Tired of the bureaucratic double-speak?
Good news, citizens of Fort Collins, the proposed 2008-2009 City Budget is balanced.*
(*Well, not really. Actually, we’d be spending $3 million more than we bring in, borrowing against reserves, and hoping that we can make up the gap in 2010.)
Budget Priorities, September 2007
Citizens need to be heard when politicians proclaim a "shortfall".
Fort Collins citizens are forced to make hard decisions every day. If
you’re not earning enough money to cover the bills, you set priorities
and cut out some of the extras. Usually, the first priority is to make
sure your family is safe and secure.
Write your
Councilmember. Attend a City Council meeting. If the city staff is
unwilling to identify what those “less important services” are,
citizens should.
Take a Tour of the City Budget, July 2006
Sometimes you've just got to see government spending up close and personal.
Take a stroll down West Mountain Avenue next time you’re in Old
Town. About half way between Mason and Howes, you will come across a
monument to civic largesse that serves as a perfect metaphor for the
fiscal mess we’re in. It’s a “Crosswalk Warning Device.” There is no
walk signal or traffic light, but if you press the button, a voice
ominously warns: “Cross street with caution. Vehicles may not stop.”
That’s it, just a voice on a loudspeaker telling you what you probably
learned in kindergarten many years ago: Look both ways. Frankly, I’m
surprised that the city doesn’t pay to have a troop of Boy Scouts there
in order to hold you hand.
We’re asked to try to envision Fort
Collins without our “quality of life” municipal expenditures. Well,
join me on a field trip to find out if our fair Bedford Falls turns
into a virtual Pottersville if we are forced to make cuts to the
budget.
Take a Tour of the City Budget, Part 2, July 2006
There was so much "good material" that I had to do a second column on spending.
Common Sense on Open Space, February 2009
We need to be willing to take the tough stand.
Enough is enough. It’s time to tackle one of the “sacred cows” of Fort Collins politics head-on. It’s time to make a few common sense changes to our open space program.
...
First, place a moratorium on all new open space purchases.
