Colorado Springs - the Tea Baggers City.

[TheBigotBasher]

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.
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.
"I guess we're going to find out what the tolerance level is for people," said businessman Chuck Fowler, who is helping lead a private task force brainstorming for city budget fixes. "It's a new day."
Some residents are less sanguine, arguing that cuts to bus services, drug enforcement and treatment and job development are attacks on basic needs for the working class.
"How are people supposed to live? We're not a 'Mayberry R.F.D.' anymore," said Addy Hansen, a criminal justice student who has spoken out about safety cuts. "We're the second-largest city, and growing, in Colorado. We're in trouble. We're in big trouble."

http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_14303473

Every Libertarian dream come true. How now Ayn Rand?

[DontTreadOnMe]

1. Well the residents in Colorado Springs can always move to California?

I hear that cutting back on... oh nevermind.

[lapfog_1]

2. C Springs has always been full of idiots and religious nuts.

I hope all of their vehicles suffer major damage from running over potholes.

(Potholes are a big deal in Colorado, because of the major freeze/thaw/ice cycles and the bentonite clay in the ground).

I hated C. Springs with a passion.

[Hawkeye-X]

10. Yep, when I drove to New Mexico in '08, El Paso County was all potholes and poor road maintenance

No wonder why CDOT won't help fix their roads.

35 MPH on the highway once you get past Cimarron Rd.

Hawkeye-X

[XOKCowboy]

50. I always laughed driving down I-25 at the irony of all those Federal Highway Funds rebuilding...

such a much needed corridor through a NeoCon paradise. I'm sure none of the NeoCons got it though.

[niyad]

52. no, that sort of irony is far too subtle for them

[tanyev]

3. Interesting. Any nearby DUers who can keep us posted on how this goes over?

[niyad]

12. unfortunately, I can--since I currently reside in this benighted community.

[XOKCowboy]

31. I can't imagine cutting street lights. That's draconian not to mention very unsafe!

Not to mention evening and weekend buses? This could get interesting.

[niyad]

40. the powers that be would truly like everyone to leave--except the rich fundies.

safety and well-being and a decent life are not high on their list of priorities, nor is the environment.

[dugaresa]

4. let's see how people react to this experiment

either they will love it or hate it.

[niyad]

14. the people (the sane ones, that is, NOT the reichwing fundie nut jobs who are far too prevalent here

hate it. the government and doug bruce and followers love it. have been arguing with city council and the county commissioners for years, doesn't do any good, because we are not part of their "base"

the city, as a matter of fact, has spent over a million fighting a federal transit law (13C) that they signed back in the 60's. want to get rid of transit union, rid of transit, because, as the idiot mayor (nicknamed "horseface" in school) says, "everybody who rides the bus is a bum and a lowlife."

oh, but the city has 45 MILLION dollars to give to the USOC to stay here.

[timeforpeace]

5. It's their idea, let them try it.

[niyad]

15. no, it isn't OUR idea--it is the idea of a government that doesn't give a damn about the people.

[timeforpeace]

22. Didn't say it was your idea. It's their idea, the goverment's. The one elected by the people. Unless

you don't have elections there?

[niyad]

42. oh, there are elections here. and the results are a disaster--this is the home of doug bruce,

doug lamborn, and a host of other idiots.

oh, and we just got, in my district, an appointed rep--since the person who won the election quit almost immediately after--the appointed idiot is anti-tax, anti-spend, anti-any kind of social services, etc. we sure as hell didn't pick him.

[A HERETIC I AM]

56. Man, do you have my sympathy. I've been through Col. Spgs many times...

and it seems to me now I'm living in an area headed that direction. S.W. Fla has it's (too large) share of right wing dipshits, many of whom are well to do Northern transplants who moved down here for the weather as well as the absence of a state income tax.

Of course, Floria is well known for having its generous shares of fundie nutjobs (you're always hearing about one or another school board dumbass etc. etc, ad nauseum) but thankfully, Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties and the major cities therein (, Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Naples {home of "Ave Maria", a place where being a right wing nutjob is a virtual prerequisite for residency}, Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte) have yet to get to the point where the electorate of El Paso County has.

I fear for the future, however.

BTW, you do live in a gorgeous part of the country. In years past I participated in the Pikes Peak Hill Climb twice as a sponsor representative and have been up and down I 25 many times.

[boppers]

6. This will get interesting...

"Broadmoor luxury resort chief executive Steve Bartolin wrote an open letter asking why the city spends $89,000 per employee."

[XOKCowboy]

30. When he only pays $24K per employee. This is a Randian Paradise!

If he's averaging $24K per employee he's paying most of his workers in the range of $12K or less because he has a huge staff of managers and salespeople who are making 2-3 times that.

In the article he stokes the "you can't trust government" mantra and there are many references to mismanagement of funds by the city government. I'm sure having a mayor named RIVERA doesn't help in that racist little berg either. With all this distrust of the current council they're basically lame ducks since come election time this fall they'll get the blame for this crisis and be replaced. A new council will be elected on pledges of FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY. What will be funny is when the new council looks at the books and realizes that there is no money!

You reap what you sow. I have no pity for the Cons in the Springs but it'll be a shame that beautiful little city starts turning brown and overgrown.

[boppers]

34. Well, ya know, the "ideas people" make the money...

Actual *workers*, not so much...

I always wondered who collected garbage and cleaned latrines in Rand's little utopias.

[niyad]

59. sorry, you have it very wrong. rivera is part of the problem in a very big way--kind of the

"he may be an SOB, but he's OUR SOB" thing. the elections were last april (we have off-year elections here for the city) and the incumbents were pretty much all returned. despite the anger of the general populace, doesn't seem to reflect in actual voting.

[Qanisqineq]

7. I used to live there

well, on Fort Carson which is right next door. I have never seen so many idiotic bumper stickers, huge hummers and suburbans, and angry conservative white men in my life. Oh, and don't forget the religious nuttery.

[Hawkeye-X]

8. If the fundies love it, then by all means, cut the taxes to its barest minimum

and watch their fucking property value go down to zero.

That is WHY I don't live in Fundieland, rather 60 miles straight up on I-25 north of that shithole.

Hawkeye-X

[Amerigo Vespucci]

9. My sister is a racist, freeper sack of crap who moved to Colorado Springs to be with her "own"

My sister and brother-in-law took the money from my mother's estate and moved to Colorado Springs to be with "white" people.

As soon as they landed and paid cash for their home (courtesy of my dead mother), they pissed and moaned about "all of the Mexicans" in Colorado Springs.

So my apologies in advance...if Colorado Springs is actually some grand leg-humping melting pot of brotherly and sisterly love, I stand corrected.

All I know is that my sister is a fucking pig, and moved there to be with other pigs.

[niyad]

16. have pity on those of us who live here who are not racist, fundie cretins. surprisingly there are a

lot of us--alas, not enough to change the dynamics of this community.

being inundated with military bases, there is indeed a wide diversity of ethnic and cultural groups, not that you would know it by looking at area government or anything.

do you know in what part of town your sister lives?

[Amerigo Vespucci]

18. That's why I build "caveats" into my post...

...I don't believe in "blanket statements."

I don't hate Colorado Springs for the things that drew my sister there.

I'm pissed off that she BECAME what she BECAME, and thought that Colorado Springs would be some kind of "jackpot" for her sick fucking agenda.

I know her exact street address, but this being "The Internets," let's just say she lives in what she refers to as "The Springs," and we haven't spoken in 6 years, and leave it at that.

:patriot:

[niyad]

20. I can understand what you mean. I regret to say she has lots of company here, and I deal with them

all the time.

don't want her address, just curious what part of town she thought would be "white"

[Amerigo Vespucci]

23. Her daugher...my neice...moved there. That's why she moved there...

...my sister and brother-in-law visited her once, sometimes twice, a year.

They developed an "idealized," rose colored glasses view of Colorado Springs. All they saw were the white guys with the Peterbilt caps.

When they packed all their shit on a U-Haul truck and moved there and made it their home, they saw Colorado Springs for what it was all along.

They were the ultimate victims of the "grass is always greener" lie about life.

Anyone wanting to move to a place where everyone is white pretty much deserves whatever the hell they get when they move there.

My mother can't die twice. There won't be another payday. She's in Colorado Springs, and that's where she'll die.

For me, she died the day that U-Haul truck drove out of Redwood City six years ago.

[joe_sixpack]

26. Isn't the mayor of Co Spgs

an hispanic?

[JanMichael]

32. Pinochet was a "hispanic"; Edi Amin an "African-African"

Several South American Dictators (conservatives/fascists/assholes/butchers) could be considered "hispanic", several African continent dictators were not of "white" ethnicity although some obviously were in South Africa, so saying a mayor might be one (a Hispanic) doesn't mean much in a world wide view or perspective.

Fascists are "fascists", conservatives are conservatives, assholes are assholes, regardless of ethnicity.

[niyad]

43. and a class one jackass.

[Caretha]

24. Unfortunately

that says it all. Sometimes adults have to learn you don't put your hand on a hot burner. Bummer for them, that they didn't learn that lesson earlier in life.

[XOKCowboy]

27. Your sis isn't much on history is she? This used to be Mexico!

Actually there are some very cool people in Colorado Springs. Due to Ft. Carson and the Air Force Academy there are a lot of retired military families and yes lot's of Fundies so it's very right wing but as always someone has to work for those people and the majority of them are your garden variety normal people. Since all the big money in town is either military or religious the local government is very conservative and now we're seeing how that works out.

[RevCheesehead]

11. Home to "Focus on the Family."

Big surprise, eh? :banghead:

[niyad]

17. don't foget ted haggard's "new life" church--well, not his anymore. he is starting another one.

[southernyankeebelle]

13. I live in a small town in rural Tn and they are turning off street light here. But the

people are going to realize something has to give.

[niyad]

21. well, it isn't like they have lots to turn off--they haven't bothered replacing the burned-out

street lights for at least 3 years now. not that the town was exactly awash in street lights, either.

[niyad]

19. memo to chuck fowler--you are a freaking idiot--this isn't "a new day"--this is the dream of that

clueless bunch on city council, who gave away 45 MILLION to the USOC in the midst of this economic nightmare.

FU chuck "see what people will tolerate"? YOU go without your car, see if you can get around using the disgusting, nearly useless public transit system that does not operate nights, weekends, or holidays. so people are going to lose their jobs, so what the hell do you care?

[SharonAnn]

29. What is the USOC? And what was the $45 million to be used for?

[givemebackmycountry]

36. SharonAnn...

I think it's the United States Olympic Committee.
I think.

[niyad]

47. yes

[uncle ray]

49. correct.

the city bribed them to stay after they threatened to leave for greener pastures. so the city gave them a great big chunk of prime downtown real estate and remodeled it for them as well.

[niyad]

46. united states olympic committee

[XOKCowboy]

44. The retirees and dividend cutters won't be affected.

How many tax breaks did they give to FotF and all of those new businesses up north? How much did they spend on the airport and all the development around it?

You'll note the article doesn't mention these corporate tax breaks. Just that "the people" voted down past tax increases. Also no mention buy Mr. Fowler of rescinding those tax breaks.

Sad situation.

[Autumn]

25. Not all of us are tea baggers here,

and we are in big trouble.

[TheBigotBasher]

28. No one is saying you are

Niyad expressed it so wel in posts 14 and 16. I feel for those people who have to live this tea bagger dream and what I would consider to be a nightmare to any other sensible person.

What a way to destroy a place.

[AspenRose]

55. I love Colorado and I am so sorry to hear this is happening.

I had a roomate from Colorado College who was as liberal as they come.

[northofdenali]

33. The RW nutjobs are trying to send you back to the '60s.

1860's.

We're as red a city as can be, but basic needs (snow plowing, street lights, cops/firefighters, EMT's, etc.) are always funded.

Oh well, have fun CSprings. Enjoy your Christ.

[XOKCowboy]

35. Colorado Springs has some very RICH people living there!

The middle class are the thousands of retired military families living there and all of the people living in those incredible houses on the sides of the mountains and down around the Broadmoor area are big money who aren't hurting at all. There is big money in Colorado Springs yet the city is going broke.

One thing you can be sure of is that the families who work for those people (the majority of the population) are suffering the same things as the rest of the country. They're barely hanging to their houses as it is yet they will take the brunt the income cuts that will come with city cutbacks.

My point is that Colorado Springs shouldn't be in this situation. The city gave enormous tax breaks to everyone (especially the FOTF bunch) but not people who do the work. When they asked the citizens for a tax increase the working class couldn't afford it and the rich.... well they're just the rich and they don't do taxes.

[bullwinkle428]

39. It sounds almost like the "Two Americas" that John Edwards

talked about as a campaign theme, evolving right before everyone's eyes in Colorado Springs.

[troubledamerican]

37. United States of White Trash

[depakid]

38. This should make for some interesting sociological studies

[seabeyond]

41. the dude lives there. what is his name. starts with a d. help. dodson??. nt

[niyad]

48. james dobson, focus on the family, or, as we call it , fungus, or focus on fascism,

and some others we won't quote here.

[KonaKane]

45. I lived there for two years. Counted the seconds till I could leave.

Seriously. What a hellish pit of despair.

[Kablooie]

51. You know what this is? It's the right wing version of Haight Ashbury and TeaBaggers are RW Hippies.

It's based on a single minded idealized philosophy that dismisses real world realities that conflict with their theory.

The original Hippie philosophy had the same problem. It was about peace and love but did not factor human nature into the equation. It aspired to an idealized reality that will never actually exist.

The Tea Baggers take the vision in a completely different direction but it has some underlying structural similarities.

----

Colorado Springs

[Hawkeye-X]

53. Manitou Springs is very liberal

And it's right next to Colorado Springs.

I'm sure the politics there are MUCH saner!

[Arugula Latte]

54. We always say Colo. Springs has "the four Cs"

Christians, Cowboys, Cadets, Conservatives. Scary, scary place.

These C.S. dumbasses who hate government will see what the real world is like without services. Too bad for the sane people who live there.

[Blue_Tires]

57. the irony is the state/federal government is propping up a big part of their economy

United States Air Force Academy
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD)
Schriever Air Force Base
Peterson Air Force Base
Fort Carson
University of Colorado at Colorado Springs

the list goes on...

I see the same mindset with local politicians and wealthy business leaders here (many of them developers and military contractors) -- Bitch up and down about oppresive taxes, the free market, state's rights and "Evul Big Gummitt", but when a local base has funding cutbacks or a carrier/fighter group gets transferred to another state (and taking with them their personnel and sweet federal funds), they are the FIRST ones on the phone to Congress and the Pentagon...

[CrispyQ]

58. This is what happens when you drown government in a bathtub.

This is what less government looks like.

Fortunately, however, that behemoth mountain is paid for with federal dollars, that are untouchable in the military budget, so they won't feel any pain. :eyes:

[brentspeak]

60. Colorado Springs trying to bring "The Road Warrior" society to real-life

I feel bad for those Colorado Springs residents who didn't want this to happen.