it be by force of arms or coercion like the Bush or Clinton administrations, or even the McCain or Obama administrations? Can we not lead by example?
Posted on September 3 at 9:28 a.m.
I think many people are missing the point that the Athletics Department doesn't completely stand on its own two feet. Not only do they profit from the KU brand itself, something the entire student body contributes to but they also tax the students every semester so they don't have to reach into their own pockets in supporting their non-revenue programs. I agree they deserve just about every penny they receive as they are indeed a business, but they do not have the right to rob the students because some of their sports make no profit. You can't have it both ways. Additionally the campus itself is property of the State, so designing and implementing new facilities comes at the Universities discretion. I think students need a say in the construction of additional sports buildings as they take away much needed real-estate for parking and better academic facilities. Is it not reasonable for the students to be compensated for the land taken for useless fields and extravagant sports complexes? This is a public institution, i'd rather not see it continue down this corporatist path. Stop the subsidization of the athletics department so we can end these drawn out debates over what money they should be allowed to keep. As it stands they owe the students quite a bit.
Posted on August 27 at 9:34 p.m.
Chestnut, what are you talking about! His corporation acquired funds from students and took away real estate from students. If they wasted their own funds on their own property there would be no debate. We would laugh at their blunder. The fact remains that the Athletics Inc. is a private organization that feeds off student funds that are unjustly acquired because of their direct involvement with our Student Senate. We need to deny these people free reign over our campus and keep them accountable. When will anyone confront this guy on his egregious mistakes. Harsh, hardly.
Posted on August 27 at 6:19 a.m.
Though I sympathize with the Hillary folks (they definitely were screwed out of their choice), their leader has dropped all delegates and towed the party line like a "good soldier". To say that her millions upon millions of supporters aren't justified because they don't align themselves with Obama's policy truly tramples freedom of choice. They can vote for whomever they want and if you think that there shouldn't be any disunity, keep dreaming. If it was bad enough for Clinton to even have to address the issue you know it is on many peoples minds. You don't see McCain talking about all the disunity in the Republican Party. They feel that they can spare over a million votes apparently.
Some of you Democrats think that the primary season is a showing for Democracy but this is half true. In reality the delegates can do as they wish, they hold all the cards. The primary is just a sample as to who is most likely to lead the Party to victory. Do you think Abraham Lincoln had the majority of the delegates when the Convention came rolling around. No, he had 10% but he was the best choice for the Party for the circumstances at the time and he was chosen. The same can be said of several other candidates in our history who eventually were elected to office. By comparison Hillary had just under 50% much more than a meager 10% for you Democracy buffs. I support neither media coronated candidate and that is all that this is. Ben does a great job of perpetuating their Reign of Terror over our minds.
I am educated on the checks and balances placed in the system by the Party leaders. If the delegates weren't meant to have a choice then why elect them at all and why waste millions on extravagant Conventions with an additional 100 million in security if the "presumptive nominee" meant the nominee? With that logic it would be interesting to see what would happen if Edwards was right now on top. Would you tow the line then? Or what would the young people of America do if Obama lost in a narrow lead, would you not demand a brokered election if at all possible to get that Change in your pockets? What if you knew that Hillary would destroy McCain by over 10% while anyone else would suffer a terrible defeat?
These are the real reasons Conventions exist, so those elected by the people can make the final vote based on current situations. Its a little thing called representative government seeing as this is a Republic and all. Once again Ben you're laying the rhetoric on real thick and you fail to get it but hey, barring some voter fraud, maybe your man will win this after all.
Posted on August 21 at 3:16 p.m.
Sopheo, I absolutely agree with you. I think people need to begin to realize that the Athletics Department is run an operated like a business, because quite honestly that is what it is. That doesn't bother me. What bothers me is that they consistently ask of the students to sacrifice their convenience, their time, and their money to subsidize their existence. It is as if they would be in dire straits if not for students contributions in the form of fees. Yet we see that they are making record profits and are building all sorts of sports projects around campus.They also run the licensing wing of the University and they dictate its use. If a student wants to use the Jayhawk logo, a symbol and concept the predates the University itself, they absolutely cannot without approval which they won't get. The reality is that Athletics Inc. makes quite a bit of profit and they get quite a bit of privilege and priority while giving table scraps back to the school. Not everyone can be an athlete, but everyone is a student. Why must every student subsidize this corporation. The same can be said of the bus system. The school itself should be taking the athletics departments revenue and putting it back into much needed areas of the campus, period. We are not here to be entertained we are hear to get world class education. When the entertainment gets elevated above academics on a college campus, all sorts of alarms must be going off.
Posted on August 21 at 11:20 a.m.
It is simply amazing that this is already starting on the very first day of class. Quite an example the Athletics Department is setting for those incoming Freshmen. They have only begun to show, once again, in flawless form their incompetence and undermining of students who come here to learn first and foremost. Thank you KU Athletics Inc., you and your private interest cronies, for not only stealing hundreds of needed parking spots from the student body but shaking every last penny of the students hard earned cash for your useless pet projects. Your work on this monstrosity not only was a burden to those trying to get to and from classes, (especially those in the Spencer) but you've demonstrated your complete disregard for what the real Jayhawks need. I'm talking about those of us who attend class, do our own work, and work hard to have stable careers and futures from the work done on our backs and not on everyone else. We came after you last year and we're coming after you again. Thanks for the ammunition.
Posted on July 2 at 3:17 p.m.
As someone who considers White Owl a good friend, I would encourage people to get to know him. I agree with the first response about learning something from not only a Veteran but a Lawrence elder. His stories about this cities history alone deserve to be republished in the UDK. I really wish they had gotten it right and decided to focus more on the man and his life than the controversy of his marriage. The only reason he has become a spectacle is because people make him one instead of investing some time to find out what he knows. I see this type of thinking often in the KU community, people are content to being spectators in their studies and the goings on at the campus. The knowledge you gain here can forever be used to change the world around you. The comments about prices for this and that are the result of your ignorance and resistance to change the world around you.
Posted on September 29 at 2:28 p.m.
Good editorial and thank you for sharing your philosophical shift with us all. I feel you 100%. I too was one of the hardcore Republican voters who believed that they were absolutely steering this country back to its greatness. Unfortunately they have become a one issue Party and the war is that issue. They will except any ideology under their wing as long as that ideology doesn't oppose the war. It is upsetting as well as sad. We need a moral Party in power again. One that looks out for the individual rights and respects for the people. Sending hundreds of thousands of men and women to fight an illegal war and have those here at home suffer economically and give up something as great as their children for a lie isn't moral. All of you need to check out the KU Chapter of Iraq Veterans Against the War and their Supporters and get on board with changing our foreign policy and the abuse of our troops.
On Letter: War turned me into a Democrat