I’ve been following your editorials about the railyard with great interest. I checked www.TRRAAC.com and found a well-written manifesto by TRRAAC. I am convinced that the public does not understand this issue – which is how F&M wants it.

In today’s Sunday News (November 23, 2008), at the bottom of page D-2 (Business) under “Briefly”, the following statement is published: “Interstate Hotels and Resorts, the company managing the center and the adjoining Marriott Lancaster at Penn Square hotel, said it has more than 90 commitments for conventions, meetings, and other functions at the new […]

I absolutely agree. Already, [the convention center has] declared that they have 50% of the NUMBER of events they anticipated, but they are very small events. A deceptive way of describing it.

The LCCCA (Convention Center Authority) can legally take the PDCVB’s (Tourist Bureau) 20% share of the 3.9% part of the “hotel tax” without asking anyone. I am convinced that the County Commissioners will raise the “hotel tax” rather than let the PDCVB lay off people and slash their advertising for Lancaster County tourism. Note the […]

I am aware that the Hotel Tax is County. I am waiting for the group to come to the County for all or more of the tax dollars. Stuckey and Martin have reaffirmed that not one cent will be given to help the project and that they are not going to raise the hotel room […]

Lancaster City has nothing to do with the “hotel tax”, which is a County issue that makes the bond payments for the convention center and subsidizes its losses. Lancaster City is on the hook for the hotel only. Don’t be surprised if S. Dale High and/or Nevin Cooley come crying to City officials for more […]

May I explain your taxes: Home owners pay two taxes per year: A little tax in the spring and a big tax in the fall. The little tax is made up of the County tax that we all in Lancaster County pay the same: 3.41 mills and it was announced at this weeks commissioners meeting […]

My personal vision for the Watt & Shand site was a beautiful upscale condo complex with the basement housing the Y or some health complex that so many younger and older city residents would use and the first floor of the Watt & Shand building would have small businesses to service the FOOT TRAFFIC as […]

…The TIF funding grant is predicated on sales tax collected. (subject to an annual approval.) If fewer dollars are collected, there is no grant. …A great tragedy is that the mammoth construction prevents virtually any other use for the real estate. I am confident that both Sen. Armstrong’s support for the project represents a … […]

In response to a comment made on LancasterOnline TalkBackon November 21, 2008, regarding State Sen. Gib Armstrong and his hotel and convention center project: “It depends which taxpayers you’re talking about. Lancaster City and County taxpayers aren’t paying ANYTHING unless and until it fails, operationally, isn’t that right? So the public burden so far is […]

My unanswered question for the writer who had all the unanswered questions is, are you a TRRAAAC member. And if so, how is your opposition anything other than ‘Not in my backyard.’ The moral outrage at the ‘big institutions’ by people who wouldn’t even be paying attention of they lived somewhere else gets very tiring. […]

After all this time, and after all the “public meetings”, I still have unanswered questions regarding the railroad switching yard. First, if this project is so desperately needed by Norfolk-Southern, why are they only contributing $2 million to the project? That is the least amount of any of the “partners”. Second, if this project is […]

I write from the prospective of someone who lettered in four different sports while going through the School District of Lancaster. While I see SOME value in sports – it’s my feeling that the emphasis placed on sports has created false realities and dreams for many. The result of this poor prioritization is a de-emphasis […]

“The Latino high school dropout rate is disturbing” said your paper which I read 11/15/08. The fact that 50% of all Latinos drop out of school before graduation is not a local problem. I graduated from McCaskey many years ago and have been teaching in New York for nearly fifteen years. My high school is […]