Lincolnite: Lincoln's Online Community

A Sober Look at the City Budget

June 4, 2007 at 7:30am By: Mr. Wilson Posted in The Lincolnite Blog

In case you missed it in yesterday’s LJS, check out this sober look at the City’s budget. Has Lincoln’s tax cut mentality painted the city into a corner?

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Do You Buy Lincoln First?

June 4, 2007 at 7:25am By: Mr. Wilson Posted in The Lincolnite Blog

The Lincoln Chamber of Commerce is asking local businesses to Buy Lincoln First—that is, to purchase as many goods and services locally as possible. How much of an effort do you make to purchase goods and services locally?

Generally speaking, cost plays a big role in my purchasing decisions. Depending on the product or service being purchased, that may help or hurt the chances that I buy locally. Many other factors also figure into the equation: convenience, service, selection, past experience, first impressions, and so on.

Regular readers know that I typically favor local and regional restaurants over national chains. No surprise there. For groceries I prefer the regional Hy-Vee over the local Russ’s family of stores. The neighborhood hardware store recently lost out to Lowe’s when it came to buying a mailbox, but in the past I’ve spent a couple bucks more to shop at the neighborhood store simply because of the convenience. One of the local advertising guides recently paid off for a small tree services company (Hi, Ed!). The Missus and I buy most of our athletic shoes from Ann over at Lincoln Running Company, but general athletic purchases tend to come from Scheel’s or the web.

Hmm, I should do an audit of my purchases to see where all my money goes. That could be interesting.

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The State of the State

June 4, 2007 at 7:20am By: Mr. Wilson Posted in The Lincolnite Blog

Looks like the State Theatre has officially opened, with 300 and Grindhouse the first two offerings. I don’t think I will be able to get there for a while, so if any of you are up for writing a couple paragraphs (or more?) about it, let me know.

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Scaled Back

June 1, 2007 at 7:25am By: Mr. Wilson Posted in The Lincolnite Blog

The scaled down version of the a proposed Lancaster County Event Center expansion plan, at $8 million, will probably have a better chance of seeing light than the original $20 million proposal. The new proposal does not include the addition of an arena.

Apparently the Event Center is pretty much booked solid throughout the year. That’s good news. But what’s this?

Commissioner Ray Stevens noted that even though projections show net operating revenue could triple after the expansion, the facility would still show a net loss after accounting for depreciation. (emphasis added)

I would like to know more about the numbers, especially considering that the Event Center cost about three times as much to build as originally forecast.

Rhetorical question: Why is it that governments are so awful at predicting the costs associated with building and maintaining these sorts of facilities? Event centers, arenas, ballparks ... they all suffer from the exact same problem. What gives?

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An Excuse to Wear That Tacky Hawaiian Shirt

June 1, 2007 at 7:20am By: Mr. Wilson Posted in The Lincolnite Blog

If you need an excuse to wear that tacky Hawaiian shirt around town, why not be a tourist in your own hometown? This summer’s campaign encourages you to visit:

1. Lincoln Children’s Zoo
2. Nebraska State Historical Society Museum
3. Pioneers Park Nature Center
4. Lincoln Children’s Museum
5. Wyuka
6. Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery
7. Nebraska State Museum (aka Morrill Hall aka Elephant Hall)
8. Larsen Tractor Test and Power Museum
9. State Capitol
10. National Museum of Roller Skating
11. American Historical Society of Germans from Russia
12. Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center

Go ahead and print out a passport (PDF) and get started. Collect 7 stamps and be eligible for (unspecified) prizes.

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