Lots of requests for money are being asked this election season. It is important to review the money grab requests and make a decision on what to do when it is time to cast our ballots. First, whatever you decide, it is important that you vote. Recent elections have had dismal turnouts and how can we expect to govern ourselves if we don’t vote.
School funding. The Board has suddenly discovered that nothing has been done on school maintenance in nearly 40 years. Gosh, what a shock. How did that happen? Their proposal to bond $20 million plus isn’t realistic. First, they state that the drawings would be done in the winter months and all the actual work would be completed by the start of school in late August 2007. How stupid do you think the voters are? Any project of this magnitude would take at least 2 years, and by then much of it wouldn’t be needed. If we have an enrollment of 1,000 students, by the 2008 school year that could easily drop to 800 or fewer if the illegal’s are forced to move out of state. This is not a condemnation of the illegals; it’s just a reality if the new Colorado law has any teeth in it when it is enacted on January 1, 2007. If the change in enrollment does take place that would eliminate the need for approximately 8 of the classrooms that are proposed with this bond request. That is just one reason that the Estesparkian is saying – Vote NO! The school board should go back to the drawing board with this one and come up with a better thought out plan. It may be better to take smaller steps until the enrollment stabilizes at a new number.
Fire District. The Town is always looking for ways to increase the general fund. The fire district is not the way to go in this form. If the out-of-towners start paying, they should have more say in how the district is run. The Town should not have the last and final say in all the decisions. Who in their right mind would trust this Town government to have final say? If we are to have a valley wide fire district the town should simply have a seat on the district board, nothing more. Once again, back to the drawing board with this proposal. In truth it is a request that the out-of-towners pay money that supports the district and the Town then takes money they now put into the fund and pay themselves into the general fund. They then would use this money for do-good projects (with no voter choice) to pay for such things as $400,000 for Hermit Park or for sidewalks to nowhere paid by locals to the benefit of the out-of-towners.
Each of these proposals requires payment of about $150 per household (with a $300,000 house) and 3 times that for those with vacant land. This is real money folks. Accountability and responsibility is the key here. Neither of the proposals passes the sniff test. Vote NO.
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Four Foot Noes
It's real trendy lately for everyone to offer quotes to emphasize their points, David Tavel does it all the time, Lori Jeffery-Clark, David Habecker loves to quote everyone, so we brought you quotes from your town staff and hizzonor Both ways Baudek.
Say what you mean, mean what you say - can we rely on what comes out of the mouths of those we elect to over see our community? What’s the truth; is the truth a series of statements crafted to promote the ploy of the moment? Is black truly black or is white black and black white? We can tell you and we can show you who is pulling your leg, but like they say we can lead a horse to water but you can’t make them drink.
Please refer to quotes the Estes Parkian posted on March 15, 2006. The article concerns EPURA and it is a highlight of town staff and elected town officials quotes concerning sales tax revenues.
Quotes all published by the Trail Gazette.
July 2005: “We are pleased that long term sales tax numbers are still trending upward.”
August 2005: “We believe that there is still ample reason for optimize” concerning sales tax.
September 2005: “Sales tax revenues are running at an all-time record pace.”
October 2005: “Town officials said sales tax revenues are at an all time record pace.”
February 2006: “After welcoming the New Year with record high January figures, sales tax revenues continue at an unprecedented pace.”
Estes Park News, October 6, 2006, page two, “Estes Park Views”, article penned by hizzonor both ways Baudek and Town administrator Repola; “looking over multiple years, sales tax revenues (the largest portion of town revenue) are not increasing fast enough to support town functions; this is not good news for future service levels.
The town spends 2 – 3 million (dollars) annually on a questionably effective or legal advertising/marketing/visitors services program that benefits a few motel owners. They only spend five hundred thousand dollars per year on fire protection that would service everyone.
Priorities!
We want to leave you with one more quote,,,, with apologies to the Castaways 1965 hit, “liar, liar pants are on fire , your nose is longer than a telephone wire.”
Say what you mean, mean what you say - can we rely on what comes out of the mouths of those we elect to over see our community? What’s the truth; is the truth a series of statements crafted to promote the ploy of the moment? Is black truly black or is white black and black white? We can tell you and we can show you who is pulling your leg, but like they say we can lead a horse to water but you can’t make them drink.
Please refer to quotes the Estes Parkian posted on March 15, 2006. The article concerns EPURA and it is a highlight of town staff and elected town officials quotes concerning sales tax revenues.
Quotes all published by the Trail Gazette.
July 2005: “We are pleased that long term sales tax numbers are still trending upward.”
August 2005: “We believe that there is still ample reason for optimize” concerning sales tax.
September 2005: “Sales tax revenues are running at an all-time record pace.”
October 2005: “Town officials said sales tax revenues are at an all time record pace.”
February 2006: “After welcoming the New Year with record high January figures, sales tax revenues continue at an unprecedented pace.”
Estes Park News, October 6, 2006, page two, “Estes Park Views”, article penned by hizzonor both ways Baudek and Town administrator Repola; “looking over multiple years, sales tax revenues (the largest portion of town revenue) are not increasing fast enough to support town functions; this is not good news for future service levels.
The town spends 2 – 3 million (dollars) annually on a questionably effective or legal advertising/marketing/visitors services program that benefits a few motel owners. They only spend five hundred thousand dollars per year on fire protection that would service everyone.
Priorities!
We want to leave you with one more quote,,,, with apologies to the Castaways 1965 hit, “liar, liar pants are on fire , your nose is longer than a telephone wire.”
Friday, October 06, 2006
EPURA Again Misuses Funds!
Clear walkwaysEPURA plans additional Riverwalk connection.The Estes Park Urban Renewal Authority (EPURA) is planning an additional section of Riverwalk in the west end of downtown. This project will connect with the Riverwalk at Riverspointe Downtown and extend along the Fall River and Wiest Drive to Moraine Avenue, with a pedestrian-friendly crossing of Moraine Avenue. Riverbank improvements will be a part of the project.Having had two good work sessions with the property owners and business owners in the immediate project area, EPURA would now like public input on this latest endeavor aimed at extending the continuous Riverwalk and related amenities throughout downtown.A public meeting will be held in the Town of Estes Park Board Room on Tuesday, Oct. 17, at 7 p.m. to present the preferred alternative plan and receive public comments on the proposal. Residents are asked to attend and give EPURA their thoughts on this proposal for continuing community improvement.
This is what was printed in the Trail. EPURA was never intended to provide sidewalks or trails, if anyone were to do that it should be the Department of Transportation, or another Town department. EPURA was formed to help businesses, and has been pointed out here time after time, it has morphed into a public works department. If it was ever to receive a legal challenge, surely they would lose on this one and the Town would by held liable for interfering with a non-Town entity. The problem now, and always, is that the Town and toady Will Smith run this thing as being owned by the town and the EPURA Board believes them. This is just another obscenity here in paradise. He loves to point out the trees that were planted after the flood-25 years ago!
Again, no real community building or planning. Never has been.
Some lame blogger keeps repeating that there are no solutions ever mentioned on this blog, at least in the comment section. Well pal, the Estesparkian has always given solutions, and the many comments have also had some very good suggestions. They are encouraged to continue. The particular ranting idiot is just so happy to quote the Town line which is- Do what we say. We don't need no stinking input. If you disagree, you are a bad seed.
This is what was printed in the Trail. EPURA was never intended to provide sidewalks or trails, if anyone were to do that it should be the Department of Transportation, or another Town department. EPURA was formed to help businesses, and has been pointed out here time after time, it has morphed into a public works department. If it was ever to receive a legal challenge, surely they would lose on this one and the Town would by held liable for interfering with a non-Town entity. The problem now, and always, is that the Town and toady Will Smith run this thing as being owned by the town and the EPURA Board believes them. This is just another obscenity here in paradise. He loves to point out the trees that were planted after the flood-25 years ago!
Again, no real community building or planning. Never has been.
Some lame blogger keeps repeating that there are no solutions ever mentioned on this blog, at least in the comment section. Well pal, the Estesparkian has always given solutions, and the many comments have also had some very good suggestions. They are encouraged to continue. The particular ranting idiot is just so happy to quote the Town line which is- Do what we say. We don't need no stinking input. If you disagree, you are a bad seed.
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Tax As Tacks To Hold Up Your Pants
Is Estes Park economic development an oxymoron?
How is our economic development, what is being developed, is our economy becoming more diverse, balanced, competitive, are there jobs being created, families moving to the Valley? At any point have our elected officials hired professional urban planners, consultants, experts in the field to study this vital component of our future? Have we been presented with a variety of scenarios to contemplate, studies and reports to approve, disapprove, or just read, concerning the healthy forward growth of the Estes Valley economy? If they are not doing this what else would our elected leaders be doing?
What is the economic future of Estes Park, what are the forecasts? There are hazards associated with the limitations to our single season/single industry economy; one indicator of our limitations would be the lack of any major corporate investment in the area, major hoteliers, retailers, or clean industry. They do not seem to be interested in investing in our community. Why is that? Why can’t we draw outside investment into Estes Park?
Other than sales tax figures there is no information available on our economy. It just happens, some old timers employed by the town as an economic development department cough up a few opinions based on traffic counts they get off of the internet, thats about it.
The 2017 committee, please that’s just a committee used by Tom Pickering to justify his existence. It’s no more effective than the group of retirees that meet every morning at the MacDonald’s over coffee.
Our singular anemic economic development engine is economic development through TIF, which is collecting property tax from the business community, buying property to develop more retail to compete with the existing retailers, tantamount to financing your own competition.
We can use the details of the school bond issue as one barometer of the health and direction of our economic condition. Economic development of the Valley, or lack there of and our schools are inexorably tied together. As we continue to age as a community (we are the oldest community in Colorado – average age 45) and no clear cut economic develop plan where are our future first graders going to come from? I do not see a lot of pregnant 45 year olds walking around Estes Park. The schools need money to patch up a campus allowed to fall into an unsafe state of disrepair. Look at the number of empty retail spots down town. We are loosing students at a rate of 100 per year, with 1000 students; will we run out of students before we pay off the bill to fix the buildings? We loose 85 % of all start up businesses every five years. If we further burden the business community with one more tax will that be the straw that breaks that camel’s back? If the schools close we will loose a major employer in the Valley? So do you keep the schools to keep the jobs despite the lack of students?
With so much turmoil and so many needs in such a small valley, it is very difficult to make sense of any of it. I have heard phrases describing us like; “Estes Park is a community that circles the wagons and then points all their guns inward”, I have also heard on more than one occasion, “Estes Park is a community that lacks direction and vision”. My observation is more akin to; “Estes Park has so many local people that want a piece of the action, there are few remaining souls to solve the problems.
How is our economic development, what is being developed, is our economy becoming more diverse, balanced, competitive, are there jobs being created, families moving to the Valley? At any point have our elected officials hired professional urban planners, consultants, experts in the field to study this vital component of our future? Have we been presented with a variety of scenarios to contemplate, studies and reports to approve, disapprove, or just read, concerning the healthy forward growth of the Estes Valley economy? If they are not doing this what else would our elected leaders be doing?
What is the economic future of Estes Park, what are the forecasts? There are hazards associated with the limitations to our single season/single industry economy; one indicator of our limitations would be the lack of any major corporate investment in the area, major hoteliers, retailers, or clean industry. They do not seem to be interested in investing in our community. Why is that? Why can’t we draw outside investment into Estes Park?
Other than sales tax figures there is no information available on our economy. It just happens, some old timers employed by the town as an economic development department cough up a few opinions based on traffic counts they get off of the internet, thats about it.
The 2017 committee, please that’s just a committee used by Tom Pickering to justify his existence. It’s no more effective than the group of retirees that meet every morning at the MacDonald’s over coffee.
Our singular anemic economic development engine is economic development through TIF, which is collecting property tax from the business community, buying property to develop more retail to compete with the existing retailers, tantamount to financing your own competition.
We can use the details of the school bond issue as one barometer of the health and direction of our economic condition. Economic development of the Valley, or lack there of and our schools are inexorably tied together. As we continue to age as a community (we are the oldest community in Colorado – average age 45) and no clear cut economic develop plan where are our future first graders going to come from? I do not see a lot of pregnant 45 year olds walking around Estes Park. The schools need money to patch up a campus allowed to fall into an unsafe state of disrepair. Look at the number of empty retail spots down town. We are loosing students at a rate of 100 per year, with 1000 students; will we run out of students before we pay off the bill to fix the buildings? We loose 85 % of all start up businesses every five years. If we further burden the business community with one more tax will that be the straw that breaks that camel’s back? If the schools close we will loose a major employer in the Valley? So do you keep the schools to keep the jobs despite the lack of students?
With so much turmoil and so many needs in such a small valley, it is very difficult to make sense of any of it. I have heard phrases describing us like; “Estes Park is a community that circles the wagons and then points all their guns inward”, I have also heard on more than one occasion, “Estes Park is a community that lacks direction and vision”. My observation is more akin to; “Estes Park has so many local people that want a piece of the action, there are few remaining souls to solve the problems.