Month: September 2008

Rotary Club reneges on promise

On September 25, the Intelligencer Journal published “Corbett talks issues at Rotary Club meeting.” Despite past assurances from Rotary Club officials that NewsLanc would be included in invitations to the Lancaster Newspapers to cover events and despite NewsLanc’s written request, Rotary did not invite NewsLanc to cover last week’s address by Attorney General Tom Corbett. […]

PUBLISHER: Asking for and giving forgiveness.

In a column headed “Acknowledge wrongdoing” in the Sept. 28th Sunday News, Rabbi Jack Paskoff explains that Rosh Hashana, the start of the Jewish new year, is a time when Jews “seek out the people we have wronged, ask forgiveness, and do our best to change our behavior to avoid a repeat offense.” Later in […]

LETTER: Hotel room tax likely to be increased

“The currently anticipated ‘hotel tax’ revenue which is dedicated to the Lancaster County Convention Center Authority would barely be enough to cover the current cost of the construction bonds, plus the ANTICIPATED operational losses of the convention center. Everyone who has taken a close look at the projected figures agrees that thecurrent ‘hotel tax’ will […]

Wachovia demise could cost Lancaster a LOT

In reply to the NewsLanc article: Viewer asks would Wachovia’s demise halt Convention Center funding? If Wachovia were to be taken over by another bank, it could cost the people of Lancaster County a LOT of money. It is likely that any successor to Wachovia would terminate the LCCCA’s interest rate “swap” agreement, which could […]

Downingtown High Schools not inner city

As a Chester County native and former soccer player who competed against Downingtown High School — back when there was just one — I must point out that the two current Downingtown high schools are certainly not “inner city schools.” Far from it, in fact. Downingtown is a borough, like Manheim and Columbia, and draws […]

Convention Center guarantor seeks to be acquired

Bloomberg News: “Wachovia dropped to $8.90 at 6:12 p.m. today from its $10 close during regular New York Stock Exchange trading after the New York Times reported that New York-based Citigroup was in early talks to buy the Charlotte, North Carolina-based bank. The Wall Street Journal said bids may come from San Francisco-based Wells Fargo […]

Free Saturday parking not endangered

City and County residents are praying that [free Saturday] parking stays above water. As for all the visitors, we have to wait and see who is going to come to DINNER. Unfortunately this is the absolutely the worst time to expect business spending. We are in for at least 2 years of TIGHT TIGHT TIGHT, […]

More re Saturday free parking

This discussion is consistent with the logic that out-of-town visitors are “foreigners” who are going to drop their cash into the city coffers. After alll, taxing them in the hotel rooms is not affecting the local residents! State grants are outside money, having nothing to do with Lancastrians! Etc. If one expects to cash in […]

Free parking here today, gone tomorrow!

I’ve learned from discussions with Lancaster mayor Rick Gray and his chief of staff Pat Brogan that it will likely become necessary to start charging for metered parking downtown once the convention center opens. Otherwise,convention attendees could park for free all day Saturday, effectively blocking Lancaster City residents from use of these spaces.