Four years ago, Money magazine ranked Colorado Springs one of the 10 best places to live in America, and Number One among large cities. Now the joke is that the last person to leave will have to turn out the lights.
Oops, never mind – the lights already have been turned out.
Facing a huge drop in sales tax revenue because of the Great Recession, the government of the city of about 370,000 asked the voters to approve a tripling of the property tax rate this fall. The voters said no.
Consequently, the city is cutting back or cutting out many basic services – including shutting off more than a third of the streetlights.
“The police helicopters are for sale on the Internet,” said a story in the Denver Post. “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.
“Neighbors are encouraged to bring their own lawn mowers to local green spaces, because parks workers will mow them only once every two weeks. If that.
“Water cutbacks mean most parks will be dead, brown turf by July; the flower and fertilizer budget is zero.
“City recreation centers, indoor and outdoor pools, and a handful of museums will close for good March 31 unless they find private funding to stay open. Buses no longer run on evenings and weekends. The city won’t pay for any street paving, relying instead on a regional authority that can meet only about 10 percent of the need.”
Many residents of Colorado Springs, a city noted for its hard-line conservative, anti-tax attitude, claim the cuts aren’t really necessary. (Conservatives are always convinced, despite all evidence to the contrary, that the government – city, state or local – has vast reserves of money stored in secret subterranean vaults somewhere.)
But others are alarmed.
“How are people supposed to live? We’re not a ‘Mayberry R.F.D.’ anymore,” said Addy Hansen, a criminal justice student. “We’re the second-largest city, and growing, in Colorado. We’re in trouble. We’re in big trouble.”
Those who think the solution to every problem is to shrink government and cut taxes should take a look at Colorado Springs and remember that the absence of government isn’t paradise – it’s Afghanistan.
This article appears in Feb 4-10, 2010.
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Yeh and I bet you voted for 66 and 67 didn’t you Miller.
No country has ever taxed it’s self into prosperity. Colorado Springs is a boom town. The bubble can only expand so big then BOOM!
Read the whole Denver Post story. Miller doesn’t mention taxpayer dissatisfaction with public employee wages and benefits. That’s what’s driving much of this, not undefined hatred of government.
Slag: I did. Along with a large majority of Oregonians.
Bubby: Yes, there is a sense among many that employee pay and benefits are too high. But the city can’t simply tear up its contracts with city employees — just as the State of Oregon can’t simply tear up its contracts with its employees. That’s something a lot of people don’t seem to understand, or maybe don’t want to understand.
When famine strikes…. the producers are first to get the ax. If its the school budget the janitor and bus drivers who make miniscule wages go…. but the fat at the top lives on. If its the city budget the firemen and police go first. So who decides who gets cut? Certainly not the guy who pays the bill (we moron tax payers). Lets find a way to lop off the pork bellies instead.
My tears were large reading Bruce’s account of poor Colorado Springs. The voters said NO to more taxes and told the city to live within its means – what a novel concept. The poor police department who is selling their two federal surplus helicopters has an annual budget of 85 Million. Why would a Colorado city need helicopters anyway. It doesn’t hurt government to have smaller budgets at times. The State of Oregon made things worse by spending every cent they could a few years ago, dramatically expanding the budget. Bruce you must love Oregon where we seem to have tax after tax after tax.
A harbinger (of things to come) for Bend?
Didn’t I see this over at Ten Bears’ place?
Let me see if I understand this about the contract.
Blood/turnip – principle
I had to downsize and tighten the belt. Most of my friends are working a part time job for $9 an hour. Oregon raises the car registration fees. Car insurance premiums keep going up. Along with everything else except wages and jobs. Hard to find 40 hr/wk jobs.
Can you imagine if I was selling a product for $54 and jumped to $86 in these times. Can you name one private business in town that has gone up with same percentage rate as the registration fee.
It gets worse all the people who are in construction see ads placed on craigslist that want us guys that are skilled to get paid just over minimum wage.
I’m sick of seeing 31,700 employees with Goldman Sachs receive $725,000.00 bonus or the CEO get a $100 million bonus.
Hey I’ll come to your office and we can talk about all the people who are behind on their mortgage payments. I know of 25 myself maybe we should come see you and tell them about the mortgage contract they have with the lender.
“Didn’t I see this over at Ten Bears’ place?”
Could well be — it’s been reported pretty widely. I think Blue Oregon had it first.
don’t you get it Bruce, it’s all about government not knowing how to spend wisely, all they know how to do is spend without control. and the only way they can keep going is to suck the people dry until there is none left. bummer that they might have to work within a budget for a change!!!!
O bruce here is a list of jobs for the city, looks like they are expanding,wow cutting back to grow???? looks kinda funny to me.link below
http://www.salary.com/careers/layouthtmls/jm_CO-Government-jobs-in-Colorado-Springs.html
“No country has ever taxed it’s self [sic] into prosperity.”
No country has ever starved itself into prosperity either. The period of greatest prosperity this country ever enjoyed came about as the result (among other things) of the “socialist” policies of the New Deal. BTW the income tax was far more progressive during the 1950s, which most American conservatives today look back on as “the good old days.”
Bruce I tried posting this hours ago… Hey I’m just telling you how it is out there. If you would like, I’ll bring my friends in and say hello and you can hear real stories from real people in C. Oregon
Let me see if I understand this about the contract.
Blood/turnip – principle
I had to downsize and tighten the belt. Most of my friends are working a part time job for $9 an hour. Oregon raises the car registration fees. Car insurance premiums keep going up. Along with everything else except wages and jobs. Hard to find 40 hr/wk jobs.
Can you imagine if I was selling a product for $54 and jumped to $86 in these times. Can you name one private business in town that has gone up with same percentage rate as the registration fee.
It gets worse all the people who are in construction see ads placed on craigslist that want us guys that are skilled to get paid just over minimum wage.
I’m sick of seeing 31,700 employees with Goldman Sachs receive $725,000.00 bonus or the CEO get a $100 million bonus.
Hey I’ll come to your office and we can talk about all the people who are behind on their mortgage payments. I know of 25 myself maybe we should come see you and tell them about the mortgage contract they have with the lender.
Miller. Jobs buddy. If people don’t have income, can’t afford their mortgage payment, car payment, etc, are you seriously going to tell them straight-face, “but you’ll have to possibly go an entire summer without lush green parks?” You are just as out of touch with people as most of our politicians, Repubs & Dems. Furthermore, there are just as many books by some of the best economists that say despite FDR’s incredible charm and political skill, his economic skill was severely handicapped. The underconsumption theory put forth by many socialists holds very little credibility when all the economic numbers are included in a historical analysis.
In 1939, Henry Morganthau, Jr., the Secretary of The Treasury, one of FDR’s closest friends had this to say to the House Ways and Means Committee:
“We have tried spending money. We are spending more than we have ever spent before and it does not work. And I have just one interest, and if i am wrong…somebody else can have my job. I want to see this country prosperous. I want to see people get a job. I want to see people get enough to eat. We have never made good on our promises… I say after eight years of this Administration we have just as much unemployment as when we started…And an enormous debt to boot.”
Three of FDR’s legislation that actually inhibited the recovery were the Smoot-Hawley Tariffs, NIRA (later shortened to NRA), and the Agricultural Adjustment Act. WWII got us out of the Great Depression. War will not get us out of this recession as we no longer have a much of a manufacturing base. Those that believe in socialism or big govt, please do not turn your back on history. Capitalism, limited government, and the american “can-do” spirit is what made us the most prosperous nation in the world.
Did any city management positions get laid off? Any salary cuts? Did they scoop off any fat at the top of the city gravy bowl? Did it ever occur to the city leaders/managers to “give back to the community” by maybe rolling up their sleeves such as volunteering to empty park trash cans once a week? Looks like all cuts are selected for their shock value. Higher crime, compromised safety, pervasive litter, brown lawns and bored youngsters getting into trouble. Did they cut anything like travel/expense budgets for city management, their participation in the sister city program, funding of the arts (gasp!), go to a 4 day work week, turn down thermostats in govt buildings, combine functions and departments, do more with less by using a little imagination.
Instead of cutting the basics, they should get back to the basics. Did they really think that their constituents would fall for this triple your taxes or live in a ghetto stuff? Who’s serving who in Colorado Springs?
No country has ever taxed it’s self into prosperity. This is true although Deschutes maybe the first county to ever succeed in this endeavor.
Bruce,
Your article brings up some good points but your bias against conservative diminishes your arguments. While many conservatives may believe that the government at all levels has a secret underground lair stacked with money, many liberals believe home owners have unlimited funds and should never complain when their taxes increase. I paid just under $2900 on property taxes last year. If the city came to me and asked me to pay an additional $5800, I would tell them “hell no”. Unlike the government, I have to cut that money out of my budget. Bruce, I don’t have it. It’s very expensive to live here and when inflation begins to kick in this year it’s only going to get worse. I have to make hard decisions with my money while the government doesn’t have to. That’s where the frustration comes in and clearly you don’t understand this.
Also your last point is a real red herring. No one is insisting we do away with government. But we would like to have a government that is responsible with our tax dollars and a government that doesn’t find new and inventive ways to tax us every day.
So, now you are going to cut street lights and crime will go up. Nice going CS. To the government officials who are setting these standards, how about you take your cuts in how you decorate your offices. Thousands of dollars are spent decorating your offices with leather, oak, etc. When we were in Germany, their government officials had simple and inexpensive furniture. They didn’t feel like the govenment owed them a fancy office. So why don’t you downsize instead of making it dangerous for the people who vote for you to walk the streets. Are your streetlights going to be turned off also. CS citizens, you may want to check their streets.
Interesting, 370,000 population in Colorado Springs and 617,714 in the US Census Bureau Colorado Springs Metropolitan Statistical Area and their economy isn't any better than ours, is there a lesson in this for us? I postulate that bigger isn't necessarily better or more prosperous.
I did some quick research on Colorado Springs and there are a lot of similarities to Bend, or what Bend aspires to be. The economy is more diversified than Bend but relies heavily on tourism and growth. It is also sprawling, at 186.1 square miles it is Colorado’s largest city in area. Sound like another city that wants to cover as much ground as possible? That just might be why the budget busting infrastructure maintenance isn't sustainable and why the public safety segment of City government seems excessively large.
Take a look at these web sites and call your City Councilors and tell them that yet more growth isn't the answer to our economic troubles.
http://www.citytowninfo.com/places/colorado/colorado-springs
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_Springs,_Colorado
“Three of FDR’s legislation that actually inhibited the recovery were the Smoot-Hawley Tariffs, NIRA (later shortened to NRA), and the Agricultural Adjustment Act.”
You need to re-read your history books — or maybe get some different ones that weren’t written by right-wing revisionists. Smoot-Hawley was passed by a Republican Congress and signed into law by Herbert Hoover in 1930. Progressive economists and FDR opposed it.
As for the Mogenthau quote, it has been widely circulated among right-wingers but its provenance is very dubious. If Mogenthau believed in 1939 that FDR’s administration was such a disaster, why did he stay on until 1945? Also, by 1939 FDR had been in office six years, not eight, having been inaugurated in March 1933. One would think Morgenthau would have known this.
As one liberal blogger put it: “Beyond this moment, there is little evidence of Morgenthau's sustained opposition to the New Deal, or that his proclamation was a blanket judgment of New Deal policies. But the bigger problem is that this is one quote, one full of ambiguities (what else was said at the same Congressional committee hearing?).” In short, I strongly suspect the quote is bogus and unless you can find the original source I will continue to suspect it.
yes Miller is anti conservative we all know this aren’t you a old hippie dude bet you was against the establishment in the 60’s . Now you are the establishment and us concerned conservatives are against your movement. Please don’t destroy our country.
love it censorship Mr. Miller remember crosby stills and nash at woodstock I do and those guys were great blackbird is one of my favorites
Let me ask you this simple question who is your hero george washington or stalin who’s principles do you stand for Mr. miller?
“aren’t you a old hippie dude”
Actually in the ’60s I was a Goldwater Republican — even worked in the Goldwater campaign. Then I grew up.
“remember crosby stills and nash at woodstock”
I wasn’t there, unfortunately.
When I lived in Colorado Springs, we looked forward every month to military pay day. That’s when all those tax $$$$$$$ came rolling in and supported our economy. without the active and retired military tax $$$$$$$ flowing in every month I’m concerned for C-Springs future. DON’T BITE THE HAND THAT FEEDS YOU!
Who is your hero george washington or stalin? Wow you did not answer the Question Bro? Come on Bruce Answer the question Cause we would all like to know your position, As a former goldwater aid this should really be simple.
“Who is your hero george washington or stalin? Wow you did not answer the Question Bro?”
The question is too stupid to deserve an answer.
Okay–I’m convinced!
Come on, Bruce, are you a supporter of the ideas of Jesus Christ or Charles Manson? Huh? Huh? Huh? Answer that why dontcha? Just wait until we run Sarah Palin and elect her president in 2012. Then we’ll get some common sense in the White House. You just wait, by golly. We’ll show ya!
Yeah, all you godless liberal pantywaists are the same. I knew it! I just knew it!!
‘mister’ has to be posting as ‘eugene’ now, because there can’t be two people in this state with such poor grammar, poor syntax, poor spelling and muddled thinking.
Maybe all the gun-toting 2nd Amendment humpers can move there to act as citizen police. I’m sure one of the CS Starbucks is still open!
I sure hope sarah palin isn’t president Ron paul is a way better choice. I can hardly stand to listen to palin talk.And the second Amendment is the Second Amendment which is a right many people have died for.George Washington is my hero he stood for freedom of ownership of land by the individual. He fought against the controllers of great britain and was the leader to set our colonies free at least until Andrew Jackson raised hell with the bankers.This fiat currency is going to fail if you really understand economics we are all entering uncharted waters, is my thinking” Muddled”Well see but all i can say is prepare for the worst and hope for the best.By the way I am not mister.
I stand corrected–there are two.
Glad you stand corrected but it is way more than two.Times that by a hundred million or so.
I am from Colorado springs and moved to Bend in September of ’07. As a college student I am struggling like the majority of Oregonians. If I had the chance to move back to Colorado Springs, I would not take it. The city is over-run with corporations and military instillation’s that constantly fuel the a vicious trend of American consumerism. Yes, I do believe that the city where i was born and raised need to get their shit together, and quick. With seven military establishments, endless corporations, foul economy, and wasted resources, Colorado Springs is long over due for a wake up call. Good article Miller. Keep ’em coming.