How Everyone Pays!

The Estesparkian is constantly being asked in various ways why the town toadies want to stifle home rule. Look, just to spell it out for you, we have Doylen, Levine, Blackhurst, Taylor, Pinkham and others who have been told that they should go along with the process, but to make sure it doesn’t get approved. They are in the race to insure that they have protected their self interest and to maintain the status quo. What a shame! They stand in front of groups of people and publicly state that they aren’t sure we should have home rule (even though they thought it was an emergency and voted to put it on the ballot), then say that with their experience, if the public is dumb enough to vote for it that they should write the charter.

It is really interesting in this town how people look out only for their own interest. No big picture view here, just what is in it for me and how soon do I get it?

In reality, the BIG PICTURE is-

Sales tax is down and has been for 4 years running. It is up a bit in lodging only because the new resorts have been built that collect higher rates. Occupancy is not up.

Park visits are down. Fewer than 3 million last year and heading even lower this year.

Retail is down. Look at the storefronts that are empty in the very heart of the season.

If business is down we all suffer!

Then there is the retirement community. Well folks, welcome to reality. You see, if business is down, sales tax is down; revenues should also be down for the Town. They should be having cuts in employees, services (what few there are) or something. Guess what, they aren’t cutting.

Here’s what you retirees get. Balderdash spelled it out last year – “taxes without representation.” Folks, if business is down your utilities will go up to cover the losses, then your property taxes will be increased to take up a little extra, and then your property values will go down. So, your little visit to paradise will become unaffordable and you’ll lose money on the sale of your property as you pack up and move back to Nebraska. But, just as the Town does with business, they figure some other fool will move in and pay higher and higher taxes and utilities as the Town keeps building a bigger and bigger infrastructure, requiring more and more taxes… well, you probably get it by now. Since business can’t pay for the new $1.7 million visitor center, you’ll have to. By the way, did you vote for higher utilities? Did you vote for the $1.7 million visitor center? Do you get it yet?

Vote Home Rule or start packing; Last one out turn out the lights.

Notice in the Trail Gazette

The Trail has decided to get on board and print an informative study regarding Home Rule. The study was conducted at the request of Grand Lake. This is an important study put together for a town that was really interested in getting informed on Home Rule. It is interesting that our own town government hasn't made any effort to inform the public, even though Baudek and the trustees declared the issue "an emergency." It would be interesting to find out what caused the "emergency."

In the meantime, inform yourself: Cut and paste the following to get the complete study.

http://www.nwc.cog.co.us/documents/Home%20Rule%20Status%20Study.pdf

Good reading!

New Website for Downtown Issues

Be sure to check out the following website.
http://members.boardhost.com/epchamber/
More and more of you are wanting to be heard and this may be a good forum for your concerns.

COO, COO,,,BOMBS AWAY

With so little time to explain to the populous of our community the concept of the Home Rule form of government I have struggled with an appropriate analogy, and then it came to me. But first the citizens of Estes must be forgiven for being confused, Home rule is big heady stuff for any town with adequate leadership, but in Estes Park we lack even the faintest spark of sound leaders. Home rule can be overwhelming.

Why do the trustees think we need it? They can't say.

There is so much ground that could be covered methodologies from purchasing to elections, not all can or should be changed but no one has given us a clue as to what is in fact needed. Isn't that what those that ran for office and head up this governing body are supposed to know? Why were you elected town trustee? Why did you run for town trustee? You all passed an ordinance to put this issue on a special election for no good reason that you have or have not communicated to anyone. Guttless. How irresponsible is it to put our form of government up for a popular vote with no stated logic, no expressed need? This is an important and expensive process that requires months even years of public education so everyone understands the brick walls towns can come up against regarding current state law if you do not have local legislative authority. Well the brick walls exist if you obey the law, if you recklessly act above the law there are no limitations, I guess. But that would be corruption now wouldn't it?

To put it in the easiest description possible think of it this way, instead of being the statue that the citizens of Estes Park have been for ninety three years home rule will make you the pigeon.

Vote yes for Home Rule and become a pigeon. Elect 15 citizens at large that are not trustees. Our trustees should have educated us, they did not and it is time we take back our town.

COO COO BOMBS AWAY ON YOU

The Estes Parkian

20/20 FORESIGHT/HINDSIGHT

Help me out here Estes Park, maybe my eye sight is going on me. Drive by Talent Park and have a look see.

One month ago amongst great fanfare (I can still hear the trumpets blaring) and fantastic local print media coverage His Honor the Mayor presided over a ceremonial ground breaking. The town fathers and mothers were all present to have their pictures taken with shovels, to signal the start of construction of the new Information Center- RMNP Park & Ride.

As of today I am not seeing any construction activity. At this pace it will take four hundred thousand photo ops one photo op shovel at a time to just get the foundation dug.

Hey your honor is this one more fake you out boondoggle, drew up the plans, had the ceremony but ,,,,,,,psych,,,,, faked you out, the- okky-doke-doublee-pump- fake, gotcha????

Maybe you can have the grand opening ceremony before construction begins and get a great photo op telling everyone how this is a dream come true years in the planning, bla,bla,bla and you can put this white wash screwing of the community in the file cabinet with all the others. Others you say? Which others? Well I am glad you asked.

The Community Center
The Performing Arts Center in the Parking Lot
The Discovery Center
The CVB

John quite a legacy you will be leaving behind at the end of your term. What one thing are you most proud of that you can point to and say you know my leadership made this happen? I spent your money on blue prints and architectural renderings of building that were never built?

Thank You I feel better now, I had to get this off of my chest, have a good day.

The Estes Parkian

Positive Plan for a Great Commumity

The Estesparkian has ears to the community. There is a cry for change and a call for an outline.
1. Home Rule
2. New community members to write the charter
3. End EPURA so that no more funding will be used for Town salaries and that no money will be spent on plans that don’t meet the charter (as in kayak course).
4. Create a long term advisory board that is elected by district to oversee long term planning
5. Combine sewer plants so we are prepared for the future with the best treatment facility possible and no more duplication of effort
6. Create and approve a marketing district which includes the YMCA and Cheely Camp and all other lodging properties that will begin charging a lodging tax
7. Eliminate all Town employees that work for marketing and sales. They are doing a lousy job and it is illegal for them to perform these functions
8. Support our school board and discourage the old guard from their recall efforts
9. Create a long term plan for Stanley Park which includes an event center that can be used year around by local children
10. Create an affordable housing district near the hospital. This wouldn’t lower the property values of existing homes but would make the area ripe for development of affordable housing units.
11. Make the downtown area a showplace. Nothing has been done since the flood to improve Main Street. In fact, only minimal maintenance has been performed.
12. Install bold signage for the river walk. People should be driven to that riverfront walkway. It would be good business.
13. If downtown events are going to be approved they should be scattered throughout town. This would make it more festive and would help local business attract customers who are now directed to Bond Park.
14. Create an advisory panel of retiree’s. There are many people that are experienced in marketing, community development and budgeting. They are now volunteering in the National Park. Why wouldn’t they also help the community be successful?

15. Start collecting our own sales tax. Our dollars would go up considerably by adding collections from art shows and the Scottish/Irish festival

These are all positive and proactive solutions that our town government should be striving for. Let’s work together to make it happen. How?
See #1 and #2 (above)

LIBERTY BELL

On the boarder of Utah and Arizona there is a small town just below the Vermillion Cliffs. The town is in big trouble the local school district is in big trouble. There is polarization throughout the community and fraud is the rule not the exception. Several years ago a religious cult moved into town and over a period of time permeated all aspects of that community. The same folks that pulled strings on the school board were the same people that pulled the strings in town hall, the police force, everyone that was anyone was associated with this cult. The values of the community were dictated by the cult, multiple wives were allowed in this sect, under aged (preteen) girls were given to forty year old men as third and fourth wives by the sect leaders. The leaders of the cult had total control of its members and conversely control of the town.

The corruption of the school district was so complete that the State of Utah had to pass a special law to allow the state to come in and take control of the public school system. The money was all gone; no one is exactly sure where it went and probably never will. They discovered gross miss uses such as $250,000.00 expenditures of school board funds on an airplane for the cult leader. The town funds were also decimated but worst of all was the corrosion of the community standards, there were several cases of statutory rape by cult elders brought to the police but being cult members the police did nothing. Business have all left leaving the community without income, but the cult lives on, now polygamy and corruption is the standard, it is the value of the community.

When does a town’s corruption become the standard? If a certain clique of peoples have bastardized the standards in a town to the point that corruption is tolerated, understood, excused who is left to clean it up?

Is any of this ringing a bell?

What is the tolerance for corruption in Estes Park, so far I would say you have mighty low standards. You all stand on the side of the road and look the other way as a small group continues to erode the standards of our community even lower. Shame on all of you this is Estes Park, Colorado not Utah, we Estes Parkians choose not to stand still we choose to fight.

LETS GET READY TO RUMBLE!!!!!!!!

Trail Trash - again!

Didya notice that Baudek and Repola have another column in the Lampoon? Well, some brave sole should turn them in for election law violation. Isn’t it funny that they never had a column until Butt Head Baudek started running for the Charter Commission? Fraud! Lies! He’s Not Qualified!

Word has gotten back that there were at least 5 candidates running for the Charter Commission that don’t want Home Rule. However, they do suggest that if we adopt Home Rule that only they are qualified to write the charter. They must think we are all pretty stupid. Of course Butt Head shares the same opinion, he is just to afraid to appear in public at any of the meet the candidate forums. Evidently he’s afraid he might have to make eye contact with someone.

Cheers for Libby Hooper!

Citizens rejoice! Libby, you go girl. It is time that all concerned citizens band together and supports this truth seeking school board and Larry Pesses. It is time to put the good old boy network of the dimwitted self serving Repola and Whinemeier out on the street where they belong. This school board is community building and will ensure our children get a quality education. They will see that all those that stole from our kids and from the school, whether it be a child’s innocence or cash dollars or education, this board will protect our schools.

This craziness over recall is only to protect the guilty - the past board of crooks and liars. It's over for them and they just aren't willing to lay down and die. What a shame. It would be better if they rolled up their belongings and left town without further incident. Let's not give them the chance to cause further damage. Say no to recall! We need healthy and vibrant schools, and that is what the board is working toward.

No Shots Fired

The Estesparkian took a nap yesterday and couldn't attend the school board or the meet the candidate sessions. These new meds are just the pits. Reports are that they carried on in civilized fashion and there were no shots fired at either venue. That is certainly good.

Now, the Home Rule group is really getting into full swing and from now on we all have to go see these functions whether they are sponsored by the Leage of Women voters or the Chamber of Commerce. This is big deal stuff. How will our town be run for the next generation? We will decide these things and we'd best know what and who we are voting for. The trustees and their little lap dogs are still not qualified. Aren't they the one's that didn't want Home Rule, didn't know what it was but knew it wasn't good for us. They aren't qualified! That hasn't changed.

Take the non town candidates and pick from them. There are certainly enough to choose from. They can do this. Don't forget, whatever they decide, we get to vote to approve or scrap the whole thing. We still have the power.

T-Rex in Estesparkian Proportions

Have you noticed that the T-Rex project on W. Riverside Drive has taken on large proportions?
Just a couple of months ago they started digging up the street to fix some underground utilities. In typical fashion there was no plan, which requires that they just close the street FOREVER!

I suppose it might help if the workers showed up. Maybe they've been busy cleaning up the mess on Elkhorn that was promised completion by June 1.

Good cuppa Joe

The Estesparkian just had to stop by the Kind Coffee Company the other day for some tasty chocolate covered beans. If you haven’t tried them you really must. The Estesparkian had a buzzzzzz. Whoa doggie!

So what was posted on the public information board? The Chamber of Commerce is hosting another “meet the candidate” forum on Wednesday, June 15, 7:00 PM at the Lake Shore Lodge. We’ll all get another look at the candidates. It appears there will be a conflict with the School Board Meeting, but that could be good. The fewer candidates, the more you can hear from those that are there. Thanks Chamber for this great public service. It should be fun to watch the concerned citizens speak with passion about what they would like to see Estes Park become. Then we can listen as Town trustees back peddle and admit they don’t know what Home Rule is, they didn’t want it but they sure want to join the fun. Take your seats boys and girls it will be a fun ride.

Of course the School Board meeting could be great sport as well that very same night. Surely Whinemeier will be there with his henchman Ripping Randy Repola. But maybe Repola learned his lesson about speaking in public. He’s such an arrogant ass it would be hard to imagine he learned anything. To think he used to carry a gun for pay.

Now Whinemeier the recall leader seems to point the gun inward as well. Let’s see Whiney, weren’t you the one that was pals with the child rapist? Whiney is the friend of the former Superintendent, a convicted felon, and good buddy with DeLeo the thief? Maybe he’s getting nervous about being found out for his own indiscretions? The sport here is when the noose starts to tighten, blame someone else.

So, reserve a seat at one of these events and become a part of the solution. The Estesparkian will surely pay a visit to one of them just to keep the blood pressure up at a high level.

CHIPMUNK JOURNALISM

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Above the Law?

It seems that the Town was caught once again with their pants down. Bob Joseph and the trustees, along with blow-hard Baudeck, found out that the people are listening and holding them accountable. This new tax raising scheme to change zoning so that people couldn't live in their homes was deemed not only a stupid idea, it was illegal. That never stopped them before, but this time a lawyer was brought in the teach them the fundamentals of a comprehensive plan. YOU CAN'T CHANGE THE PLAN JUST TO RAISE MORE TAXES! People have property rights and they are to be protected, not abused.
Joseph had previously said, along with the trustees, that they just thought it was part of a better long range plan to increase taxes "in case" the climate changed. There wasn't a current problem, they just wanted to get their ducks in order to avoid any future problems. This is another Habecker sponsored plan because he was afraid someone might get a benefit that he couldn't figure out how to manipulate for himself. The rest of the board puppets said, yup, yup, we like it. Well puppets, it's ILLEGAL!
This is such a good example of the need for Home Rule and a case for not putting any trustees on the charter commission. They don't have a clue! They don't have any ideas to bring to the table, they only can follow what they are told to do.

• New people
• A new level of trust
• A new beginning

Estesparkians, it is time for us to grow a better community.

Are You People Insane?

It seems there is a current effort to re-call some of the school board members. This is certainly an effort that should be crushed in the bud. It must be organized with the help of Webermeier
and Repola and some of their henchmen. The current board is finding out too many facts that will show what has been going on for years behind the scenes. Don't be fooled for a minute that it is about the current board. In fact, it is about what went on with the past board.

• Corruption
• Manipulation
• Mismanagement
• Fraud

This effort, no matter what they are saying, is about a cover-up. If you are afraid of the truth, don't care about your children's future and want a return to the bad old days, then you are in favor of re-call.
If you want to find out the truth, have the best interests in your children's education and are concerned about how your tax dollars are spent then you want the current board.
You do not want re-call! Don't be afraid of the truth. It is time this whole mess is cleaned up.

HIJACKER

You gotta love this for entertainment, but it is digressing to the point of hillbilly mellow drama. I am referring to David Hijacker and he is at it again. We all remember David - he of the no pledge before meetings - black eye. He has raped this town and its businesses of so much and stuffed it into his pocket. He keeps shooting off his cockeyed mouth and the Trail Lampoon gives him a mouth piece. The difference is - we are on to you now Mr. Hijacker. This man is such a nut, I hope I am out of town when he goes off.

Mr. David Hijacker has tunnel vision. His tunnel being he believes that because his motel is in town and he is obligated to collect sales tax for the town, that he is entitled to something in return. You have come up with these insane political concepts and it will end up costing this town millions, in addition to all the ridicule we face for your tirades.

Collecting the sales tax is your obligation by law David, get over it.

Now David is picking a bone with the YMCA, lawfully the Y has applied for a property tax exempt status due to their church affiliations and they have been awarded this designation. David you Godless hick, the YMCA did all this according to the law of the land. Legal David according to established statues, like all the zoning changes you hustled through your committee that benefited the sale of your home, they were legal - but - ethical?? Well we cannot have everything now can we?

Mr. Hijacker when you were a trustee and the chairman of the APC (advertising policy committee) you approved a seat on that committee for a representative of the YMCA. At the time you thought it was cleaver that an out of town business advised you on how to spend our money, even though they did not contribute. There are hundreds of business owners inside the town limits that contribute to that fund and they have never been offered seats on the APC. There are five town employees on that committee none of them business owners, none of them contributors to that fund and yet they also get seats and spent those millions. David you are an irresponsible embarrassment, blow it out your ear. Your politics are cockeyed.

The town under your advice spent millions unlawfully, corruptly, so that you could selfishly advance you business. What the YMCA has done is lawful what you have done is not, so stop embarrassing the whole valley, go home and hold your breath until your face turns blue. Keep an eye on the front door David, as a Larimer County Sheriff will be issuing and delivering indictments and you will certainly be a star attraction.

The people have spoken "YOU'RE NOT QUALIFIED & YOU'RE FIRED!!!!

ZONING 101

• Cannon fodder for those that care.
  
  On June 7, 2005 in the Town Board room an open discussion will occur concerning the recently adopted “Block 7” amendments to the Estes Valley Development Code initially included a proposal to remove residential developments from “ A-Accommodations” zoning districts. In essence saying you cannot buy one of these units to live in full time because we enjoy the sales tax. Town employees telling productive businessmen they cannot live hear- only spend the money.
  
  Now this all seems like so much house keeping to the lay person: the only people that object are a very few greedy property owners that will not reap blue sky from potential buyers that want the “dream”, “may” or “may not” move here when they retire or limit possible future development. This is all moot and silly stuff really because if Mr. Van Horn needs a variance to sell, build or be immune he will get it - anyone else well tough luck, no variance for you.
  
  The most offensive notion is that town hall is so predictably inconsistent. Two years ago the town put into motion a plan to condemn a major amount of retail square footage from the Stangers (along the river walk) smack dab in the middle of the towns Downtown Commercial District and convert it into classroom space, art classes and the like. Last year there was a plan to build a large performing arts complex in the parking lot of the downtown commercial district. Town hall, the post office, library and now a potion of the Conoco Station redevelopment will be non-profit, including the buried gas tanks. Our downtown commercial district is a major sales tax producing area that has very definitive limits due to the topography and its shrinking like a cheap tee shirt. Every square foot of retail space is extremely valuable for producing sales tax revenue - in a very short season and yet the majority owner of square footage in the downtown commercial district is town hall. What’s up with that? In addition, on the summer week ends the town imports retailers from around the country to set up shop in Bond Park to sell exactly what is being sold in the down town shops, all those tens of thousands of dollars in sales and lost sales tax going down valley. If the town buys up all the commercial retail square footage who will be left to produce sales tax? Pay attention Randy and John, you will learn something here. The downtown commercial district is a commerce zone like a mall, in any town in this country. No town would build town hall in their mall (even the Mall of America that has every thing does not have town hall under its roof). No town has a highway through their mall and no town expects a mall to be productive without parking.
  Turn town hall, and library into a performing arts center, connected to five levels of parking. In the winter the top floor of parking structure would be converted into an over sized ice rink. Build a town center-post office near the high school so the locals could access town hall - library-post office without fighting traffic all summer and taking up valuable parking.
  I would suggest town hall stay consistent and pass the zoning change and screw the few resort owners that this will harm - just like all the retailers you screw everyday.