The City's spending agenda

[Dirty Sox]

I myself have thought that Mr. Large or others that post on this forum should be involved in the government operations. BUT, don't know if people in this city-county want or realize the value of a straight talking person. An example being the recent re-election of a county commissioner. After the stunts they've pulled the last couple years, never thought people would put the same one back in office. Maybe there was something about his opponent I'm unaware of, otherwise it's another event that causes one to become closer to the Almighty, saying things such as "Fur Chrissake"...

[large]

Well, the worst part of running for Office, being in Office, or just being an active Commission Member or "Doer" is the cost. You don't have time to work for a living, and locally, unless you put the combination to the Wells Fargo Safe under the table to the Democratic party, you can't get elected (or even nominated) to run for County Commissioner. That pays pretty good, even though we had to shame them into parking their county provided cars . .

As for City Council . . You must either have a boss that is truly altruistic, a wife who can support you in the style the Council Members are used to, or own a company that can do completely without you for days on end . . . Not to mention many "altruistic" friends who are bucks up enough to write campaign checks and not ask where the money went . .

And . . as I have often related, the fact that those "altruistic" friends donated large and small amounts of money will loom large once you have been elected . .

Which is why I believe that once a person becomes a candidate by legitimate primary, he should become eligible for Public funding of his/her campaign, which would be a set amount for him/her and his opponents. This, at that time would make him ineligible for ANY donations from ANYONE, and at the time he/she spent all of the money, he/she would be DONE . . No matter the set amount, based upon what we see today, it would be a bargain!

ButwotthehelldoIknow?

(I studied under the LAST MASTER, Filthy Fred Weisbrod . . RIP Friend)

[masonranch]

Well, the worst part of running for Office, being in Office, or just being an active Commission Member or "Doer" is the cost. You don't have time to work for a living, and locally, unless you put the combination to the Wells Fargo Safe under the table to the Democratic party, you can't get elected (or even nominated) to run for County Commissioner. That pays pretty good, even though we had to shame them into parking their county provided cars . .

As for City Council . . You must either have a boss that is truly altruistic, a wife who can support you in the style the Council Members are used to, or own a company that can do completely without you for days on end . . . Not to mention many "altruistic" friends who are bucks up enough to write campaign checks and not ask where the money went . .

Have you ever noticed how many politicians are "Old"? While the Golden years are characterized by increasing health problems, yet being retired offers the opportunity for public service. I would have never considered running for office and holding down a full time job, just couldn't do it.

So there are people like Josh Penry, who made the decision to be a professional politician i.e. earn a living from politics. He has no other skill. His last real job was as a bank teller. It is nothing less than survival, get elected or die or deal for an appointed position from your fellow politicians. That's what McInnis successfully threatened Penry with in the Governor's race. McInnis said to him withdraw and if I win a nice plosh government job will be yours or go for it and lose and your out period. Penry sold himself as Gale Norton's campaign manager for $25,000 per month, then Tom Tancredo's manager for $25,000 a month, both lost. He still has his State Senate Minority seat funnelling him money.

Have you ever noticed how a person with no real experience enters politics and becomes very wealthy? How does that happens?

The deals, the compromises, the marketing of government coercion (as the gas industry has lobby'd sucessfully against the coal industry with HB1365) and public treasure, as Obama has paid off his friends with Trillion dollar "stimulus money" stolen from you and me and the seed money from GE and others that corrupts all?

No truer words were ever spoken than "the government that governs least governs best" or that government really is a necessary EVIL and thus should be the last resort not the first.

That is why true Government service is a "duty" not something to be sought or something to provide a career lifetime income.

[Marc.N]

The agenda is not hidden. What is one of the main reasons to build the ball parks?

[large]

The agenda is not hidden. What is one of the main reasons to build the ball parks?

Conceivably for the same reason a City or County Government would build an Industrial building, to attract outside money into the community. But, on the Industrial building idea, we are batting about .600 on that, and just off the top, there are no government operated enterprises functioning at a profit (Including the aforementioned Runyon Field) . . Basically, because they have no Independent Operators who, if successful, will make a profit . . Those who run them currently have no incentives other than a salary and the political connections to keep the job . . This really requires no imagination or creativity to promote their enterprise, because they can keep their positions if they don't get involved in some kind of scandal (as happened at Runyon Field a few years back) and at least maintain the Status Quo.

A perfect example would be Pueblo Motorsports Park. For years a non profit management company ran and maintained PMP, eventually being able to pay it's employees for their work on weekends and compensate their nearly full time management people, as well as put $100,000 per year back into the facility (For over five years prior to the city firing them). Then a City Council member and a National Security Company (NEK) decided to take it away and use it up . . Eventually the City council was made aware of the situation, but never looked hard enough to see the forest for the trees . . Instead of leasing out to an Independent Promoter (of which, at one time there were more than six interested and qualified) who would promote and maintain with HIS money and share gained profits with the landlord (The City of Pueblo), they opted to get into the racing promotion business. While I won't criticize the current management, I can say they have problems out there, by just listening to the grumbles coming from the advisory board . .

ButwotthehelldoIknow?

[Loren Swelk]

One of our local city planners has been invited to speak at two different seminars at a preservation conference in Denver in February. The city has said he can go, but they won't pay for a hotel/motel room for him to stay while attending so he is trying to find someone's couch to sleep on while in Denver. Who says our city government is not conservative in their spending habits.
I wonder when was the last time one our illustrious city council persons "couched surfed" while representing the city of Pueblo?

[large]

Heh, heh, Yeah, I've always wondered about that . . You see the City (or County) heads go to someplace or another for a conference or get together for one reason or another, and do they seek accommodations that they, themselves could afford on a vacation? Hell No! they stay in $500+ a night hotels and eat $100 meals, three times a day . .

And . . Here I'm just guessing, but it would seem that it's because somebody else is picking up the tab . .

As for the "Speaking Planner" . . He needs to speak to people with enough money to spring for his keep . . If they can't put him up and buy him breakfast, then what the hell are they gonna do with the knowledge he's about to inform them with . . The things Planners talk about generally cost the taxpayers or users money . . if they don't have enough to put the guy up at a La Quinta and by him lunch, they really have no need for his information!

Hmm, that was redundant?

[Bob Nattering]

Being a resident up here, I can point at a few things about local accommodations:

I wouldn't look for couches to sleep on in Boulder near the campus, because most of those couches are out on the front porch.

There have always been a number of motels on Colfax where the rates are quite reasonable. The bedbugs are probably a minimal problem there, because they don't have a lot of foreign travelers checking in.

I think there are some free accommodations in the area of 23rd and Market Streets, but I'm not familiar with the check-in procedures and requirements.

In a more serious vein, there's also the commute option. My house is 20 to 30 minutes further from Pueblo than downtown Denver. I routinely drive the single-day round trip for meetings in Pueblo and it's not all that bad. As Large says, when you're paying yourself, you find cheaper options.

It might be "time to start living off of the land"............so to speak.

P.S. He wouldn't like my couch, because I wake up in the middle of the night and stand under my noisy exhaust hood in my boxers to have a smoke.

[large]

Hmmm, some people learn nothing from history, neither ancient or current . .

This morning's paper featured an article about the Pueblo City Council worrying about the the Housing Market in Pueblo . . and perusing the act of becoming monetarily involved, as well as addressing our Federal Senators to assist in making Local Housing Loans more accessible . .

Isn't that what we're trying to get over currently?

Or have I totally misunderstood? My belief (and that of the majority of both politicians and Pundits) is that we "Loosened" the accessibility rules so loose that those who couldn't make the first mortgage payment could qualify as a mortgage holder . . and then required lending agencies to make loans on overpriced or over appraised homes . . which, of course, succumbed to mathematical eventualities . .

Now, our city council is ignoring all that and want to do it again?

The Government, be it local or federal, needs to stay out of Business, whether it's mortgage loans or groceries . .

I'd like to see them make a profit on something they've already got their fingers (and an occasional Nose) in.

[Marc.N]

The per diem thing seems ok to me.

The bean counter will compare the expenses to the rules and if they match up OK then it passes.

So the rules, writers of the rules and those with power to override the bean counters are the problems.

Where I see the disconnect is somewhere along the line the idea popped up that government needs the same talent and abilities the private sector has so government needs competitive wages and perks.

Blah and phooey. If they had the same talent and abilities they'd be in the private sector.

Go into public sector offices and you'll see a homesteader. Plants, pictures, bling bling rarely found in private sector places of business. Very unprofessional entitlement mentality environments.

It's their home, not the peoples.