Opinion THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WWW.KANSAN.COM
MONDAY, MARCH 29, 2010
PAGE 7A
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So, in summary, K-State's best season culminated in three losses to KU, no conference championship and a run to the Elite Eight. Awesome.
--center. The homeless community needs a place to go during the day. The current shelter provides the benefit of a central location, so the possibility of keeping it open for daytime use, in addition to the new shelter, should be considered.
I hate KSU so much.
When I opened my mailbox this afternoon there was a package addressed to "current resident." It was a free sampler of Kotex pads. I'm a man, and I feel violated.
We'd be so much better off if Texas would leave the Union.
Seriously, you never want to hear your boyfriend is into she-male porn. That just permanently screws up a relationship
--center. The homeless community needs a place to go during the day. The current shelter provides the benefit of a central location, so the possibility of keeping it open for daytime use, in addition to the new shelter, should be considered.
I have the odd and pointless desire to own fish.
Without Kevin Durant and Chuck Norris, Oklahoma is the worst state of all time. Let's
--center. The homeless community needs a place to go during the day. The current shelter provides the benefit of a central location, so the possibility of keeping it open for daytime use, in addition to the new shelter, should be considered.
For breakfast today I had a bacon sandwich. That's right, just a bunch of bacon between two pieces of bread.
OK, so your friend gave me a dirty look. I get it. I hurt you, but please just grow up!
Dear guy who was on a cell phone in the bathroom, I was judging you so hard. I hurt my feelings.
Last night was one of the greatest nights of my life. No contest
Can it be football season already?
Pound my head against the wall or do homework? I'll get the ice pack ready.
I wouldn't wear a K-State jersey, even if it cured cancer.
--center. The homeless community needs a place to go during the day. The current shelter provides the benefit of a central location, so the possibility of keeping it open for daytime use, in addition to the new shelter, should be considered.
Big city life.
I have a major case of not liking any of my friends.
--center. The homeless community needs a place to go during the day. The current shelter provides the benefit of a central location, so the possibility of keeping it open for daytime use, in addition to the new shelter, should be considered.
FFA is the best cure for a hangover
--center. The homeless community needs a place to go during the day. The current shelter provides the benefit of a central location, so the possibility of keeping it open for daytime use, in addition to the new shelter, should be considered.
I got laid this weekend!
Success!
This is a wonderful day...
both Wildcats lost! The basketball gods know what's
EDITORIAL
Commission did right thing, showed support for homeless
The Lawrence and Douglas County Planning Commission did the right thing and showed their support of the homeless community in their meeting on March 22. The Commission voted in support of the relocation of Lawrence's homeless shelter and recommended the approval of a special use permit.
The shelter's current location at 214 W. 10th St. can house up to 76 people. Loring Henderson, executive director of the shelter, said. The new facility, which would be located near the Douglas County jail, would hold up to 125 people.
Henderson said the new facility would also enable the city to provide homeless people with beds instead of the floor mats they currently use. The space to comfortably sleep 49 more people is essential, especially in the cold winter months.
In October 2008, three people were found dead in homeless camps near the Kansas River. People who are turned away from shelters when maximum sleeping capacity is reached are often forced to camp, regardless of weather conditions.
Expanding the capacity of the homeless shelter would help prevent similarly tragic events from occurring.
The relocation of the shelter should not eliminate the drop-in
Particularly with the state of the economy, Henderson said a large part of the homeless community in Lawrence is comprised of families. He described the current location as "woefully inadequate" to accommodate this number of families and that many of them are forced to stay with friends or, in the worst circumstances, sleep in their cars or camp. Henderson estimates the new location would house at least five families.
Other benefits from the new location include more offices, more space for interviews, a full dining room and more space for collaboration with outside resources, including a medical facility for Baker University nursing. These new programs would give the shelter the ability to offer the homeless not only a
place to stay, but also improve their situations.
Adding a bus stop is also being proposed and is supported by the Lawrence Transit Office. Administrators at the Douglas County Jail have encouraged adding a bus stop for a long time. Since the new location is so far away from downtown, adding the bus stop is a complete necessity if the shelter is relocated
On April 13 the City Commission will vote to determine the final fate of the shelter. Students and Lawrence citizens should show their support of the relocation, which enables the shelter to provide Lawrence's homeless with more space and better programs. However, students should also make it clear to city officials that the relocation would be ineffective without the additional drop in center and bus stop. Only then can we realistically meet the needs of the homeless community in Lawrence.
— Kate Larrabee for The Kansan Editorial Board
Students should show their support
EDITORIAL CARTOON
and contact the members of the City Commission. Their phone numbers and email addresses can be found at:
http://www.ci.lawrence.ks.us/commissioners
AROOJ KHALID
Health care debate represents a larger problem with partisanship
POLITICS
As I am writing this, the debate about current health insurance reform legislation is coming into the home stretch. By the time this runs, it will be over, and you, the five faithful readers I have, will be looking at it from a perspective either of elation or disappointment.
As I watch the final shots fire off from both sides of the debate, it becomes painfully clear that there will be fights like the one we have witnessed during the past year throughout President Obama's time in the Oval Office.
Conservative objection to health reform started early and forced Democratic leadership to relent on attempts to implement a public option system of coverage. One would think that after such a significant victory, the opposition would be open to some kind of compromise. But, sadly, this hasn't been the case.
Congressional Republicans continue their collective vow to oppose health care reform, no matter the changes that have resulted. At a time when millions of Americans go uninsured, to say that no change to the system is needed is ignorant, though, thankfully, that absurd idea is only stated outright on the talk shows. Frustratingly, none of the other reasons for opposing reform
Liberal Loudmouth
seem to have gelled into a coherent set of complaints.
Prominent conservatives have insisted on a few occasions that whatever legislation Democrats are supporting is a give to insurance companies. But, these complaints are rarely accompanied with anything resembling reason to back them up. Perhaps this is because insurance companies will be harmed by the major changes.
BY BEN COHEN
The initial plan, featuring a public option, would have created a tough new competitor for existing companies, and even further revisions have placed blocks on rate hikes. Aside from that, even the most recent version of the bill has included a provision banning companies from denying coverage based on patients' pre-existing conditions, a personal favorite of mine.
The constant screams of reform being too expensive are far more
reasonable. But, even still, the Congressional Budget Office, a nonpartisan entity, recently published a report saying the current version of the bill would reduce the national deficit by more than $100 billion during the next decade.
With this and other arguments in mind, I just have to worry about the tone of future major debates in Congress. Progressives have been frustrated both by conservative obstructionists and moderates looking for favors in return for votes. Conservatives will either be terrified of what else the Obama administration might push through, or emboldened to block everything significant on its agenda, regardless of the benefits.
Maybe I'm just cynical. No matter how the current reform debate goes, people are more galvanized about it as an issue than they ever have been in this country. That, in itself, should guarantee progress. We can only hope that those who continue to stand in the way of health care reform do so for a better reason than the sake of perpetuating partisan conflict.
Cohen is a senior from Topeka in political science.
HUMOR
Recognizing the plight of potholes
The pothole problem in Lawrence has become with the world.
quite the nuisance. And, for a long time, I hated the potholes, too. In fact, I wanted them buried by tar so they were not making my 1991 Toyota Previa an even worse ride than it already was.
However, I recently discovered just why the potholes in Lawrence seemed to be multiplying like rabbits in breeding season. You may or may not believe me. You may or may not understand the emotional connection I experienced.
Nonetheless, I now feel it is my duty to share my story: The plight of the potholes.
"Hello," said a little voice. At first, I thought I was going a little crazy.
I was driving through the student ghetto when I suddenly smacked into a deep pothole. At first, I thought it was like every other time I had driven into a pothole. But then I heard something.
I stopped, and upon exiting my car, I heard the voice again. I looked around feverishly trying to find a person.
It wasn't until the third time I heard the "hello" that I realized the noise was coming out of the pothole. It was true. The potholes are living, sentient beings.
A little freaked out, but still intrigued, I leaned closer and returned the pothole's greeting. It then proceeded to tell me the tale of his people.
He said they had once lived in a kingdom of their own before being systematically killed by large, burly men wearing fluorescent vests.
He leaked tar from where eyes would normally be as he told me of his family's slow, tarry death.
The potholes arrived in Lawrence years back, praying that the orange predators would not mercilessly kill them. One of them
BY CHANCE CARMICHAEL
got a councilman's attention a few years back and begged him to spare him and his brethren.
The potheh explained that occasionally humans called "mechanics" send them fruit baskets, which the pothehs are confused, but happy to receive.
So, here the poor potholes sit. They are quiet creatures until they are hit by cars. Like little tar vampires, they steal a few days of life off the automobiles we drive and slowly grow larger and larger.
However, other than these rare occurrences of happiness and their slight survival in Lawrence, the potholes live very fearful lives.
The pothole I talked to told me they constantly worry that someone will systematically murder them like so many of his family members past.
I somehow managed to hug the pothole before leaving, because his story really moved me.
I assured him that Lawrence would not let that happen anytime soon.
If you would like to sponsor a pothole for the cost of only a few new shocks and a few new tires every year, please feed the pot holes by driving through them as much as possible.
Carmichael is a sophomore from Mulvane in journalism and media studies.
Responses to the news of the week on Kansan.com
Chatterbox
"Even as a city planning student I am opposed to this. It is best to leave the bars out of the residential areas. It is just going to cause too many nuisance issues."
— "Hooligan" in response to "City considers bar zone near campus" on March 25.
"Lawrence drivers are terrible. Indescisive. Inattentive. Slow. Unsure. Stubborn. It is going to take much more than more bike lanes to make bicycling safe in Lawrence."
"Todd 1007" in response to "Committee works to make bicycling safer in Lawrence" on March 26.
"There are people carrying firearms everywhere you go on a daily basis, you just have no idea who they are. If you're afraid of those people killing you in a fit of road rage, domestic dispute, drunken party, or whatever it may be, I would suggest you stay home and become a shut-in."
— "Dan" in response to "Kansas House passes conceal-carry bill" on March 27.
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