“I see again the forest fires are starting,” President Trump said recently, during a rally in Pennsylvania. “They’re starting again in California…
Category: Opinion/Letters
LETTER: A Campaign to Ban Fires in Archuleta County from April through September
Things are different, and there is nothing much we can do about but live with. But… we can and must take action now to protect our piece of ‘Paradise’ here in Archuleta County, Colorado…
EDITORIAL: ‘Urban Renewal Authority’ Planning to Sue the Town Voters? Part Two
“I’d be spending my money on my attorney, having him figure out how to align myself with my taxpayers, way more than I’d be spending my money on my attorney, trying to figure out how I can get around my taxpayers…”
EDITORIAL: San Juan Basin Public Health Makes a Request, Part Three
To put Commissioner Schaaf’s comments in some perspective, San Juan Basin Public Health has an annual budget of over $6 million, and is charged with serving 56,000 people in La Plata County and 14,000 people in Archuleta County…
EDITORIAL: San Juan Basin Public Health Makes a Request, Part Two
The funds “may not be used to fill shortfalls in government revenue to cover expenditures that would not otherwise qualify under the statute…”
EDITORIAL: ‘Urban Renewal Authority’ Planning to Sue the Town Voters? Part One
“Is it within the purview of the Town Council to initiate filing for a Declaratory Judgment on the legality of the language in Ballot Question A?…”
EDITORIAL: San Juan Basin Public Health Makes a Request, Part One
Some of the $1.6 million will be covered by various state and private grants and donations, but about $786,752 of the unexpected COVID costs will need to be covered by… the two county governments?…
EDITORIAL: COVID and the Power of Anecdotal Stories, Part Three
To summarize the anecdotal information: it would appear that the death rate in Archuleta County, among those who’ve been officially diagnosed with COVID, is 0.00%…
OPINION: We Have 79 Days
At a minimum, the Senate and the House of Representatives should immediately return to Washington to fully fund our elections and the US Postal Service, overriding the president if required…
LETTER: Supporting the Post Office
In a similar vein of thought, I bought a couple hundred dollars of “Forever” stamps back in the spring when I heard USPS was struggling to stay afloat and under fire…
EDITORIAL: COVID and the Power of Anecdotal Stories, Part Two
“Surely, you are not taking the position that Covid patients should be allowed to die with no treatment or care. As Governor Cuomo said, ‘My mother is not [expendable]’. Neither are my friends — one died yesterday…”
HMPRESENTLY: No ‘De Joy,’ So To Speak?
In the run-up to what may be the most important election of our time – during a pandemic! – these changes, apparently, at the Postmaster General’s direction, are extremely concerning…
OPINION: Secretary of State Griswold Statement on Postal Service Funding
“The President stated that he’s withholding US Postal Service funding to prevent vote by mail. This is voter suppression…”
EDITORIAL: Looking into the Town Government’s Crystal Ball, Part Eleven
We could blame Pagosa’s economic shutdown on the Polis administration’s health orders. But we could also note that the Archuleta County population is much older, on average, than most of Colorado…
HMPRESENTLY: Have a Wonderful Communications Day!
I did not know this. There is a National Kumquat Day in America, along with the many other national days we hear about, and sometimes READ MORE
EDITORIAL: Looking into the Town Government’s Crystal Ball, Part Ten
The design of these relatively small homes could be categorized as “21st Century No-Frills Affordable.” Except that few working class jobs in Pagosa Springs — especially, jobs in the tourism industry — would qualify an individual for a $232,000 mortgage…
OPINION: Vaccine ‘Nationalism’ Could Backfire on America
Vaccine development has long been a globalized process. Between research, procurement of materials and manufacturing, vaccine production all but requires regional cooperation…
EDITORIAL: Looking into the Town Government’s Crystal Ball, Part Nine
During the July 31 “Strategic Planning” retreat, several Town Council members suggested that the LUDC needed to be “simplified”. We also heard about the necessity of aligning the LUDC with the goals in the Comp Plan…
EDITORIAL: Looking into the Town Government’s Crystal Ball, Part Eight
“Regulations, in and of themselves, can be confusing — especially within a society where the exploitation of loopholes is encouraged, whether it be on your personal tax returns or otherwise…”