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…
Category: News/Politics
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 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….”
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: 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…
Colorado Woman Wins $50,000 Settlement After Appearing Topless in Public
After receiving the summons, she filed a formal complaint with the City… and hired an lawyer: civil rights attorney David Lane…
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…”
EDITORIAL: Open Season for Budgets
Numerous other local taxpayer-funded entities are currently going through their budget processes. Or so it would appear…
EDITORIAL: Pagosa Springs, Refreshingly Blighted… Part Two
“Look at us,” the magazines seemed to be shouting, “we provide the same high-quality visitor experience as Telluride, Aspen and Vail!…”
EDITORIAL: Pagosa Springs, Refreshingly Blighted… Part One
After spending over $1 million trying to figure out the best way to increase tourism in Archuleta County, the Town Tourism Committee had still not come up with a truly exciting “branding” idea…
EDITORIAL: Icebergs of Ignorance, Part Four
Four of the seven Town Council members on Tuesday evening took Mr. Dickhoff’s assessment of the vacant property adjacent to the Springs Resort as a valid “Conditions Survey”…
EDITORIAL: Icebergs of Ignorance, Part Three
I counted about 100 people in the audience at last night’s Pagosa Springs Town Council meeting at the Ross Aragon Community Center…
Proposition CC Defeated; Colorado Still Loves TABOR Protections
“This is a mandate to the state legislature that they damn well better start prioritizing roads and education without raising our taxes…”
EDITORIAL: Icebergs of Ignorance, Part Two
Does the Town Council know about the corruption that often accompanies URA projects, as time goes by?