City removes trash cans, streetlights to save cash (Bring your own trash bags!)

CNN ^ | Feb 25th, 2010

[TaraP]

Colorado Springs, Colorado (CNN) -- If you come to a neighborhood park in Colorado Springs, plan on bringing your own trash bags.

To save money, the city has removed the trash cans.

Need to catch a bus? Don't try on evenings or weekends. The city has cut that service, too.

And when the sun goes down, Colorado Springs is going to look a little bit dimmer. City crews are removing every third streetlight to save money on electricity and light bulbs.

Other governments are considering higher taxes to avoid such cutbacks, but in the state of Colorado, there is a taxpayers' bill of rights. It prevents state and city governments from raising taxes unless such a measure is approved by the voters.

[keepitreal]

“If a playground burns down, I can’t replace it,” Schroeder said. Park fans’ only hope is the possibility of a new ballot tax pledged to recreation spending that might win over skeptical voters.

- Community center and pool closures have parents worried about day-care costs, idle teenagers and shut-in grandparents with nowhere to go.

If a playground burns down? What? Has one ever burned down in the history of the Springs?

Daycare costs aren't the taxpayer's responsibility. And I grew up in Colo. Springs back when there were no community centers. We weren't idle because we had chores and played with friends in the neighborhood. Why does the government owe us all fun?

[keepitreal]

I heard on the radio the other day that a person can sponsor a street light for a few dollars. Beats having taxes raised by hundreds of dollars.

[calex59]

Of course they wouldn't think of cutting some administrators pay, or firing a bunch of useless government workers. This is typical of liberal government actions. Make things as rough on the ordinary citizen as you can and hope they will scream to have their taxes raised.

They should let the citizens of this city go through the budget items and ax the ones they think are unnecessary, not what the government wants to cut.

[upchuck]

As long as you’re shilling, Aiken County, SC has world class golf courses. A lot of them. Folks retire here just for the golf.

Once a year, just across the Savannah River in Augusta, GA they have a small golf event called The Masters.

Lotsa golf around here. Horses, too.

[upchuck]

To save money, the city has removed the trash cans.

Which will encourage littering. Duh!

I wonder if they considered trying to get volunteers to go empty the trash cans once a week or so?

[rrrod]

send trash back to mexico!

[rrrod]

lol...go for it pal!

[LomanBill]

[They should let the citizens of this city go through the budget items and ax the ones they think are unnecessary, not what the government wants to cut.]

They is We, and such a mandate could be enacted via an initiative but... Any suggestions as to how this kind of Citizen participation would be physically implemented?

[RockyMtnMan]

I agree, if I want light I'll wear my headlamp I use when hiking or adopt a light. As for safety, I'm a CCW holder.

[LomanBill]

>>Good for Colorado....

 

Colorado Springs. 

 

The rest of the state is generally still scurrying along, unimpeded, toward Californization - with uncontrolled McGrowth and the increased dependencies upon government that come with it.

 

 

Colorado Spring's limited access to water is thus a blessing in disguise - it  creates a temporary opportunity for citizens to stop and think:  "can our city really afford, to grow?" 

 

Unfortunately, the ability of We The Citizens to utilize that opportunity is hamstrung by the corrupt political environment here in "Little Chicago".... Where all that's required to grow government-controlled infrastructure is a rubber stamp from the City Council ala increased "fees" levied via government owned enterprises.

 

Securing funds for capital improvements via these "Fees" is a blatant circumvention of the spirit behind TABOR - our Tax Payer Bill of Rights; but this fact is evidently irrelevant to our City Council, and irrelevant to the Apparatchik Elite pulling their strings.

 

[LomanBill]

 

 

Apparatchik

аппаратчик

Russian term
Translit	apparatchik
English	functionary

Apparatchik (Russian: аппара́тчик, Russian pronunciation: [ɐpɐˈratɕɪk] plural apparatchiki) is a Russian colloquial term for a full-time, professional functionary of the Communist Party or government; i.e., an agent of the governmental or party "apparat" (apparatus) that held any position of bureaucratic or political responsibility, with the exception of the higher ranks of management. James Billington describes one as "a man not of grand plans, but of a hundred carefully executed details."[1] It often is considered a derogatory term.[2]...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apparatchik

[dragnet2]

Growth is OK until it outstrips your resources, and gridlocks everything....

Greedy contractors, and corrupt politicians could care less about gridlock and strained resources...They only care about more taxes, fees and profits...Then when the water runs out, and the roads are bumper to bumper they want charge people even more to use these resources...

Watch these AHs give permits for new 2,000 unit apartment/condo buildings, with little concern for existing roads or water supplies, electrical grid etc.......These people should be prosecuted and jailed...

[dragnet2]

The rest of the state is generally still scurrying along, unimpeded, toward Californization - with uncontrolled McGrowth and the increased dependencies upon government that come with it.

lol, California has basically put the brakes on that BS....The greedy developers would pave over Arlington National Cemetery and the greedy political tax parasites would rubber stamp it if they could.

Those days of total uncontrolled gawdy, development, where the resources will not support it, are all but over here.

[calex59]

It would be difficult but it could be done, especially at the local level. However, the main recourse we have now is to vote the a**hat out of office.

[LomanBill]

>>Those days of total uncontrolled gawdy, development, where the resources will not support it, are all but over here.

 

Unfortunately this is what they still have to salivate over here... if they had the water to do so...

 

McSprawl

 

From the East edge of Colorado Springs, it's pretty much open farm/ranch land all the way to Kansas.  Sad thing is much of that land's probably not even owned by Americans anymore - having been passed around like a Tijuana hooker among characters including Saudi Arabian royals and Ex-Russian tax-evaders.

 

>>The greedy developers would pave over Arlington National Cemetery

Yep, and if they could weasel the water availability here I have no doubt they'd staple and glue their McVillages all the way to the Kansas border.

 

 

 

 

[dragnet2]

Developers are so damn greedy...Ya look at these new homes they build, and they are literally so close to each other, they’re leaning on each other...It’s really disgusting...

[dragnet2]

And it’s these same damn developers that hire big numbers of illegal aliens...I really dislike these AHs and the politicians they pay off.

[LomanBill]

Yep.  Best government money can buy...

 

 

"Mr. Rivera is employed by UBS PaineWebber as a Financial Advisor and hold the title of Vice President-Investments. He has been employed as a financial advisor for over 15 years."
Lionel Rivera Announces His Candidacy for Mayor of Colorado Springs



"We are all screwed unless the 16 million dollar issue is resolved!" Assistant City Manager Mike Anderson wrote to LandCo Chairman Ray Marshall in a Nov. 25, 2008, e-mail, whose subject line was, "URGENT - NEED TO MEET."
"USOC deal was in trouble early"


Brodie, James W
LandCO Properties/President $2,100 LIONEL RIVERA FOR CONGRESS - REPUBLICAN P 03/21/2006
Cisco, Christopher L
LandCO Properties/Business Developm $2,100 LIONEL RIVERA FOR CONGRESS - REPUBLICAN P 03/21/2006
Dylewski, Gary R
LandCO Properties/Developer $2,100 LIONEL RIVERA FOR CONGRESS - REPUBLICAN P 03/21/2006
Marshall, R. L
LandCO Properties/Chairman $2,100 LIONEL RIVERA FOR CONGRESS - REPUBLICAN P 03/22/2006
Raider, Michael G
LandCO Properties/COO $2,100 LIONEL RIVERA FOR CONGRESS - REPUBLICAN P 03/22/2006

R.I.N.O.

A Republic is a system, of governance characterized by the Rule of Law.

 

When the Law fails, the Republic fails.  Simple.

 

Where's RICO?

[LomanBill]

[ look at these new homes they build, and they are literally so close to each other, they’re leaning on each other...It’s really disgusting...]

 

Look at the so-called "communities" they build.

 

Nothing like the blue collar North Denver neighborhood I grew up in 40+ years ago.

 

The elderly man whose father built, with his own hands, the modest house I grew up in still lived 3 doors away.  He lived there his entire life.  The neighborhood was filled with folks like him - and they all knew each other and my parents...

 

...and about any mischievous antics me or my school chums might be up to.  Ehem.

 

I made my spending money shoveling their walks/driveways in the winter and mowing their lawns in the summer.  Nobody had to be told by the government to take care of each other, we just did it - I guess because we'd all been raised that it was simply the right thing to do.    That, was a "community".

 

But that, unfortunately, does not seem to exist anymore.  And we live with the consequences we allow developers and politicians to shove down our throats... or NOT.