Lawrence Journal-World 11-16-11

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Kentucky pulls away from KU in 2nd half, 75-65

Sports 1B

L A W R E NC E

JOURNAL-WORLD ®

75 CENTS

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SRS chief grilled over comments

Going undercover

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Legislators tell Siedlecki economy has necessitated public assistance for many By John Milburn Associated Press

TOPEKA — Kansas lawmakers asked the head of the state’s welfare agency Tuesday to explain comments they said he made about some residents being more willing to accept state assistance Richard Gwin/Journal-World Photo than find jobs. NOVEMBER HASN’T SPELLED THE END of gardening for Jill Elmers, left, who put a cover over her fall crops while Chris Kramer worked Rep. Jim Ward, a Wichita the ground Tuesday at Moon on the Meadow Farm in east Lawrence. Democrat, said he doubted the estimated 22,000 unemployed Siedlecki workers in the south-central Kansas city would prefer to get food or cash assistance rather than take a job at one of Wichita’s many aviation factories. “Some people in Kansas are broken,” Ward said. Rob Siedlecki, appointed as Kansas Social and Commission not yet committed to buying station for the to the building, with the cost of Rehabilitation Services secretary by Republican city T bus systhose improvements depreciatdepot from Burlington Northern Santa Fe Gov. Sam Brownback, said some people refuse to tem. ing over time. Mike Dever. “There could be a By Chad Lawhorn Please see SRS, page 2A Staff memThe land lease also would reclawhorn@ljworld.com lot of resources we could use to bers also were quire the city to assume several help pay for this project if we directed to have environmental responsibilities Maybe a bus is more powerful add transit to the mix.” further discus- that commissioners said they CITY than a train after all. But Lawrence city commissions with Burl- were concerned about. Efforts to save and restore the sioners still stopped short of COMMISSION ington Northern “These things just raise a few Santa Fe Depot in east Lawrence committing to take over ownerSanta Fe about red flags for me,” said City Comreceived a boost Tuesday night ship of the building at Seventh a proposed property transfer missioner Hugh Carter. after city commissioners said and New Jersey streets from agreement and land lease that Staff members said they still they were indeed interested in Burlington Northern Santa Fe. commissioners said were too thought there was room to nestudying whether the 1950s-era Instead, commissioners said “one-sided” in favor of the rail- gotiate with BNSF on several of station could be used as a hub they wanted staff members to do road. BNSF is offering to trans- the issues. for the city bus system in addi- a more detailed analysis of the fer ownership of the building As for the transit station idea, tion to a depot for Amtrak. site to determine how it could to the city for $100, but the rail- commissioners said they would “Figuring out multiple uses accommodate up to seven pub- road also wants the right to buy want to hold a public meeting By George Diepenbrock for this building is what’s go- lic transit buses at a time, which back the building at any time at with neighbors of the station to gdiepenbrock@ljworld.com ing to get us off center on this likely would be a requirement a price equal to the cost of imPlease see DEPOT, page 6A issue,” said City Commissioner for it to function as a transfer provements the city has made It will take Kansas three more years to fully recover the jobs lost in the Great Recession that started in 2008, according to a recent national economic analysis. “It’s a very slow-moving economy right now,” said Bob Tomarelli, an economist at Massachusetts-based IHS Global Insight, which conducted the state-by-state study. He said the projected recovery in Kansas By Christine Metz $281.24 matches the median time frame among all states cmetz@ljworld.com The cost of smoking three — the fourth quarter of 2014 — mostly because cigarettes a day for an entire The cost of smoking is far the state didn’t experience as drastic of unemyear, according to a cost calcumore than the $5 shelled out for still smoke. With that day ployment drops as states crippled by manufacturlator from the American Socia pack of cigarettes. In fact, even comes plenty of information ing job losses, such as Michigan and Ohio, or by ety. for people who smoke as little as on why it’s good for our health the real estate bubble, such as California, Nevada one cigarette day, the costs can to stop smoking. But, it’s also and Florida. $3,386.46 add up to thousands of dollars a good for the pocketbook and But it also is not projected to recover as quickly The cost of smoking those as the Dakotas, Nebraska and Texas. North Dayear if you factor in health care other taxpayers. Some numthree cigarettes every day for kota is gaining energy jobs from an oil boom, for costs, increased insurance pre- bers to think about: 10 years. example, and Texas is projected to return to its miums and the breaks that some $5.12 “pre-recession employment peak” in 2012. employees give nonsmokers on $1,870.08 Average cost of a pack of The Kansas Department of Labor’s Septemhealth insurance costs. The cost of smoking a pack a ber estimate put the state’s unemployment rate Thursday marks the 36th an- cigarettes in Kansas, according day for a year. nual Great American Smoke- to a 2010 study by Penn State Please see ECONOMY, page 2A out, a day that encourages University on the potential smokers to quit. In Douglas costs and benefits of smoking

Financial expert blames erosion of Please see SMOKING, page 2A County, 15 percent of adults cessation. America’s middle class. Page 3A

City wants more study of transit hub plan

Analysis: Kansas will take 3 years to recover jobs

Stop smoking now to save your health and your money

INSIDE

Much colder

High: 41

Low: 18

Today’s forecast, page 10A

Business Classified Comics Deaths Events listings

7A 1C-8C 10C 2A 10A, 2B

Food Horoscope Movies Opinion Poll

10B 9C 5A 9A 2A

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9C 1B-7B 5A, 2B, 9C

COMING THURSDAY We’ll let you know what Douglas County commissioners are thinking about various preservation projects.

Vol.153/No.320 30 pages

Energy smart: The Journal-World makes the most of renewable resources. www.b-e-f.org


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