4a Opinion Wednesday. February 21, 2001 For comments, contact Chris Borniger or Nathan Willis at 864-4924 or opinion@kansan.com The Lawrence housing ordinance Point/Counterpoint Our view: Even in a more moderate form, ordinance is discriminatory and could inflate housing prices The housing ordinance that now appears likely to be adopted soon by the Lawrence City Commission is anti-student, discriminatory legislation. Although the version passed by the commission Feb. 13 was not as severe as earlier forms, it still limits the number of unrelated people who can live together in single-family neighborhoods to three. Mayor's view: Rules would allow families to reclaim their neighborhoods while still giving students space by restricting further the number of unrelated people who can live together; the city limits possible community involvement of students and other diverse groups. Rather than trying to improve relationships between the city and its inhabitants, the city commission and Lawrence Association of Neighborhoods are attempting to segregate students and other groups from "traditional" families. This can only inhibit students' desire to give back to the community. It may also result in increased traffic, parking congestion and limited housing availability and affordability for the entire community, according to a Student Senate study. "assure[s] equal opportunity for all persons within this city in housing, without distinction on account of race, sex, religion, color, national origin, age, ancestry, familial status, sexual orientation or disability." The city commission assumes that students, mixed families, gays and lesbians, the elderly and all nontraditional families who choose to rent a home in a single-family neighborhood are a destructive or disruptive force. It questions the commitment of these groups to Lawrence based on their relationship to the people they live with. It makes similar discriminatory assumptions about the land owners who have rental property in these areas by accusing them of just trying to make a buck while ignoring concerns of the neighborhood. People may choose to live in family neighborhoods because they want to take part in the community in a way that they are unable to do, or unhappy trying to do, elsewhere. Similarly, many landowners are trying to generate an income by providing clean, well-kept homes to responsible renters regardless of the renters' relationships. The city is cultivating neighborhoods that exclude specific groups. This contradicts the city's nondiscrimination policy, which ation of thesis Rather than pointing fingers at what it considers to be problem groups, the commission should consider more com plex issues, such as suburban construction that discourages families from living in older neighborhoods. The city will only alienate one of its best assets. The University is a major employer. According to the Office of Institutional Reseach tional Research and Planning, students annually contribute $156 million to the Lawrence e million to the Lawrence economy. Most group houses in Lawrence are not disruptive party houses. The city already has more effective ways to deal with those that are, such as notice and litter ordinances. the commission is sending the message that it is so resentful of students that it is willing to limit their presence, regardless of whether they pose a problem. By passing this ordinance Kvle Ramsey / KANSAN affordable homes, being priced out of the market. They also believed that the increasing number of homes being rented to unrelated persons had resulted in a decline of students enrolled in neighborhood schools, notably Centennial and Schwegler elementary schools. Peripheral issues such as the number of cars parked on the street or in yards, the accumulation of excess trash and physical neglect of property also were expressed as concerns. I believe that there are sufficient other city ordinances to address these concerns. However, I think that the current ordinance, which evidently was adopted about 1965, has changed the character of single-family zoned neighborhoods because of the increasing number of homes being converted into rental units. This is a trend that needs to be reversed. My support for a change in single-family zoned neighborhoods from not more than four to not more than three persons not related by blood or marriage is different from the change that the neighborhood residents requested (four unrelated to two unrelated people). Whether it will have the desired effect of making affordable housing available to young families with children and repopulating the schools remains to be seen. It is important to remember that this ordinance amends the definition of family only in single-family districts. As the proposed ordinance said, these districts "are designed for those areas where the land is presently being used, or where development appears desirable, for single-family dwellings." It does not affect the number of unrelated persons who can reside in units in duplex residential districts, multiplefamily residence districts or residence-dormitory districts. That number remains at a maximum of four. Melia Moss for the editorial board Jim Henry, Lawrence mayor Perspective Free for All attempts to reflect all opinions My guess is that when you flip to the opinion page every Wednesday, my column is not the first thing you read if you read it at all. I have an opinion on the Free for All. It's hilarious. And it's a soapbox for chickens. Instead, I'm guessing your eyes drift a few inches to the right to read the Free for All — the Kansan feature many students claim as their favorite. There it is, every day: a blank, looming column where people who fear having their names associated with their opinions can say exactly what they think. And people "think" a lot. On an average day, the Free for All receives at least 100 messages, said Chris Borniger, opinion editor. That explains the occasional message: "Why do my comments never make the Free for All?" in the club Leeta Schultes readers' representative wordserver@kansan.com printed because they are libelous or standerous. Or just plain dirty. Join the club. Only you canes can't be derives of a phrase. "We try to print the most tasteful ones," said Nathan Willis, associate opinion editor. And then there are the post-basketball game Free for Alls. On those days there are upwards of 200 messages called in — what that says about our society is a column for another day — and comments about Eric Chenowith abound. Furthermore, when people call in and make factual statements the Kansan can't support or verify, those statements don't make the paper. He's the No. 1 person targeted by Free for All comments, Bornier said. "Hands down," he added. "It's gotten to the point where even I feel sorry for the guy." So why do we keep printing the comments? Because comments about Chenowith make up nearly one-third of the comments called in to the Free for All. "If Chenowith is such a big topic of discussion amongst a third of the students that are calling in, it would be a mistake to leave them out," Borniger said. "Even if I don't personal feel it's as newsworthy of a topic as City Commission or potholes or something like that. The purpose of the Free for All is to reflect what students are talking about." So Free for All is here to stay — good luck getting your voice heard. I stand by my claim that the Free for All is an outlet for people who lack the nerve to put their name on what they say. I also have a sneaking suspicion that many of the comments left on the Free for All answering machine are byproducts of the overconsumption of alcohol or deprivation of sleep. I mean, really — if I picked up the Kansan and read Free for All for the first time, I would assume the majority of KU students were on crack. Schultes is a Rolfe, Iowa, sophomore in journalism and religious studies. But Borniger hit the nail on the head. The Free for All has its place and is an asset to the Kansan. It's a place where we get honest feedback. Sometimes that feedback is trivial, and other times it touches on important topics that lead to important stories. It also keeps us in check here at the Kansan. If we screw up, we'll be sure to read about it on page 4A of the next day's paper! Free for All callers have 20 seconds to speak about any topic they wish. The Kansan reserves the right to edit submissions, and not all of them will be published. Slanderous statements will not be printed. For more comments, go to www.kansan.com. The people who dogged The Vagina Monologues obviously didn't see it. It was a really good show. and typed with fewer than 700 words. The writer must be willing to be photographed for the column to run. The fact that there are still people complaining about Black History Month shows how far we, as a society, need to go. These are the same complaints that people made about slavery and Jim Crow. I hope that the TV truck parked in Robinson's lot paid $450 for its pass because it took up six spots. I disagree with the person who said ostriches don't make good alcoholics. My pet ostrich just joined AA, which is Animal Alcoholics. and typed with fewer than 700 words. The writer must be willing to be photographed for the column to run. and typed with fewer than 700 words. The writer must be willing to be photographed for the column to run. I just wanted to say that working at KU info is the greatest job ever. The musical performance at 12:30 today in Budig was really cool and definitely appreciated. 图 and typed with fewer than 700 words. The writer must be willing to be photographed for the column to run. If I smoked a little math every morning, I'd have straight As. 图 If Power and Sullivan are not D-I athletes, what does that make Chenowith? and typed with fewer than 700 words. The writer must be willing to be photographed for the column to run. How can the Kansan run something as blatantly lifted from Dave Barry as Mr. College Answer Person? Actually, I do think that BET does discriminate against Whites because every time I've watched, I've never seen a White's artist video on there. and typed with fewer than 700 words. The writer must be willing to be photographed for the column to run. We actually do learn about Black people during the year besides during Black history Month. I've learned about Ella Fitzgerald, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. OK. I'll tell you why people don't go to women's basketball games. It's slow; it's boring and women can't dunk. and typed with fewer than 700 words. The writer must be willing to be photographed for the column to run. If you're really tired of the JayTalk line, call us and tell us what you'd rather hear. You want to know why KU's minority retention is so low? I'm a minority student trying to get to the Multicultural Resource Center, and KU couldn't even tell me where it was. Good job, guys. and typed with fewer than 700 words. The writer must be willing to be photographed for the column to run. A pat on the back is better than a kick in the butt. Let's stop bashing the men's basketball team. --and typed with fewer than 700 words. The writer must be willing to be photographed for the column to run. I think elementary differential equations is an oxymonor. and typed with fewer than 700 words. The writer must be willing to be photographed for the column to run. Black History Month, BET, the NAACP, Black Student Union, affirmative action and quotas are all forms of reverse discrimination. These programs must be done away with to achieve better racial relations. and typed with fewer than 700 words. The writer must be willing to be photographed for the column to run. The coolest sound in the world is when you plug your ears in the shower and let the water hit your head. Yeah! There are three kinds of people in this world: Those who can count and those who can't. --and typed with fewer than 700 words. The writer must be willing to be photographed for the column to run. I don't know about you guys, but if I was sitting next to 10 gallons of beer, I'd probably have a little smile on my face or something. and typed with fewer than 700 words. The writer must be willing to be photographed for the column to run. For people complaining that there's no White television station, it's called TNN. Doesn't Black History Month make us focus on the differences of our races? To all those cluttering up Chi Omega circle drive: Please learn one of two things. Either learn how to walk or learn how to jump out of a moving car --and typed with fewer than 700 words. The writer must be willing to be photographed for the column to run. It really shames me when I see Kansas is No. 2 in meth lab busts. I mean, come on guys, we can be No. 1. Screw California. We can take this thing, man. How to submit letters and guest columns Letters: Should be double-spaced, typed and fewer than 200 words. 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