Local is Critical and the most Brutal on families
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The Latest from Laura and Rebecca - with embedded links for further investigation. Most of these are local but are happening across our state.
Forbes Magazine reported that Colorado is ranked 7th as the most likely state for people to leave. Direct Quote from the article - “Once considered a swing state, Colorado’s politics have shifted towards the left in recent years. Conservatives leaving the state for Texas and Arizona are on the move. Overall, 12,145 families left Colorado last year, and politics was just one small factor. The high cost of living and out-of-reach real estate prices continue to drive would-be homebuyers out of the area, while traffic congestion, increasing crime rates and pollution seal the deal for many deciding to leave.”
Laura and Rebecca report below:
· On July 6th, a meeting was held for Pine Creek residents to discuss the development of an “affordable housing” apartment complex in their neighborhood. Residents attended, hoping to be informed and to be heard, but the structure of the meeting resulted in complete disorder. Speakers from the development group for this project could not be heard by concerned residents. Read our original article on this meeting, which also includes videos of the event.
· The Colorado Court of Appeals has denied a developer’s appeal to build apartments at 2424 Garden of the Gods Road. Will this irresponsible project be stopped for good now?
· Fourth Judicial District Attorney Michael Allen will run for re-election.
· The El Paso County Board of Commissioners is being accused of gerrymandering commissioner districts. A lawsuit has been filed.
· This week, El Paso County Commissioner Stan Vanderwerf and County Assessor Mark Flutcher discussed the property tax estimates mailed to you a few months ago, as well as the impact to school district funding. Check out the exchange here.
· The El Paso County Board of County Commissioners denied taxpayer funds to The Place, a non-profit that raises money for homeless youth. However, the board did award taxpayer funds to 16 other nonprofits. You know who never takes taxpayer funds? Your humble and hard-working watchdogs at Springs Taxpayers United. Please feel free to donate today to keep our important mission going.
· Colorado Spring government is fighting tooth and nail to force taxpayer-funded “affordable housing” into areas that simply do not want it. This week, citizens are vehemently opposing the construction of The Launchpad, a multi-story apartment complex for homeless teens in an area that is already overrun with homeless problems. Three different groups, who are opposed to the development of The Launchpad, will need to appear before city council on Monday, July 24 to try to appeal the Colorado Springs Planning Commission approval of this development. If city council denies their postponement, they will need to present their appeal the next day at the regular city council meeting. We recorded the initial informational meeting for The Launchpad in 2022.
· Former Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers has penned a memoir. You can even buy a signed copy if you want to! Let us know if you are going to purchase a copy.
· Speaking of the former mayor, you paid his former Chief-of-Staff $78,000 because he was let go by Mayor Mobolade. We wonder if making taxpayers responsible for funding lavish payouts to government employees impacts their ability to afford housing.
· Here again is the use of that word “free” to define services, in this case public transportation services, that are funded by taxpayers, and are definitely not free. They continue to do it, because it continues to work, friends. It’s probably a result of all that free education.
· Record numbers of homeowners have protested their property tax valuations. Almost 34,000 protests have been filed.
· Signatures are being collected for a ballot measure to combat out-of-control property tax hikes. This measure would cap property tax revenue growth at 4% annually. If politicians won't fix the problem, we will need to step up. Keep your eyes open for signature collectors around town very soon.
· The Martin Drake power plant is currently being dismantled. Which lucky, politically-connected developer will get to determine the future of this prime piece of real estate, and how much will it cost you?
· Some counties in Colorado have kept TABOR restrictions on tax collections intact. Most counties, including El Paso County, have chipped away at, at least, some elements of the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights.
· Current polls show lukewarm support for Proposition HH, the Governor Polis-backed scheme to eliminate the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights forever by holding your massive property tax increases hostage. Watch for a flurry of false and grandiose promotions of this measure from the usual suspects as the election gets closer. These folks know what they want, and they know how to get it.
· Crime in Colorado overall has increased 28% since 2008. Estimates indicate this massive crime increase costs residents $10.9 billion. As a reminder, this increase can be largely blamed on the soft on crime legislative policies brought to you by the same folks who want to rob you of your TABOR refunds. We wonder if carrying the cost burden of all this crime impacts people’s ability to afford housing.
· A number of the taxes disguised as fees, that you are forced to pay, have increased in July. For example, the retail delivery tax increased from $.27 to $.28. Remember, this fee is supposed to go toward transportation infrastructure. Are you seeing increased transportation infrastructure as a result of this tax disguised as a fee? Other fees that are increasing include, the Clean Transit Retail Delivery Fee, the General Retail Delivery Fee, and the Bridge and Tunnel Retail Delivery Fee. We wonder what impact these taxes, disguised as fees, have on people’s ability to afford housing.
· As a reminder, Colorado State budget appropriations per capita have increased 57% over the last 20 years. Are you seeing 57% better government? Where is it all going?
· The new Mayor of Denver, Mike Johnston, has declared homelessness a state of emergency in the city. Will this declaration be used as a tool to further erode private property rights, and allocate even more funding to the Homeless Industrial Complex in Denver? Our guess is, yes it will.
· If you would like to help support us in our mission as government watchdogs by becoming a Newsletter Sponsor, we are offering two sponsorships for each weekly newsletter, at the nominal cost of $100 each. Funds raised from these sponsorship opportunities will help us to keep looking out for taxpayers.
Here are some upcoming meetings in the area. We hope you can attend one or more!
If there are other public meetings you’d like to see announced here, please drop us a line. We are happy to include them in an upcoming newsletter. These might be government-related, candidate, or elected official meetings. Thanks!
Colorado Springs City Council Meetings
Monday, July 24, 10:00 a.m.
Colorado Springs City Council Work Session
107 N. Nevada, 3rd floor
Live stream link here
Tuesday, July 25, 10:00 a.m.
Colorado Springs City Council
107 N. Nevada, 3rd floor
Live stream link here
El Paso County Board of County Commissioner Meetings
Tuesday, August 1, 9:00 a.m.
El Paso County Board of County Commissioners
Centennial Hall
200 S. Cascade
Live stream link here
Agenda not yet posted
Tuesday, August 8, 9:00 a.m.
El Paso County Board of County Commissioners
Centennial Hall
200 S. Cascade
Live stream link here
Agenda not yet posted