Category: Opinion/Letters

Gosh, I just looked back over this editorial, and it makes it sound like I’m disappointed in our three County Commissioners…

The slide show for that February 2009 public meeting began with photo of a modified “Wanted” poster, tacked to a fence post…

Urban America was doing pretty well in 1992, if you didn’t look too closely at the rate of violent crime and the growing homelessness. But how about a quiet, small town with a lot of churches, instead?

Many people might rank Aspen Colorado, in 2019, as an economic, recreational, and cultural paradise. Some of us might have a different take…

Local activist — and former Town Council member — Mark Weiler has spent the past year developing an alternative plan that would allow the Archuleta County government to build a new jail without putting the taxpayers deeply in debt…

There’s an obvious alternative that isn’t rushed, does not create a poorly-funded debt burden, and allows the County government to build something modest and then expand the jail as needed…

Let’s run through that again. In January 2016, the cost for the Jail was $7.9 million.  In November 2016, it was $5.7 million.  In January 2017, it was $7.6 million.  In December 2018, it was $13 million…

“One. We have a fixed budget. We understand that we have a fixed budget. Every month that goes by, we’re probably losing $50,000 to cost escalation…”

“And right now, the direction I’ve been given, is we are now working on a jail — 54-beds, located in Harman Park, and estimated at $13 million….”

“Priorities are one thing. Refusing to think how you’ll pay for those priorities, that is quite another. No one really cares any more….”