THAT CUTESY SCOUNDREL BYRNE (This email with the above heading, honest, was received from Ted on July 14, 2005.   This is his “introduction.”  Ted, I think you are a national treasure.)    Hey nice letter.  I mean it.  Even the headline.  You, unlike too many others, do not just go off and call me some name (liar for example).  You said “I think” and that’s damn fair.  I’d be pleased to post a rebuttal.  BTW, I think you were even more fair and balanced (!) sending a link to the others sites so that readers might judge for themselves.  I tell ya Becky, debate still lives in Lancaster, and yeah, I hope Rick takes me up on that luncheon offer – and I will pay for it.  I’ve always liked the guy, and hope we will still respect one another when the race is over (not necessarily agree but respect).   Ted   TED BYRNE’S REBUTTAL (Chairman, Lancaster Parking Authority)   Becky,   The supporters of the LCCCA/PSP figure it’s all about them.  And frequently so too do their critics.  But it ain’t.  Nope.  Regardless of whether that thing goes, it’s still a VERY good idea to turn over some 15 tour [buses] every so-many hours, in Lancaster’s historic epicenter.  Hey, they’re only a few miles to the East.  Let’s grab them for a piece of their time in the county, huh?  Honest, I did not build the Historic Market nor the Quilt Museum, nor the Fulton Theatre, PAM and the exploding arts corridor about a block away from the LCCCA/PSP.  It’s not a conspiracy.   Here’s a chance to prove that Lancaster is not dependent upon the LCCCA/PSP for a vibrant future.  Today I was told that on Market days, only about 115 spaces remain in our Prince Street garage.  We are almost at capacity!  Imagine what happens when the Dutch Country Visitors Bureau throws its advertising weight behind Lancaster City!  And imagine what happens as PAM, the old Educators Life Offices and the pending Federal Court House all come to life.  Add in the worker cars to support the County workers moving to the Armstrong Building and – hey, where will the visitors park?  We should have turned our attention to an idea like this last year, but we were distracted by you-know-what.   You’re right.  People don’t come to garages.  I misspoke.  See, I’m trying to get this right, and I take good criticism (grrrrr - Slap! - Thanks, I needed that).  They come to attractions, but if they can’t easily park, they won’t come.  Well, maybe I was slightly right.  If we build a tour bus terminal we will get some to come, who would right now - who want to right now, but they have no place to comfortably land.   I can understand that two well intentioned people will look at this data and distill-out different ambrosia.  And, neither of them will be, um, liars.  Although they might “think” that way about one another.  It’s a motives thing.  Well, I am motivated to make this town Rock!  Come on, there is a life after the LCCCA/PSP right?  Isn’t that your point?  Rubble ain’t what the critics of the convention center want to leave in their wake.  I know that.  Let’s get them tour buses, grab them tourist’s cars – show off this town.  Make jobs, make money, make fun, generate taxes (or at least protect the tax base) – make history – no – revive history.  This was a key central place.  We deserve to have success the way we remember it – huh?   P.S.  Am I running for something?  Are you NUTZ?  No - am I nutz?  There is still a role for the citizen critic and for community service.  Don’t confuse community pride and passionate civic volunteerism for a candidacy.  I cannot understand how they put themselves out there for people to call them names, kick sand in their faces, quarrel and bicker. Yeah – I’ve posted a lot.  All on this issue.  It was nice of you to praise my early posting before Rick Gray made a public statement – but it’s just as honest after Rick as it was before.  CUTESY?  AAARGH!  My daddy, a ferociously successful union organizer used to say, “Ted, when they start calling you names, you’ve won the argument.”  CUTESY!  Now I am upset -  : = )   Ted Byrne, chairman Lancaster Parking Authority   ~ But, sigh, he’s very good at it ~ I THINK TED IS LYING         The purpose of the proposed seven-story parking garage for 732 cars and 15 buses is for the proposed hotel/convention center.  The article in this morning’s Intell, “Gray opposes putting garage on W. King” by Dave Pidgeon even spells it out, “The properties [proposed for the garage] are within one block of a proposed hotel/convention center on Penn Square, a project expected to spark economic development in the city.”     Ted Byrne, chairman of the Lancaster City Parking Authority is quoted in the July 7, 2005 New Era article, “W. King site selected for 700-space parking garage” saying, “When the (convention center) flies, that will be nice, but we can’t take that into consideration,” he said.  “This is separate from that.”     Sorry Ted, I don’t believe you.  Why in the world do you need a seven story parking garage one block from Penn Square?  (Do you realize how high a seven story building is?)  Now Byrne and Mayor Smithgall have both been quoted as saying it is for Central Market.  Excuse me?  I was there on a Saturday several months ago and the first block of East King Street was empty.  I had my choice of many spots to park.  I was also on West King Street on a Friday about 1:00 p.m. and, again, I had my choice of many places to park.      Byrne posted this on Talkback this morning, “These are neighborhoods teeming with stores, restaurants, nightclubs and opportunities.  They are the heart of downtown’s pulsebeat.”  Cleverly written, Ted, but I think teeming is pushing it – and as for night life, when I was there it was pretty much dead and again, there was all kinds of on-street parking available on a Saturday night.     Ted is also quoted on WGAL-TV’s website saying, “We fully anticipate that this will bring significant numbers of new people to town.”  I have never known a parking garage to bring new people or any people to a town.  Hey mom, can we go look at the seven story parking garage that’s empty today?      On top of everything else, in the New Era article cited above it says, “The authority has worked out a financial deal to build the garage soon and pay later.  Byrne acknowledged that the authority is currently in debt.  It pays $1.5 million annually in debt payments.”     Now I praised Byrne on Sunday for coming onto Talkback and defending the garage proposal in a public forum.  Since then Ted has posted and posted and posted and posted and gotten just a little too cutesy.  And, sorry Ted, I’m not buying it.  This seven story monster is for the hotel/convention center.  And that is not going to happen.  So we don’t need your garage and more debt.     In response to Democratic Mayoral candidate Rick Gray’s comments against the garage in this morning’s Intell, Byrne posted this on Talkback, “Heck, I’ll even treat to a lunch.  We were friends before this election I hope we will be afterward.  A passionate public airing of responsible disagreements among knowledgable(sic) people is exactly what allows a community to prosper.”  Are you running for something, Ted?  Take him up on it Rick – just make sure he pays and not the Parking Authority – they have enough debt.   “Gray opposes putting garage on W. King” is here. “W. King site selected for 700-space parking garage” is here. The WGAL-TV article is here.