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Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa presided when Parliament met at 1 pm yesterday. After the presentation of papers and oral questions, the House took up the adjournment motion moved by UPFA MP Shantha Bandara on July 80 workers.

UNP Govt. treated July '80 strikers ruthlessly

Shantha Bandara (UPFA):

The UNP Governments crackdown on the July 1980 strike by public workers, was the most ruthless action by taken by a government in the countrys State sector history. We condemn the way the UNP government handled this situation. It is shocking to recall what the UNP did after coming to power by promising the masses a just society to obtain a 5/6th majority in Parliament. Around 100,000 public sector workers were sacked overnight for agitating for a better salary. The masses were suffering from the ills of open economic policies introduced by the UNP Government at that time. They were only demanding a ten rupee salary increase per day. But the government by imposing emergency laws sacked the strikers declaring that the strikers belonged to the essential services category. As a result, the jobs of 100,000 public servants were lost.

While thirty-eight state employees committed suicide, the families of those who lost their jobs had to face severe difficulties and their childrens education disrupted. It was under Chandrika Kumaratungas Government which came to power in 1994, the then Labour Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa reinstated most of them. Those who were above 65 years of age was provided with a cost of living allowance of Rs. 5,000 per month by the last budget.

Ranjith Zoysa (UPFA): I second the motion. The people of this country have still not forgotten how the J.R. Jayewardene - led UNP Government treated the 1980 July strikers. They were sacked in toto, throwing thousands of poor families into a state of penury.

It was President Mahinda Rajapaksa who was genuinely interested in solving the problem of the July strikers from its inception. As a former Labour Minister under former President Chandrika Bandaranaikes government, President Mahinda Rajapaksa was able to pay their salary arrears and even reinstated most of the July strikers.

Grievances not addressed so far

Joseph Michael Perera (UNP): The July strikers had been cheated by the present Government by hoodwinking them with various promises. Their grievances were not addressed 30 years after they lost their jobs. It is reported that payment of compensation to the July strikers would cost less than Rs.150 million, a triple when compared to the wastage of public money by the government when it came to power in 2005. President Mahinda Rajapaksa promised to solve the July strikers unemployment problems, but nothing has happened so far.

Introduction of open economy resulted in collapse of industries

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Demand for measly ten rupees, costs 100,000 workers their jobs

San Francisco's transit agency is rolling out the figurative red carpet for Muni lines on Market Street between Fifth and 12th streets beginning tonight through November in an ongoing effort to signal the transit-only lanes to motorists.

The red-carpet treatment that involves bonding red thermoplastic to existing lanes requires a partial closure on the eastbound transit-only lane on Market Street between Fifth and Mason streets from 10:30 p.m. today to 5 a.m. Saturday. Barring special events, parts of the Market Street stretch of the project will be closed between those hours Fridays and Saturdays to minimize traffic impacts through completion.

"These lanes are already legislated as transit-only lanes," said Kristen Holland, a spokeswoman for the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. "But we had found through the pilot [program] that having a clear indication for this space really helps motorists understand that it's special and different."

Red-colored lanes first appeared in the spring as part of a pilot project on Church Street between 16th Street and Duboce Avenue, designed to improve travel time on J-Church trains and 22-Fillmore buses.

The installation has resulted in strong improvements in transit speed, reliability and the Muni passenger experience, according to transit agency officials, who expect the same for the F-Market and Wharves, 6-Parnassus, 9-San Bruno, 9L-San Bruno Limited, 71-Haight-Noriega and 71L-Haight-Noriega Limited lines.

During the $1.8 million work on Market Street, all buses will operate in the curb lane and use Muni stops along the street, while the F-Market and Wharves line will operate through the installation area. Red lanes have been painted in sections of Third and Geary streets and are near completion on O'Farrell Street.

The red lanes on Market Street are designated for only buses and taxis at all times, unlike on some other corridors where signage will indicate restriction times.

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Market Street stretch to get red-paint treatment for transit-only lanes

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Spending on non-residential construction in the U.S. will be less than initially projected as state and local governments scale back investments in such properties as schools and health-care buildings, the American Institute of Architects said.

Total spending on commercial and institutional development probably will increase 4.9 percent this year, down from an earlier estimate of 5.8 percent, according to a semi-annual survey by the Washington-based group.

A slowdown in funding for institutional projects, which include education, health-care, religious and public-safety facilities, has been a drag on the recovery of the wider industry, according to Kermit Baker, the AIAs chief economist. The group expects institutional-construction spending to fall 0.1 percent this year, compared with Januarys projection for an increase of 3.4 percent, Baker said.

While growth in institutional construction tends to lag behind commercial building, it has been even more delayed than previously expected because of fiscal problems on the local and state level and some uncertainties, such as around the new affordable health-care act, Baker said. There isnt a lot of appetite to build new facilities.

In the commercial-construction category, which includes hotels, offices and retail and industrial buildings, spending probably will climb 9.9 percent, down from the earlier estimate of 10.3 percent, the AIA said.

Lending standards at financial institutions continue to fall well short of the increasing demand for commercial real estate loans, Baker said in the report. Thats a source of concern for the entire industry.

To contact the reporter on this story: Nadja Brandt in Los Angeles at nbrandt@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Kara Wetzel at kwetzel@bloomberg.net Christine Maurus, Daniel Taub

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Architects Group Lowers U.S. Construction Forecast

Victoria

Tim Leslie (left) of Open House Melbourne and Tom Kvan, dean of Melbourne Uuniversity's Faculty of Architecture. Photo: Justin McManus

Ever wondered if the citys new architects get the benefit of learning in a beautifully designed building?

Decide for yourself with a visit to Melbourne Universitys architecture students' new school this Sunday as part of the weekends Open House Melbourne event.

Sunday is the first time the public will beable to see the state-of-the-art design school before it is occupied by up to 3000 students in the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning.

Faculty dean Tom Kvansaid the new building would inspire learning and encourage enquiry the design was driven by this purpose.

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He said its features included zinc louvres that filter sunlight to reduce heat gain while allowing for views from each room, and suspended studios that drop into the buildings atrium.

The new architecture school, which is almost complete, is one of more than 100 buildings in the city providing free access this weekend.

While the architecture school is only open on Sunday, the university will allow access to its Wilson Hall and Grainger Museum at the Parkville campus the entire weekend, between 10am and 4pm.

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A beautiful new home for architects? Decide for yourself

Architects Tod Williams and Billie Tsien will receive the National Medal of Arts, the U.S. governments highest award given to artists and art patrons. The pair, who founded Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects in 1986, was selected for their contributions to architecture and arts education.

Whether public or private, their deliberate and inspired designs have a profound effect on the lives of those who interact with them, and their teaching and spirit of service have inspired young people to pursue their passions, according to a statement.

Notable projects by Williams and Tsien include the American Folk Art Museum in New York, two additions to the Phoenix Art Museum in Arizona, and the David Rubenstein Atrium at New Yorks Lincoln Center. They also teach and lecture worldwide.

Williams, Tsien, and the other National Medal of Arts winners will travel to Washington, D.C., where President Barack Obama will present the medals on July 28 in the White Houses East Room. The 3:00 EST ceremony will be streamed live at WH.gov/Live. To view the complete list of recipients, click here.

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Tod Williams and Billie Tsien Receive National Medal of Arts

A La Crosse County committee gave its nod today to a $68 million proposal by Weber Holdings to build offices, retail space and 94 housing units on county-owned Lot C just south of the Law Enforcement Center in downtown La Crosse.

Weber Holdings, headed by Logistics Health Inc. CEO and founder Don Weber, was the committees narrow choice over a combined plan by Borton Construction, Three Sixty Real Estate Solutions and Doerflinger developer Mike Keil. Doran Companies of Bloomington, Minn., was taken out of the running almost immediately.

Along with the housing, the winning proposal calls for a cafe and market discussions already have begun with a potential, yet-unnamed market tenant along with 100,000 square feet of office space for 500 health care-related jobs Weber pledged it will add downtown over three years. It also has space as requested for Associated Bank, which had agreed to sell its building at 605 State St. to the county as a new administrative center if it could move to Lot C. The total taxable value of the finished complex was estimated at $54 million.

Development of Lot C is part of the countys interlocking plans that include the selling the administrative center at 400 N. Fourth St. to Stizo Development LLC a partnership of Three Sixty and Borton that would gut the building to remove asbestos and then convert it to student housing and shifting county offices to the Associated Bank site.

Like the Weber concept, the Borton-Three Sixty-Doerflinger proposal was a mix of office, retail and residential space, plus a hotel later on after the local market has time to absorb two other downtown area hotels now in the works. But the development would be in phases that run through 2020, including plans for adjacent land that now has the main post office and had until recently been a regional sorting site.

Members of the countys Administrative Center and Downtown Campus Study Committee acknowledged that while they liked both local presentations, the fact Weber Holdings wanted to build the entire complex as a whole rather than in segments gave it a slight edge. The inclusion of street level and underground parking was a plus as well, committee members said.

For more on this story, see Fridays Tribune or check back at http://www.lacrossetribune.com.

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County panel favors Weber plan for Lot C

It was a long but productive day for Don Weber.A La Crosse County committee gave a preliminary nod Thursday to Weber Holdings $68 million proposal to build offices, retail space and 94 housing units on the 2.3-acre downtown parking area known as Lot C.

The firm, led by Logistics Health Inc. CEO and Riverside Center developer Weber, was the committees narrow but consensus choice over a combined plan by Borton Construction, Three Sixty Real Estate Solutions and Doerflinger building owner/renovator Mike Keil. Doran Companies of Bloomington, Minn., was taken out of the running early among the three finalists after 5 hours of interviews Thursday afternoon.

Theyre all qualified developers, said Supervisor Joe Veenstra, chairman of the countys Administrative Center and Downtown Campus Study Committee. When the decisions as hard as it was, it means you had good proposals.

Along with the housing, the Weber Holdings proposal calls for a street-level caf and market discussions already have begun with a potential, yet-unnamed market tenant along with 100,000 square feet of office space for 500 health care-related jobs Weber pledged to add downtown over three years.

It also has room as requested for Associated Bank, which had agreed to sell its building at 605 State St. to the county as a new administrative center if it could move to Lot C. The total taxable value of the finished complex was estimated at $54 million.

Development of Lot C is part of the countys interlocking plans that include the selling the administrative center at 400 N. Fourth St. for $250,000 to Stizo Development LLC a partnership of Three Sixty and Borton that would gut the building to remove asbestos and then convert it to student housing and buying the current Associated Bank building for $4.6 million to convert into county offices.

Like the Weber concept, the Borton-Three Sixty-Doerflinger proposal was a mix of office, retail and residential space, plus a hotel later on after the local market has time to absorb two other downtown hotels now in the works. Both included rooftop green spaces and offered the county money for the lot itself, Weber Holdings $500,000 to $1.5 million, Borton-Three Sixty-Doerflinger $12.50 per square foot.

But the latter proposals development would be in phases that run through 2020, at some point potentially spreading into adjacent property that until recently had been a regional postal processing center. Phase One, from March 2015 to January 2016, would construct only the Associated Bank section, 3,000 square feet of retail or service space and 60 market-rate residential units.

Committee members acknowledged that while they liked both local presentations, the fact Weber Holdings wanted to build the entire complex as a whole, starting in summer 2015 and completed two years later, gave it a slight edge.

The inclusion of some street level and underground parking in the Weber plans was a plus as well, committee members said, though both proposals admitted the county and city likely will have to be enlisted to fully address the parking needs downtown.

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County favors Weber plan for Lot C: Offices, housing and retail

An elderly couple who ran a pair of nonprofit faith-based ministries had a garage fire that severely damaged their Orlando house and everything in it. But they did have a lot of good karma stored up, which paid off.

When a fire struck the small Orlando home of Jeaney and Wayne Brooks, destroying their cars and leaving a sooty, acrid stench on everything they owned, they had no insurance to pay for repairs.

The couple both volunteer pastors at Discovery Church had only one thing going for them: karma.

The fire in late April was largely limited to the garage, but it was so hot it melted their vehicles and much of the wiring in the attic. Smoke blackened the attic and permeated every room.

"Both of us are seniors," Jeaney Brooks says. "We can't walk very well, and we both have breathing issues. We had let our homeowner's insurance lapse a couple of years earlier because we couldn't afford the premiums, so we couldn't fix anything."

At 69 and 71, the Brookses both have health issues. He suffers emphysema; she has apnea. The latter requires her to use a breathing machine each night so her oxygen levels don't drop to dangerous levels.

Despite those problems, they figured they had no choice but to continue living in a burned-out home with no functioning air conditioning. They had no idea there was a small army of volunteers about to come to their rescue.

In their years of working for a prison ministry and providing Christian counseling to women battling addiction, they had built up a reserve of good will. So, too, had Jeaney Brooks' son, Sam Burton, 40, who runs a tree-trimming service and has worked a gamut of construction jobs. Three years ago, he had joined the church's Discovery in Motion team to do community-service work. He'd help clear lots, shape landscaping, remove dead trees. He was a leader on a Holden Heights neighborhood-revitalization project.

"Sam is a standout," says Bill Schneider, 55, who spearheads the Discovery in Motion team. "He just shows up and works hard, and he's always volunteering his company's services."

At first, Burton tried to fix his mother and stepfather's home himself. But it quickly became obvious the project was too big for one person. Then Schneider and his wife, Liz Wenta, learned of the fire and reached out to a small community of contractors known for their generous hearts.

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