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News & ArtsTuesday, July 3, 2012
Economy Colorado Springs and the Government
Posted by Charles Mudede on Tue, Jul 3, 2012 at 8:32 AM
The title of the Bloomberg piece: Wildfire Tests Police Force In Colorado Anti-Tax Movement’s Home. Its opening:
As Colorado Springs battles a rash of burglaries after a wildfire that still licks at its boundaries, it does so with fewer police and firefighters.The city where the Waldo Canyon fire destroyed 346 homes and forced more than 34,000 residents to evacuate turned off one-third of its streetlights two years ago, halted park maintenance and cut services to close a $28 million budget gap after sales-tax revenue plummeted and voters rejected a property-tax increase.
The municipality, at 416,000 the state’s second-largest, auctioned both its police helicopters and shrank public-safety ranks through attrition by about 8 percent; it has 50 fewer police and 39 fewer firefighters than five years ago. More than 180 National Guard troops have been mobilized to secure the city after the state’s most destructive fire. At least 32 evacuated homes were burglarized and dozens of evacuees’ cars were broken into, said Police Chief Pete Carey.
“It has impacted the response,” said Karin White, a 54- year-old accountant, who returned home June 28 to a looted and vandalized house, with a treasured, century-old family heirloom smashed.
A little history, because history tells you shit and stuff:
Colorado Springs, which depends on sales tax for about half of its revenue, was hit harder than most. The city — the birthplace 20 years ago of the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, which later passed statewide and has been pushed around the country to restrict government spending — became a high-profile example of cost-cutting. The law restricts government spending to the previous year’s revenue, adjusted only for population growth and inflation.
After a little history, the present reality...
Dunn [an associate professor of political science at University of Colorado] notes that the city, where there is strong anti- federal government sentiment, is now turning to the U.S. for assistance. Before visiting Colorado on June 29, President Barack Obama declared the state a disaster area, which frees aid for communities affected by the wildfires.We in Seattle are enjoying a cool summer day. No stress at all. Lots of sun for the leaves. No clouds for now. Everything looks great out my window. I'm even enjoying the wind chimes. Why should we in perfectly perfect Seattle pay federal taxes and shit like that? Because a fucking disaster could strike us in the future. And in this future, Colorado Springs could very well be doing great, having a nice day, and enjoying the sounds of wind chimes. Get this, tea people: We need a functioning government more than we need rich people on welfare. We cannot cut costs because we do not want to tax corporations or the wealthy. The function of the state is always to distribute the good luck and the bad luck—the good luck of a sunny day or a big payday; the bad luck of a natural disaster or a job injury.
1
We cannot keep on helping cities who will not help themselves. If we bail them out from this wildfire, they will never learn to do it for themselves. They should just pull themselves up by their bootstraps like they think they want to!
Give a city a fish, and they will eat for a day (minus the part that goes to a corporation as profit for privatizing city services). Teach a city to fish for themselves, and they will tell their people they are out of luck and should get their own fish, irregardless of how many the city has caught.
Give a city a fish, and they will eat for a day (minus the part that goes to a corporation as profit for privatizing city services). Teach a city to fish for themselves, and they will tell their people they are out of luck and should get their own fish, irregardless of how many the city has caught.
2
Obama isn't going to ignore Colorado. It is apparently a swing state this year so he is going to do everything he can to show that the federal government will save their asses. I can only hope that he rubs this in the Tea Party's face.
3
I'd like to see the federal government send a big, fat, bill to all the folks affected by this fire who can't be arsed to pay taxes to cover this kind of thing. Maybe wait until after the election.
4
No, no, no... you don't understand.
Conservatives and tea people DO want government involvement in their lives, but ONLY for themselves. They don't want ANYBODY'S taxes to help anyone but themselves.
If their neighbor's house burns down, fuck 'em. But if their own house is on fire, then get the goddamned government aid here immediately!
The whole human race is selfish, but conservatives/teapeople are the absolute pinnacle of selfishness.
That's their mantra: "I got mine, the rest of you can go fuck yourselves"
Conservatives and tea people DO want government involvement in their lives, but ONLY for themselves. They don't want ANYBODY'S taxes to help anyone but themselves.
If their neighbor's house burns down, fuck 'em. But if their own house is on fire, then get the goddamned government aid here immediately!
The whole human race is selfish, but conservatives/teapeople are the absolute pinnacle of selfishness.
That's their mantra: "I got mine, the rest of you can go fuck yourselves"
8
Good Morning Charles,
Indeed, it is turning out to be a nice day. Although earlier one would not have thought so.
Regarding Colorado Springs and government, you seem a bit strident in your tone? Granted, it's directed at the Tea Party and their minions in Colorado Springs. I'm no fan of them. Still, you seem irritated.
Nary a doubt that "shit happens" anywhere at anytime. You are correct that it could be the opposite. Seattle could just as easily be in a bad lot. We, both us and the government should be prepared for any natural or man-made disaster. I have no problem paying taxes and retaining the rate or % for emergency services and subsequent relief. It's necessary for a functioning government. However, I do believe we need better management of those taxes. It's a tough call. It appears that what Colorado Springs did before this disaster regarding taxes and spending cuts was draconian and unnecessary. Alas, they are paying for it dearly.
Indeed, it is turning out to be a nice day. Although earlier one would not have thought so.
Regarding Colorado Springs and government, you seem a bit strident in your tone? Granted, it's directed at the Tea Party and their minions in Colorado Springs. I'm no fan of them. Still, you seem irritated.
Nary a doubt that "shit happens" anywhere at anytime. You are correct that it could be the opposite. Seattle could just as easily be in a bad lot. We, both us and the government should be prepared for any natural or man-made disaster. I have no problem paying taxes and retaining the rate or % for emergency services and subsequent relief. It's necessary for a functioning government. However, I do believe we need better management of those taxes. It's a tough call. It appears that what Colorado Springs did before this disaster regarding taxes and spending cuts was draconian and unnecessary. Alas, they are paying for it dearly.
9
@4, Although your musings could easily be dismissed (by many) as melodramatic, exaggeration or hyperbole, in my flabergasted experience- you describe exactly their shameless mentality.
And I'm positively certain that after they've shoved their twisted probosci into the marrow of federal assistance, sucking it dry, they'll complain to high heaven of the inneficiency of the government, and how the private sector could have performed much better, if only taxpayers (other than themselves) were forced to fund it.
And I'm positively certain that after they've shoved their twisted probosci into the marrow of federal assistance, sucking it dry, they'll complain to high heaven of the inneficiency of the government, and how the private sector could have performed much better, if only taxpayers (other than themselves) were forced to fund it.
10
odds are not great that seattle will have a disaster on par with regularly-occurring hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, and forest fires. we'll probably never see the scales balance with the hardy folks in red states.
obviously, an earthquake is the best bet - but it'd have to be a doozy with our building codes.
obviously, an earthquake is the best bet - but it'd have to be a doozy with our building codes.
12
I live in the Springs, and the people here are infuriating. Every single person in this town is either directly on the gov't payroll or one step removed. This town would not exist without the massive government spending. We have 5 military installations here, and all the contractors and support services that goes with that. This is also a popular place for retired military.
And yet time and again I hear people railing against the government. Don't tread on me stickers everywhere etc etc. The best example is the older couple that comes into the bar who hates that socialist in the White House and thinks people should do for themselves without the help of the government. She is a career Air Force officer, and he is a school counselor on a military base. Are you fucking kidding me? Your entire lives you have lived on the gov't payroll.
I don't remember if it was a comment or a post here that shed some light on how people can be so anti government when the depend on them for everything. It's the resentment of the fact that they are not the bootstrappy people they think they are. The resent that they can't do for themselves. Then there is some kind of logical break from reality, and they start trying to bite the hand that has fed them their whole lives.
Plus tons of racists and gun nuts.
I swear, one of these days I'm going to snap.
And yet time and again I hear people railing against the government. Don't tread on me stickers everywhere etc etc. The best example is the older couple that comes into the bar who hates that socialist in the White House and thinks people should do for themselves without the help of the government. She is a career Air Force officer, and he is a school counselor on a military base. Are you fucking kidding me? Your entire lives you have lived on the gov't payroll.
I don't remember if it was a comment or a post here that shed some light on how people can be so anti government when the depend on them for everything. It's the resentment of the fact that they are not the bootstrappy people they think they are. The resent that they can't do for themselves. Then there is some kind of logical break from reality, and they start trying to bite the hand that has fed them their whole lives.
Plus tons of racists and gun nuts.
I swear, one of these days I'm going to snap.
14
@10 all it takes is for Rainier to shake itself awake. Within a few weeks to months we could have a lahar land tsunami heading for the Duwamish and Green River basins and south Seattle to dump on top of Harbor Island. Pretty much all of south King County, parts of Tacoma, and everything up north to South Park and parts of the far south and west of SODO and probably both Marginal Ways would be a post apocalyptic wasteland.
It's happened several times already with some regularity.
Charles, did you ever do a post on this? Read what I linked. Epic doomsday stuff in our backyard, to remind us how tenuous our grip on the world is.
It's happened several times already with some regularity.
Charles, did you ever do a post on this? Read what I linked. Epic doomsday stuff in our backyard, to remind us how tenuous our grip on the world is.
15
Nothing is more American than demanding European style government services, but refusing to pay taxes, and not understanding why this does not work.
16
@ 10, you know all those faultlines Seattle sits on, right? You know Puget Sound had an earthquake of at least 9.0 in 1700, don't you?
Seattle is more than its newest and retrofitted buildings. Don't tempt fate.
@ 12, I occasionally see a truck with two stickers - one for the Army, the other anti-government. It makes you wonder what goes on inside their heads. I'm sooo glad not to live in a city full of those people.
Seattle is more than its newest and retrofitted buildings. Don't tempt fate.
@ 12, I occasionally see a truck with two stickers - one for the Army, the other anti-government. It makes you wonder what goes on inside their heads. I'm sooo glad not to live in a city full of those people.
17
For the umpteenth time, "states rights" people are either:
a.) racists
b.) hopelessly naive morons who do not comprehend the exigencies of the modern world (c.f. the people of Col Springs, CO), or
c.) lobbyists who need as many hard targets for larding the State apparatus with corporate donations as possible.
Charles, I think that was the motto of the history department at my alma mater: "It tells you shit and stuff." Ha! How's that for poignant and striking, George Santayana?!
a.) racists
b.) hopelessly naive morons who do not comprehend the exigencies of the modern world (c.f. the people of Col Springs, CO), or
c.) lobbyists who need as many hard targets for larding the State apparatus with corporate donations as possible.
Charles, I think that was the motto of the history department at my alma mater: "It tells you shit and stuff." Ha! How's that for poignant and striking, George Santayana?!
18
10, Yeah, I dunno Max. We don't have the disasters you listed in your post, but earthquakes, volcanos, flash flooding, toxic spills in the harbor, wind storms leading to power outages, and *drought* -- those all count, and they happen regularly. Maybe they don't happen as frequently as you'd like, but they are pretty regular.
Also, "tea people"... heh heh!
Also, "tea people"... heh heh!
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