1) Why should it be your concern whether or not “developments” get resolved “outside the public spot light?”

2) LNP has the bigger megaphone, certainly.  But they use it to promote their own interests and to protect the local elite.

Who appointed you the conservator of “the general good?”  If you’ve got a story, run it.

Otherwise, stop blowing smoke about your supposed mission: “Our mission is to provide an alternative source of coverage and comment from the monopoly Lancaster press. We will provide news without spin, editorials without vested interests and personal attacks, and solicit vigorous discussions by the public.”

Courtesy of LookingAtLancaster.com

We’ve all seen far too many instances of “bait and switch”, where we are enticed to look for something that is advertised, only to find that what is actually being offered is quite different. Unfortunately, the hotel and convention center project in downtown Lancaster, PA has been a prime example of “bait and switch” tactics.

For many months now, we’ve been hearing from many different sources about how this project would provide many good jobs for Lancaster residents. With cooperation from a number of different agencies, “Career Link” set up a training program for more than 800 people, with the promise that anyone who completes the course would be guaranteed an interview for a job in the hotel and convention center.

Widely advertised job fairs attracted about 1800 applicants. Yet out of the 150 or so front-line employees that have been made job offers so far, only 80 were hired from these two groups (according to Mark Moosic of Interstate Hotels and Resorts, joint manager of both the hotel and convention center). Where did the rest come from?

Out of well over 2000 applicants who responded to a variety of advertisements, including on web sites like craigslist.org. (Interestingly, not one “help wanted” advertisement for the hotel and convention center has appeared in any of the local newspapers.)

The “good” news is that out of the 150 individuals offered jobs so far, 90% will be full-time positions; 72% of these are Lancaster City residents. Additional people are expected to be hired by the end of 2009, bringing hotel and convention center staffing to about 250; 80% of this total should be full-time.

Another example of “bait and switch” is the total cost of the project. When the project was first proposed, it was expected to cost $75 million; the total cost now is estimated to be $177.6 million, not counting certain interest charges, and threatens to go even higher. The original cost to Lancaster taxpayers was estimated to be $15 million; now it is nearly $64 million, not counting lost real estate tax revenue. (It is worth noting that this project was originally supposed to create 300 to 400 jobs, many more than the 250 or so expected to result from a far more expensive facility.)

Lancaster City and School District of Lancaster taxpayers have been especially hard hit by yet another “bait and switch”: the Intelligencer Journal of August 21, 2001 quoted Nevin Cooley of High as promising the board of the School District of Lancaster that the hotel would generate as much as $400,000 a year in school real estate taxes; additional tax revenue would go to Lancaster City. The current project will pay no real estate taxes whatsoever for at least 20 years. Meanwhile, Lancaster City has forgiven the project hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees, while spending millions of dollars on improving the appearance of the area around the convention center in anticipation of its opening.

Much has been made of the “private-public partnership” behind this project. But how much of a “partnership” is it? For example, the LCCCA is using taxpayer dollars to pay for 100% of the cost of constructing and maintaining both ballrooms, as well as the main kitchen. One of these ballrooms will be controlled by the Penn Square Partners, which will receive all revenue generated from that space. And the hotel is expected to use the kitchen at least 75% of the time. For this and other considerations, the PSP will pay $100 a year, with a 99 year lease. Now that is some partnership.

How are we supposed to react to all of this? Judging by statements made by numerous public officials and civic leaders, as well as articles and editorials in the local newspapers, we are supposed to be very happy about the hotel and convention center project! It is what it is, we have been told; we must not focus on the past, but instead look forward to the future.
We are supposed to focus on the jobs and economic development that might be created by the hotel and convention center project, and just forget about the “bait and switch” agreements which will be so costly to local taxpayers for generations to come.

By Dan Cohen

It’s now official. One of the most anticipated studio films of the year, “Terminator Salvation” (or T-4) is both a critical and financial failure. So now the question is, how did a franchise that minted so much money for its studio, run out of gas at a point in time when box office is up over 15%?

To get a little perspective we need to go back to 1984, when James Cameron, whose only significant credit up to that time was “Piranha 2,” wrote (with fledgling producer Gale Ann Hurd) and directed the first “Terminator.” Considered a long shot at the time, the 6 million dollar sci-fi starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, mainly known as the body builder who starred as “Conan The Barbarian,” grossed $80 million worldwide. More than anyone dared to imagine.

The original was a hell for leather action thriller about an unstoppable robot who came back from the future to kill a young man who’s destiny was to save mankind from a world dominated by machines. The story borrowed heavily from other B movies, but it was distinguished by relentless energy and a truly remarkable final sequence, where the deathless Terminator is serially shorn of layer after layer of synthetic flesh and bone. Credit this to effects wizard Stan Winston. Basically, the movie delivered more than it promised, the audience rewarded it. It’s also worth noting that it was rated R, which kept a lot of the desired teen demographic from seeing it.

Read the rest of this entry »

Why bring it up at all then?

I do not believe that newspapers will ever go completely electronic.  There are far too many situations where reading offline is the only cost-effective solution.

For example, many people read their newspapers over a meal, while traveling, in a public place, or in the bathroom; an electronic device that can be read in these situations requires a substantial financial investment, can be awkward to use, and in most cases requires a hefty monthly fee – a huge deterrent as the U.S. standard of living continues to fall.  I

In addition, a significant number of individuals either cannot or will not understand the technology required to read the news electronically.

Until it is no more expensive to read the news online, newspapers will always have a market.  It is true that circulation will continue to fall, and newspapers might only publish a few days every week.  But there is far too much of a market for people reading the news offline for publishers and newspapers to ignore.

Newspapers could also greatly reduce their production costs.  For example, Lancaster Newspapers has an outdated Flexo newspaper press, which uses an expensive and complex labor-intensive process to create the printed image.

8 West King Street could learn from their Lancaster County Weeklies division in Ephrata, which uses a far simpler – and much less expensive – offset printing process.

Let’s just cut to the chase: heroin should be legal.

Mexico just legalized possession of small amounts of all drugs. Switzerland just legalized heroin. Portugal decriminalized all drugs in 2001 and their experience has been positive. Now if you are caught with a 10 day supply of your drug or less you face an administrative court, not a criminal court, but in practice they are just not arresting people.

A group of 10,000 very serious policemen, prosecutors, attorneys and citizens have formed a group to legalize ALL drugs, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (http://leap.cc ) They see what happened when we legalized alcohol in 1932 as a good example of how drug legalization would work.

This foolish war on drugs has lasted 37 years and cost us over a TRILLION dollars and we are not an inch closer to stopping drugs.  How many millions of Americans are we going to lock up in prison for decades?

Run the story…We all know how Lancaster Newspapers has repeatedly manipulated the news for their own political and financial benefit.  If NewsLanc.com breaks the story first, LNP might be forced to tell the truth.

The other issue is, you mention awaiting some kind of resolution.  If NewsLanc.com would publish the story, it could provide the motivation necessary to produce a resolution that is best for all involved, especially taxpayers if our money is at stake.

The following letter appeared in the May 31st Sunday News from Joseph R. Dundore Sr., President, ATU Local 1241:

As president of ATU Local 1241, the union representing bus operators for Red Rose Transit, I would like to voice the concern of our drivers regarding the extended crosswalks being built in downtown Lancaster.

Oversized crosswalks pose a safety concern to pedestrians when large vehicles try to negotiate turns. Pedestrians standing too close to the corners are at risk of rear-wheel rollovers. We are also concerned about pedestrians in these crosswalks who may be visually impaired or have disabilities.

If oversized crosswalks are to be used, we feel they are far more effective in the middle of the street than at corners where large trucks and buses must turn.

Did the City research the implications of  “bulb outs” with Red Rose Transit? Is this still another case where establishment propaganda was substituted for a solid feasibility study by a nationally recognized authority?

We at NewsLanc like the look of the downtown streetscape improvements and, from appearances, the public’s money was well spent. But looks should not override practicality and public safety.

“So we agonize.  And we  hope our silence is appropriate.”

Your silence is absolutely  not appropriate.  NewsLanc.com  posted this tease “story” today, “Holding our tongue” where they state this:

“NewsLanc has been sitting on  top of the biggest local news story so far this year but delays in  reporting it. “

It is your duty and  obligation to run the story.  What  kind of crap is this?

Your two  reasons for not doing so are hogwash.  You then have the gall to say this:  “On the other hand, the  public has a right to know when its interests are at stake. “

Yes, they most certainly  do.  That is your job if you really  do intend to be a legitimate news source.  Run the freaking story.  What  is wrong with you, Robert?

NewsLanc has been sitting on top of the biggest local news story so far this year but delays in reporting it.

We face two constraints:

1)  By reporting on these developments, we risk thwarting their successful resolution outside the public spotlight.

2)  If NewsLanc breaks the story, there is the concern that it may inhibit the Lancaster Newspapers from providing due coverage. We recognize they have the bigger megaphone. When it serves the general good, we do not hesitate to pass along leads.

On the other hand, the public has a right to know when its interests are at stake.

So we agonize. And we hope our silence is appropriate.