America Revisited

The news keeps coming about our country being in decline.  It is depressing, but we can't give up.  In a country where a movement starts to restrict free speech and take away rights of law-abiding citizens,  the hope of the oppressing force is that citizens will lose hope and give up.

America used to be a country standing for freedom in the world.  We had freedom of speech for all, not just those who were in our political party.  Our veterans fought for this freedom for us and others around the world who were oppressed.

It is disconcerting to see these inalienable rights stripped from our nation because of partisan bickering.  To take away our freedoms for political and monetary gain is treasonous.  Religious freedom is a favorite target of government today.  Because some of us believe in the Bible and its teachings, the present federal government is attacking.  They are not willing to allow citizens to act on their beliefs if it conflicts with theirs.

Not only is our religious freedom in jeopardy, but our privacy is endangered by NSA intrusion.  When the previous administration set up the Department of Homeland Security, no one could have imagined that phone calls and private email of law-abiding citizens would be scrutinized and saved for future reference.

When our founding fathers wrote the constitution, it was to protect us from intrusions by tyrannical government.  This is the reason that the present politicians want to change and destroy our constitution.  It limits their power.

We have a responsibility to teach these facts to our children and grandchildren.  Mainstream media is currently being controlled by the government, so the truth will not get through in news reports.  Many people are writing blogs and reporting news on the internet because they think they have a responsibility to report the truth as much as possible.

All of us should be aware of what our local, state, and federal government is doing.  The officials are our employees.  They are human and make mistakes, but when laws emerge which limit our rights and bring harm to us, it is time to act.  

The American Dictator

While most of my attention has been to city politics, a ghastly trend has been continuing on the national level. Not only is the federal government ignoring congress and the will of the people, they are creating expensive problems for us to solve.  The advertising of free medical care and free legal service to those in Central America who illegally cross the border is so far out there that it rivals the Twilight Zone for "off the wall" plots.

Can it be that the president loathes Americans so much that he is compelled to destroy everything American? I have seen scandals and wrongdoing in high places, but nothing to compare with the scale of this.  It is apocalyptic in its scale.  One dictator telling congress that they are insignificant, and he will govern without them.  That is not democracy.

Other attacks are equally egregious.  Our tax supported agencies are being used to attack us.  The IRS is used to keep political opponents in check and to stop free speech.  The ATF is used to suppress 2nd amendment rights through invasive attacks on individuals and businesses.  The EPA is used to prevent use of coal which is our main source of electrical generation.  This same EPA is proposing elimination of all wood burning heaters. There is also a push by this agency to control all water rights.  The BLM is used to control land even if it means keeping cattle from getting water. The Bundy Ranch stand off comes to mind.  The office of Eric Holder is protecting administration officials from prosecution while promoting outrageous lawsuits against ordinary law-abiding citizens. Thanks to him we must not refuse to take pictures or bake cakes for any reason. The DHS is protecting illegals from our laws and threatening our citizens who protest their lawless intrusions.

It is almost overwhelming to think that we have fallen to this point in so little time.  Hopefully, there are people in all political parties who can agree on the preservation of our country and the freedoms for which we have paid such a high price.

Each day brings new attacks on basic freedoms.  We must be diligent and demand responsibility from our representatives in government.  Surely we deserve more help than we are getting from Congress. A large number of congressmen are lawyers.  They can pretend to be helpless against the executive branch, but I'm not buying it.

The Downhill Grade

The City Council of Walsenburg is on its way to clearing all obstacles to the Northlands Sewer project. Easement evaluation and procurement negotiations are advancing.  The only thing not changing is my reluctance to accept it as good for the city.  The lessons I've learned as a student of economics and history argue against the theory that you can borrow yourself out of debt.

An idea that repulses me is to depend on my children and grandchildren to pay off my debts in the future. The current federal administration thinks it is perfectly acceptable. The size of the national debt is an example.  It is a little surprising to see it embraced so readily by local government.

The reason the USDA will not issue general obligation bonds for this project is that the city has a lack of assets for collateral.  By changing the bonds to revenue bonds, they are accepting our future revenues from utilities as collateral for the loan without our approval.  Only the council and the administrator are making this decision. They are noticing no objections from citizens and a lack of attendance at meetings about these money issues.  This is taken as a yes vote by the citizens.

Since there is a serious deficit in the general fund for the city, the idea of raising the sales tax is being suggested as the answer to most of the financial problems.  The current tax is 7.90%. adding a penny to that will give us the distinction of having one of the highest sales tax rates in the state. This action is not to provide additional services or repair aging infrastructure; it is to pay for existing budget deficits.

When you move into a community, it is expedient that you check into the city finances before you take on their debt.  The chances for things improving in a lifetime are fairly low.

My Latest Thoughts about the Northlands Sewer Project

We have probably reached the point of no return on the Sewer Project. Despite all assurances that this project will cost the city nothing, the USDA and the interim loan company are requiring the City of Walsenburg to sign contracts to guarantee the loans.  They are not quite as trusting of the Northlands residents as the city is.

The project should have been completed before the Northlands was annexed.  The current situation is a patch and band aid approach.  It involves the city assuming the responsibility for every part of the venture. The only beneficiary for the project is the Northlands community of about twenty persons.  If businesses flood Walsenburg with applications to locate there, it will be a great thing.  The key word is "if".

A city official has said there is misinformation about this project.  Most of the misinformation has been promoted by those who are trying to push this project through regardless of its long-term indebtedness for the city.  Though Walsenburg officials continue to believe the Northlands residents will pay for the project, there has been little evidence that they have paid any of the bills so far.  The latest example is a new legal bill for processing the loans. This bill is $27,000.  The whole process is based on the loans covering all expenses, but a loan has to be repaid.

It reminds me of the joke where a person is telling a friend that he didn't have the money to buy a new car. The friend says, "You don't need any money.  All you have to do is write a check."

My investment in Walsenburg is a house and some friendships. My responsibility is to attempt to protect both.  This is why I am concerned.

Walsenburg Infrastructure

In a previous blog I mentioned that a city official agreed that Walsenburg has about $30 million in contingent liabilities.  These would include replacement of water and sewer lines, replacement of the gas transmission line, replacement of the water supply line from LaVeta, replacement/repair of the water tank, and resurfacing of city streets.

With these kinds of expenses required to maintain basic services, it should be clear where our priorities need to be.  Why is there no urgency to solve these problems?  Why is the Northlands Sewer Project always first in line for time and money?  If the residents and owners of the Northlands aren't contributing their time and money to the project, why is it so important to the city council?

Maybe Walsenburg citizens aren't sending a message to the council on where their priorities are.  Is it true that our basic services are not important? Could it be that our council is avoiding these problems?  The money for the loans  and legal fees will be in the range of $5 to $10 million for the Northlands Sewer Project. That amount would be a good start on some of our city projects for basic needs.  I wonder if there are potential council members in the community that would put basic services in a different order than the present council?  We currently have four members who are affiliated with a political party known to stand for fiscal responsibility.  Does that not apply to city policy?

Any shortfall in the city budget always brings talk of additional mil levies and other taxes.  The burden is placed on responsible homeowners who are rewarded by being billed for expenses for other areas while their needs are put on indefinite hold.

Cloaked Easement Negotiations

The Walsenburg city council is pushing to complete the Northlands Sewer project regardless of the consequences.  The secrecy about the easement negotiations is pronounced.  Even council members are asking for information.  There is reason to believe that the administration and some council members are discussing business by cell phone and e-mail between council meetings.  Never mind open meeting laws.

City property can be traded in easement deals which leave the citizens out of the loop. I only bring these things up because I was raised to believe in democracy.  If citizens don't insist on being informed, they send the message that government can act unilaterally.

I have asked the question repeatedly, what have the Northland residents contributed to this project?  I haven't received an answer yet.  The city has contributed money and many man hours to this project.  If half this effort and money were spent on the city, we would have new Infrastructure and paved roads.

We need to re-examine this project and pull out before we lose more money and time to a speculative venture that may only benefit a few land speculators.

Same Song a Different Day

The Northlands sewer project keeps coming up in the City Council meetings and the Financial Committee meetings.  Funds for the project keep coming from the city of Walsenburg.  How much have the property owners in the Northlands area contributed to date?  This is unknown.  No amount has been mentioned.

The bills collecting on the accounts payable ledger are for the city.  One of the next bills will be a $400,000 plus interim loan to pay for initial invoices for the project.  The city is borrowing money to pay for services already rendered.  There are about $500,000 in expenses waiting for payment.

Even though the money will be repaid by the USDA loan, the loan is guaranteed by the city of Walsenburg. Currently there are invoices for legal services in the amount of $27,000 to pay for property description details to properly secure the interim loan.  Although it would seem logical that the Northland property owners would front this money, so far there is no indication that this will happen.  All front money and effort seems to be from the city.

There is another puzzling part to this picture.  The easement procurement process is proceeding so quietly that even council members aren't aware of any news about it.  Many of us are concerned about the terms of any deals to secure the easements. Hopefully, the future of Walsenburg will not be forfeited in this process.

The Northlands project appears to be an ongoing process that should never have been started after the area was annexed.  All utilities and roads should have been in place before the annexation.  If proper procedures had been followed, we would not be involved in this quagmire now.