Taxpayers haven't been cheap
In the last few days we have seen comments from both out of townand from some of our own self-styled community leaders that suggestthe devastation from the Waldo Canyon fire was due in part to a lackof adequate fire and police protection stemming from the fiscalconservatism of Colorado Springs voters. Instead of pointingfingers, let's look at these facts in light of a study by SummitEconomics in collaboration with Regis and Webster universities.
The study looks at the dollars spent in Colorado Springs in 1950as compared to 2008. These numbers are adjusted for inflation andpresented in real 2008 dollars. In 1950 Colorado Springs taxpayersspent $304 per capita for all city government. By 2008 that numberhad grown to $570 per capita in dollars adjusted for inflation, agrowth of about 88 percent in real per-capita spending. With thatlevel of growth, care to guess where the bulk of new spending went?
Streets and public works went from $101 per capita in 1950 to $72per capita in 2008. Capital needs got $89 in 1950 and fell to $24 in2008. Public safety, however, received $88 in 1950 and in 2008 hadgrown to $275 per capita!
Those spending levels may very well be appropriate; that's adiscussion for another time. Yet, certainly anyone informed cannotmake the case that Springs taxpayers have been cheap in fundingpublic safety.
Andy McElhany
Colorado Springs
The fire changed this city
It always seems like disaster happens far away and to someoneelse. But as I stood on the hilltop next to my children's elementaryschool that night, I watched as the homes of people who lived inplaces I had visited as a guest burn to the ground in the neardistance. The contrast of the blazing fires against the black skywas nightmarish and surreal. The smell of the smoke on the airburned my eyes and nose, dried my throat, and lingered in my hair asI started to walk the two short blocks back home.
I thought of the people who lived and laughed and loved in thosehomes. I thought of the firefighters who waged a valiant but losingbattle to save those homes. And I thought of the memories that nowwould never happen in those homes. When I walked in, I looked aroundmy own modest little house and saw it with new eyes. It became theplace where I could still make memories, but it also became lessimportant than a single human life, because they found bodies in theashes.
The fire changed this city. We found our capacity to be selfless,and help those in need with no thought of recompense, as citizensgave of their time and resources from the heart. We found a way tocooperate, not for political expediency, but for the sake of thegreater good. As the battle continued, we found the strength to workthrough this and come out stronger on the other side. We found wordsto honor our new heroes, some of whom were victims themselves. Wefound words to honor the old heroes we sometimes take for granted,those who have always served us quietly in our public places.
We survived, we will recover, God willing, and in doing soinspire others, and save ourselves as a community in ways that noneof us have yet fully realized. Way to go, Colorado Springs.
Tanna Shontz
Colorado Springs
An exceptional community
Rocky Mountain Health Care Services would like to thank the morethan 130 volunteers and donors who were instrumental in allowing usto provide temporary shelter for families and their pets displacedby the Waldo Canyon fire. We are especially thankful for the ElPomar Foundation and Community Banks of Colorado, which providedemergency grants to help cover expenses associated with this effort.
Because so many people responded to our desire to open a shelterfor families with pets, we were able to provide the following:
- Starting June 24th, we provided overnight shelter forapproximately 82 individuals, 33 dogs, and 12 cats evacuated fromColorado Springs and El Paso County. Our last guest went home onJuly 9th.
- Rocky Mountain's kitchen team prepared more than 380 home-cooked meals.
- Rocky Mountain's transportation team helped evacuate 22 seniorsfrom Mount St. Francis Senior Home and 11 people and their pets fromWoodland Park who did not have the means to get out of theevacuation zone.
Our hearts go out to the families who have lost a loved one ortheir home because of the fire. We keep you in our thoughts as yourebuild your homes and make new memories.
This is an exceptional community; Rocky Mountain was honored tobear witness to so many kind acts and to play a small role in therelief efforts.
Laurie Tebo, Rocky Mountain Health Care Services
Colorado Springs
Hats off for the service
A special thanks is due to Perry Sanders and the entire team atthe Mining Exchange. As an early and long evacuee, we were welcomedwith open arms by the New Mining Exchange Hotel in downtown ColoradoSprings. When the evacuation started, Perry Sanders heard that theNavigators had to cancel a group that was to arrive for a seminar,and he offered to open up his yet to be completed wing of 60 roomsat a discount to assist the Navigators and their group.
Upon hearing this on the news, I called the hotel to see if wecould get a room and was thrilled to find out that not only theywould take us and our dog in, but that they were offering adiscounted rate to evacuees.
Although Perry is relatively new to town (by Colorado Springsstandards), and the hotel was only partially open, his willingnessto reach out to those in need certainly made a loud statement abouthis moral compass and desire to make a difference in his adoptedcommunity.
Hats off to Perry and the entire staff for taking a verystressful situation and easing the burden for many, by providinggreat service and accommodations in a beautiful environment. You canbe sure, the story will be told as often as possible, and our familyfor one hopes he is very successful in his new endeavor.
Darrell & Kim Fleck
Colorado Springs
