If you bought a home in 1950 for $20,000, you might have sold it for $30,000 in 1973. Taking inflation into account, you probably lost money on the sale…
Author: Bill Hudson
Bill Hudson began sharing his opinions in the Pagosa Daily Post in 2004 and can't seem to break the habit. He claims that, in Pagosa Springs, opinions are like pickup trucks: everybody has one.
EDITORIAL: The Biggest Problem Facing Pagosa Springs in 2021, Part One
It’s the same problem that stretches across America, from sea to shining sea. We are digging ourselves into a hole made of money…
EDITORIAL: Portrait of the Artist as a Former President
“I set out to accomplish two things: to share some portraits of immigrants, each with a remarkable story I try to tell, and to humanize the debate on immigration and reform….”
EDITORIAL: Mr. Dronet Offers Up Two New Proposals, Part Eight
The $3.9 million is slated to be “consumed” out of the Strategic Reserve in 2021. Unless some additional grants magically appear…
EDITORIAL: Mr. Dronet Offers Up Two New Proposals, Part Seven
One problem with selling your courthouse is, where do you put the 16 or so employees who are still working there?
EDITORIAL: County Ready to Address Vacation Rental Problems? Part Four
“Short-Term Rental Operations shall occupy no more than two percent (2%) of the available residential structures within the City of Manitou Springs which is currently capped at fifty-eight (58) potential permits…”
EDITORIAL: Mr. Dronet Offers Up Two New Proposals, Part Six
The County would be allowed to “lease back” the office space it currently uses in the Courthouse — for the Clerk, Treasurer and Assessor offices — for up to three years…
EDITORIAL: County Ready to Address Vacation Rental Problems? Part Three
“Thanks to the fact that we’re now going to have a code enforcement staff, we’re going to make sure we do an inspection upon initial issuance of the permit, as well as on the [annual] renewal…”
EDITORIAL: Mr. Dronet Offers Up Two New Proposals, Part Five
The Archuleta County government has been taking some baby steps recently. They arranged Certificates of Participation (COPs) to build, first, a $15 million jail, and then a new $6 million courthouse next door…
EDITORIAL: Mr. Dronet Offers Up Two New Proposals, Part Four
At the end of the 19th century, most American companies left the housing of their workers in the hands of real-estate speculators, but a few directly intervened to provide housing…
EDITORIAL: County Ready to Address Vacation Rental Problems? Part Two
The vacation rental industry is helping to cause various types of social problems all over the country, and the world, but the impacts seem to be more severe in “tourism-driven” communities like Pagosa Springs…
EDITORIAL: Mr. Dronet Offers Up Two New Proposals, Part Three
Here is how the apartment building looked on April 12, 2021, in the midst of a thorough remodeling process…
EDITORIAL: County Ready to Address Vacation Rental Problems? Part One
“Rick Haley, Casey Ct., related additional incidents with Short-Term Renters on subdivision roads. Not appropriate in their neighborhood…”
EDITORIAL: Mr. Dronet Offers Up Two New Proposals, Part Two
“We are going to run the property at ‘zero profit’ — basically meaning, every dollar we save in fees and taxes are going to go directly into reducing rents for the residents…”
EDITORIAL: Mr. Dronet Offers Up Two New Proposals, Part One
“Prior to undertaking any serious planning efforts, the resort ownership will hold an open meeting and invites Pagosa residents to join them and discuss the past, current and future feelings…”
EDITORIAL: Digging Into the Ditches, and Such, Part Seven
Over the past several decades, new concerns about the Colorado River and its tributaries have developed — concerns that didn’t exist when the Hoover Dam was built…
EDITORIAL: Digging Into the Ditches, and Such, Part Six
Would it be possible to modify the behavior of the San Juan River, artificially, so that a two-month recreational ‘rafting season’ could be extended by a couple more weeks?
EDITORIAL: Digging Into the Ditches, and Such, Part Five
Water-related recreation is playing an ever-larger role in Colorado water planning, it seems….
EDITORIAL: Digging Into the Ditches, and Such, Part Four
If 4,664 acres of agricultural land using ‘ditch irrigation’ (40% efficient) could be upgraded to ‘gated pipe irrigation’ (55% efficient)… hmmm…