The May 24th article by LookingAtLancaster.com titled “Projects concealed from taxpayers until too late” touches upon the root cause of so much that has and is yet going wrong in Lancaster.
It groups the current streetscape improvement program, the proposed streetcars, and the convention center project as “Significant but unnecessary projects costing huge sums of taxpayer dollars have been constructed without any meaningful input from the people who must pay the bills, and will forever live with the consequences.”
We would add the questionable dump site location chosen for the relocation of the Norfolk Southern rail yard.
A common device among the four pillars of the Establishment is to feign some sort of crisis—claiming a funding shortfall for the convention center project that discouraged bidding competition, a dubious charge of violation of the Sunshine Law to unseat political opposition, and claims of ground water being polluted by the Brick Yard dump to justify $25 million in extra government spending.
First we are told about the carefully crafted crisis; then the so called solution is sprung on the gullible public to the benefit of the manipulating sponsors.
Moreover, when the vital interests of Franklin & Marshall College, General Hospital, the High Group or the Lancaster Newspapers are involved, the real news is often ignored, buried, or skillfully spun to serve special interests.
When the next big crisis is announced, and it may be soon, NewsLanc will carefully monitor the print media for accuracy and candor. And where we detect ignorance or deception, we will speak out.
