Facing the American flag, the audience recited, “…and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all…”
Category: Opinion/Letters
EDITORIAL: Renewing the Town’s ‘Urban Renewal’ Plans? Part Five
“In order to change the representation on the Board, there will need to be some legislative changes made by the Town Council. The process for that is unclear at this time…”
EDITORIAL: Renewing the Town’s ‘Urban Renewal’ Plans? Part Four
We watched that ‘economic development’ process flounder rather dramatically over the past three years, after the Town Council decided to hand out half a million dollars in tax incentives…
EDITORIAL: Renewing the Town’s ‘Urban Renewal’ Plans? Part Three
The meeting was unique, in the sense that I had never seen — in my 15 years of political reporting on public meetings — all of Pagosa’s tax-funded special districts, all sitting around the same table…
EDITORIAL: Renewing the Town’s ‘Urban Renewal’ Plans? Part Two
When the Pagosa Springs Town Council approved Resolution 2019-18 on November 5, they appointed themselves as 7 members of an 11-member Urban Renewal Authority board, essentially giving the Town Council political control…
EDITORIAL: Renewing the Town’s ‘Urban Renewal’ Plans? Part One
Is this “representative democracy”? Perhaps not…
EDITORIAL: The Education Pendulum, Part Seven
“As public workers, the idea has basically been you’re going to make less pay wise, but you’re going to make a better retirement package…”
EDITORIAL: The Education Pendulum, Part Six
Many of us in Colorado are uncomfortable with corporate welfare in general — tax incentives and direct grants of taxpayer revenues given to big corporations, in the name of ‘economic development’…
EDITORIAL: The Education Pendulum, Part Five
“In highlighting a willingness to walk off the job, Baca-Oehlert said the union is not making a threat, but trying to make it clear how strongly educators feel about this issue….”
EDITORIAL: The Education Pendulum, Part Four
“During the 2016-2017 school year, CU’s Counseling and Psychiatric Services center provided more than 48,000 student mental health services, including group therapy sessions, psychiatry and walk-in sessions…”
EDITORIAL: The Education Pendulum, Part Three
One might think — if one were thinking about such things — that an effective public education system would produce caring citizens who are able to listen to, and look out for, one another…
OPINION: Shake Hands or Twist Arms?
The Town can choose to respect the decision of the boards providing the funding by refusing to drag its partners in this URA into binding arbitration…
EDITORIAL: The Education Pendulum, Part Two
We humans experience a certain sense of satisfaction when our expectations are met, especially if we’ve been waiting for a good while…
EDITORIAL: The Education Pendulum, Part One
We recognize, however, that through the long history of public education in America, young people typically entered the teaching profession for altruistic reasons…
EDITORIAL: History and Excess, Part Four
So at least part of the historical problem seems under control, thanks to a total investment of state and local tax revenues of about $579,000…
EDITORIAL: History and Excess, Part Three
The landscaping around the house consisted of patches of weedy lawn when we bought the place in 1993. It now features numerous maturing trees…
EDITORIAL: History and Excess, Part Two
If the County had been willing to sell their (historic) Courthouse, it might have helped solve their serious budget shortfall, while also facilitating a key development…
EDITORIAL: History and Excess, Part One
The Town Historic Preservation Board continues to monitor the development of our community, with an eye to preserving buildings of historic importance…
EDITORIAL: A Gravel Question
“The people who are moving to Pagosa Springs don’t understand how important gravel is…”