“There are crooks out there. I believe with this Council and this community the scrutiny will be very high, and need for transparency will be huge. As I said earlier, this is just the beginning of long process and partnership…”
Category: Opinion/Letters
OPINION: The Power to Withhold COVID-19 Information
Does anyone really trust that the administration will present information and findings to the public in a way that is unadulterated, unvarnished, thorough and complete?
EDITORIAL: The Corrupt Streets of Pagosa Springs, Part Five
On June 18, the Town Council holds a public hearing on The River Rock Estates subdivision plan. Planning Director James Dickhoff explains to the Town Council that the subdivision actually has no streets at all….
A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW: The Supreme Court and Indian Country
They held that since Congress made a Treaty setting the boundaries of “Indian Country” the US government is bound by it…
LETTER: The Disease in the White House
This administration is now requiring all reports of cases, hospitalizations and deaths be reported to the Trump administration — not the CDC…
EDITORIAL: The Corrupt Streets of Pagosa Springs, Part Four
“I think… um… Well, I think… um… there are certainly some instances, and there’s going to be a number of instances… I think we have… I’ll have to research that a little more… “
OPINION: Addressing Racism is a Mental Health Imperative
For far too long, we have ignored the mental health effects of violence and systemic racism on members of our society…
HMPRESENTLY: Yeah, That Summer of 2012
While some Volker Rule restrictions on financial firms have been described as ‘onerous,’ the Volker Rule was “meant to curb excessive risk-taking at the nation’s largest banks…”
OPINION: My Dream of True Pagosa Leadership During a Pandemic, Part Three
Human life cannot be taken for granted. We truly can’t expect that others will be there for us when we need them the most. We cannot expect that a hospital will even have beds available…
EDITORIAL: The Corrupt Streets of Pagosa Springs, Part Three
If we can assume a shared motivation behind the overwhelmingly positive vote, we might surmise that the residents of Pagosa Springs were basically unhappy with the Town Council…
LETTER: Lack of Planning
As a recent visitor to your beautiful area, I was struck by the lack of planning in the local area. I had come to find long term rentals and failed to do so…
EDITORIAL: The Corrupt Streets of Pagosa Springs, Part Two
The Council discarded a recommendation submitted by a majority of the Town Planning Commission which would have allowed the River Rock Estates subdivision to be built without a single public street…
OPINION: My Dream of True Pagosa Leadership During a Pandemic, Part Two
The US had the luxury of time, to be prepared and ready to act appropriately and rationally. It appears the exact opposite has occurred…
EDITORIAL: Mapping COVID, July 14, 2020
The infection rate in the US, meanwhile, was also climbing, but not nearly so fast. It increased by only about 50 percent this past week, compared to 14 days ago…
OPINION: My Dream of True Pagosa Leadership During a Pandemic, Part One
In my dream, I would have expected to see Pagosa’s Town Council join in afterwards to inform the general public about the dire need to issue a mandate to wear masks in public places…
EDITORIAL: The Corrupt Streets of Pagosa Springs, Part One
As my friend Greg Giehl and I walked through the Bienvenido Circle neighborhood just north of downtown Pagosa Springs, I noted with appreciation the freshly-applied crack sealing on the asphalt…
HMPRESENTLY: Many Xs! Many Unknowns!
Even when state or county governments announce their decisions and guidelines, at an HOA’s micro, local level, people on HOA boards still have to wrestle with – and work out – what they’re going to do…
OPINION: Still Time to Rouse Ourselves
Thanks to very substantial advances in knowledge over the centuries, plus the efforts of creative thinkers and determined reform movements, human beings have shown a remarkable ability to confront challenges…
EDITORIAL: Yes, Virginia, You Don’t Have to Wear a Mask
“I visited with Dr. Rhonda Webb today, who is the CEO of Pagosa Springs Medical Center, and she indicated to me that they’ve really increased their amount of testing…”