Posted on 02/01/2010 11:27:55 AM PST by worst-case scenario
COLORADO SPRINGS — This tax-averse city is about to learn what it looks and feels like when budget cuts slash services most Americans consider part of the urban fabric.
More than a third of the streetlights in Colorado Springs will go dark Monday. The police helicopters are for sale on the Internet. The city is dumping firefighting jobs, a vice team, burglary investigators, beat cops — dozens of police and fire positions will go unfilled.
The parks department removed trash cans last week, replacing them with signs urging users to pack out their own litter.
Read more: http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_14303473#ixzz0eJXAz9A8
(Excerpt) Read more at denverpost.com ...
And you are not over the age of thirty or perhaps you have forgotten what it used to be like when unions did not run the government.
And how long have you lived in the Springs???
>> To have “privatized” parks would require somebody to buy and maintain all those parks .... to what end?
(1) Profit. If it is valuable enough to pay taxes for, it is valuable enough to pay admission. If people don’t even value it enough to pay a nominal admission — is it really worth the tax money?
(2) Charity. If people value it beyond its profitability, they will donate to its cause voluntarily.
If the people do not value it enough to pay admission, or to donate for its continuation — then it certainly is not worth the tax money.
SnakeDoc
I live in Colorado Springs and haven’t noticed any bad, or heard anyone talk about this issue.
I too, liked Mr. Bartolin’s letter in post #9, especially the points: too many public employees with too great of benefits, and the need for the city to zero base budget
I liked Regan Man’s comment, “Fiscal responsibility and tight budgets is always the goal.” I want all public offices grumbling.
Cities should be challenged to justify their budget; it’s a wonderful opportunity. Too bad Congress cannot be challenged as directly.
The first thing any good city council needs is a military to command.
How exactly does a privatized park, as opposed to a public park, work? Does the government give a contract to the cheapest bidder for park management?
If the government doesn’t pay to build public parks, then would they belong to the construction company, who would rent out use of the managed facility?
Or would the private company own the facility outright, and charge the users? Do you need a paid badge to enter? Or do you pay an admission fee?
That would certainly make sure that rich kids don’t have to play with the hoi-polloi.
But then they aren’t “public” parks.
I’m not arguing that parks will necessarily exist without the government ... I am arguing that if people truly value the parks, they will either charitably sustain them or pay for their use.
If they won’t pay voluntarily (admission or charity) to keep them open ... why force them to pay involuntarily for a service they do not value?
SnakeDoc
Do not call yourself worthy of my time.
A private entity owns it. You either pay to get in — or you donate to a charity that runs the park and allows free admission.
If people value the parks, they will voluntarily pay for their continuation. If the public does not value them ... who cares if they close?
SnakeDoc
Burning playgrounds! The travesty!
>> But then they aren’t “public” parks.
So what? Why is public better than private with regard to parks ... but private better than public with regard to healthcare?
Fundamentally, the public pays one way or another. Taxes, admission or charity.
(1) Taxes are involuntary and charge people who may not use the service so that others (including some non-payers) can use the service.
(2) The other two are completely voluntary. Admission fees charge the user of the service for its use (duh). Charity charges voluntary givers that wish to fund parks for people who cannot or will not pay.
Those seem like better options than forcing people to pay whether they like it or not.
SnakeDoc
The economic downturn will start to improve and some city services will return to higher and more norman levels seen in the past years. This is Colorado after all and COS is a city for rugged individualists. We need less taxes, less spending and less government.
Lets not forget, many homeless people are coming to the Springs because they know survival here is easier then other spots around the region. A sign that our economic foundation is solid and strong.
What about the people, especially children, who do not have the money to pay for park access or to buy books?
Kids of all ages play in the soccer fields and baseball diamonds at our parks - there were so many teams competing for fields that the municipality had to open another park of just playing fields, purchasing one of the last open spaces left when a large farm owner passed away. (The maintenance is financed by the adult teams that play in competitive rounds, but anyone can use the facilities at no charge.)
Our public library is always full of kids - and adults - when I go there once or twice a week. It fills up as soon as the middle school lets out, with children using the computers and research facilities for their homework. Our township is very diverse economically, and a lot of kids do not have computers or internet access ot home. much less the money to buy books.
There is a civic interest in making sure that all children, not merely those who can afford it, can learn and play safely.
Do you still hate Douglas Bruce and his crusade for less taxes, less spending and less government?
I don’t think the ubiquitous neighborhood parks withing walking distance from your front door, which is really an open field with few amenities could survive if it was manned and gated with an entrepreneur collecting a fees for profit. If someone thought that was a working profit model, I’d think it would have already be in common practice. If the citizen want to pay the taxes for them, and have the ability to remove the service by voting to whether the parks exist or not, they can knock themselves out by going for it.
Not even Doug Bruce, et al, has brought up the idea to get rid of the city parks.
The people of Colorado Springs screwed the pooch last fall. And I say that as a conservative Republican.
I totally disagree.
In recent years the city has been collecting a "StormWater" fee for drainage projects. It was called a fee to avoid having to put it before the voters as a new tax.
The arrogance of the city government really pissed off a lot of people and we voted the mill increase down.
How this will affect the city in the long run is anybodies guess. So far the only direct issue I've had is they did not run a grader through my all last fall and now it's full of pot holes.
Oh the Horror!!!
I don’t “hate” him. I think Doug Bruce is an infantile nutjob.
how much did those signs cost?
That, sir or madam, is the signature of an electorate that relied on emotion rather than rational thought. "We're pissed now, and who cares what happens later?"
How do you like those potholes and un-sanded streets?
through my alley...
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