sensetalk2000
Registered: 11/10/08
Posts: 109
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| #1 |
We are all well aware of the current economy, here in Pagosa and all over the United States. There are meetings upon meetings conducted by local city and county officials dedicated to finding a way to re-boot the economy.
Meanwhile, do you notice the air traffic in and out of Pagosa country? There are a surprising number of light to medium jets coming and going every day. A simple bit of research will show you that these jets cost thousands of dollars an hour to charter. Fractional ownership will cost you six figures, well on into seven. Full ownership is into the millions. The other charter aircraft we see coming and going are not exactly cheap.
Do I have a beef with the wealthy? Heavens no, I would love to be rich. I probably would have one of those Gulfstreams pick me up. That is not the point.
Sadly, unemployment, foreclosures, empty homes and business failures are happening right under those friendly skies filled with big money aircraft. Therein lies the paradox of Pagosa.
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CitizenPagosa
Registered: 10/12/09
Posts: 8
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| #2 |
Now that Archuleta County is owned by the FAA, there isn't much we can do except keep paying to maintain what's up there now. The airport was in the "Red" by $250,000+/- per year when we took the last Huge amount from the FAA. Where are we now?
Now that we are a Federally Funded Airport, we have to do certain things that the FAA tells us to. Just what we need, the Federal Govt. having more control of our lives.
The airport was supposed to "bring money in to the county". That was why it was so important to take the FAA money in the first place. Where is all that county income now?
Simply put, we can not expect the money to "fall from the sky", or a fancy jet for that matter. Those people on those jets don't care about Pagosa. No matter what happens, they will still have a fancy airport to land their jets, and they will still have their beautiful summer homes to come to. They don't care how many businesses there are on main street. It doesn't change "their" bottom lines.
As Pagosa Springs residents, we can not expect the "rich" to rescue us! Their not gonna do it. The residents are the ones that are going to have to dig us out of this hole.
We must 'create' our own jobs. Put people back to work. Get the town and the county to quit quivering over business licenses. Get them to recognize revenue opportunities. Waiting for the jets above to swoop down and save us, is a waste of time. Government funds, bailouts, are only a burden on the Government books. We the people must save our community!
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sensetalk2000
Registered: 11/10/08
Posts: 109
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| #3 |
Thanks for responding to my post.
I definitely agree with you about not being rescued by the wealthy, however, they are not the only ones with a lack of community involvement.
If you polled the part-timers, second home owners and frequent visitors, I doubt few of them could answer even basic questions about Pagosa, those in local government and the current events.
Does that make them a bad person? Certainly not. It's just that their community is elsewhere. Pagosa may as well be a type of Disneyworld to them.
You are right. It is the working, middle-class that will "save" Pagosa, if there is such a thing.
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Ded
Registered: 10/05/08
Posts: 39
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| #4 |
So I'm curious as to what PagosaCitizen thinks the "rich" owe to Pagosa? If they stay, they need food, gas, sundry items and they either pay property taxes on that "vacation home" or rent so unless they just are bored and want to look at Pagosa, they do spend money.
This sounds like class envy to me, but hey, what do I know? Let's see, Pagosa is known for it's reknowned ________________________________fill in the blank that attracts thousands from all over to participate. Telluride has its jazz festival, Durango a train and Pagosa has? Oh right, the Red Ryder Rodeo with a Politically Incorrect clown. No good fishing, takes big money to hunt there IF you draw an elk tag so basically you're looking at a town with no money, no jobs, no ideas and probably no hope for anything until someone finds employment that insn't dependent on tourism or living in squalor to keep Pagosa "Pagosa" whatever that means.
I think one of my other posts was removed re. the Medical Marijuana Clinic, I didn't get a notice but then I did switch out computers so it could be there...no big deal. Get a clue, there is nothing coming to Pagosa in the near future. Live with it. Ded
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Sherrill
Registered: 12/11/08
Posts: 98
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| #5 |
Ded: the two missing Medical Marijuana replies you are missing won't show up. They are "lost" but I printed your post & have it. I'd appreciate it if you would go to my most recent thread and post a reply there.
Denying a new business in PS is like shooting ourselves in the foot! Does anyone have the exact number of unemployed in PS? Does anyone know of someone who moved here recently because they found employment here? I don't and I haven't. But I know many people who have left Pagosa Springs. |
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CitizenPagosa
Registered: 10/12/09
Posts: 8
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| #6 |
In reply to Ded, I don't think that the "Rich" owe anything to Pagosa.
Class envy? What class do you think that I am from?
Employment that isn't dependent on tourism? Where are you from?
Tourism is Colorado's No. 1 economic resource. Almost all employment in the entire state is dependent on tourism in some way or another.
Do you even know that Wyndham has 550 units in this town? Like it or not,
if it weren't for our tourists, Pagosa would be a ghost town.
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Ded
Registered: 10/05/08
Posts: 39
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| #7 |
CitizenPagosa
Today at 02:13 PM In reply to Ded, I don't think that the "Rich" owe anything to Pagosa. Then why whine about the FAA and the airport?
Class envy? What class do you think that I am from? Never leave an opening like that on a message board. If I had to take a shot at it, unemployed at present in a prefab home?
Employment that isn't dependent on tourism? Where are you from? Surprisingly enough there were jobs in Pagosa that went 24/7/365 but I doubt you were there when they were. Where am I from? A small town called Pagosa Springs, ever hear of it?
No, the fact that Wyndham has 550 units in Pagosa (Lakes) fails to impress me. What's the occupancy rate/mo-price per day? My last trip, a suite cost me $79/night w/complimentary breakfast compared to the $100+/night with breakfast in Pagosa. Now its all well and good to go to bed and dream of the hordes of tourists, Your tourists flooding downtown like locusts, but you watch the webcam of Main Street aka San Juan Street and that's not happening. In case you missed it, Colorado just lowered it's minimum wage by three cents, so the entire state seems to be suffering a slowdown. Face the cold hard facts, no one in Pagosa is actively pushing for development of anything that actually could be a feasible employment opportunity except repealing the big-box ordinance and that after Wal-Mart earnings are down, but hang in there, there is supposedly a wad of gold on Treasure Mountain! You'll just have to wait for next summer. Ded.
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CitizenPagosa
Registered: 10/12/09
Posts: 8
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| #8 |
There seems to be some confusion on the part of Ded. Being concerned about the county being in the red in their airport operations is anything but whining.
If you like the fact that the airport isn't making money, that's certainly your right.
You should have a Vegas Show; "The Amazing Ded". You automatically know anyone by a post on a message board. You're a real gem.
I have lived and worked in Pagosa for almost 2 decades. I am a Colorado Native. I pay taxes. I don't live in a prefab home, but I'm sure that anyone that does would like to know what your problem is with that. Maybe you feel "In a class above the rest" because your home is not prefab. I like to be part of a community, not judge the less fortunate.
As you look down from your "holier than thou" perch, remember that everyone has something to contribute. Oh, and keep up the delusional thoughts that tourism doesn't exist in Pagosa. I wonder what "Wilderness Journeys" or the "Balloon Guy" would think about that since tourists just got them through the summer? I'm just certain that the local hotels had no tourists this summer at all, right? You probably think that all the businesses
in the Core Area would survive without Wyndham as well!
The bottom line is that we all need each other. A community willing to work together. No matter what "Class" we are from.
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Ded
Registered: 10/05/08
Posts: 39
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| #9 |
Citizen: You stated that Pagosa was a wholly owned subsidiary of the FAA, therefore by your own words you live on government property. I'm sure that big chunk of money received was spent on something..look for it. Airports don't make money unless landing fees, terminal facilities, hanger space are set to do so. Obviously Pagosa's isn't.
I've been to Vegas...catch Blue Man Group at the Luxor. Its much too hot with rude people and too much crime. I warned you about leaving yourself open in my last post. I see you didn't listen but I'll not start a flamer here since most have been civil even to others they disagreed with.
You've have lived and worked in Pagosa for twenty years and you still haven't figured out how Pagosa works? I knew that at 17...BTW, I'm a 4th generation Pagosa native and I have no problems with prefab homes, adobe, tin, ties, you name it. Been in all of them, no big deal. I only feel a "class ahead" of someone due to their actions, not their circumstances, something I gather you don't.
As for my delusional perch, I've probably seen more tourists go through Pagosa n a month that you do in a year, but the difference is there were reasons to stop then. Compared to now there's a paucity of attractions for tourism. The two business you mentioned,"Wilderness Journeys"and the "balloon guy" make enough to last through the winter or does unemployment lurk in the future? You never gave me the percentage of occupancy for the 550 Wyndham units available and those are in the "Core Area" Sorry, but even in it's best days Pagosa did not survive off tourism and with the economy the ways its going, it never will until someone gets enough people behind him/her to advertise the attractions that do exist in Pagosa but I don't see that happening in the next five years. That's OK though, dreamin' never hurt. Ded.
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CitizenPagosa
Registered: 10/12/09
Posts: 8
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sensetalk2000
Registered: 11/10/08
Posts: 109
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| #11 |
This thread was about the contrast of a suffering town being overflown every day by the very rich, who may seem oblivious to the problems. Whether they are or not and what impact or input they should have in this is a pertinent question.
I was not soliciting a fight between two posters. Disagreement is fine and healthy but taking shots at each other is too much.
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CitizenPagosa
Registered: 10/12/09
Posts: 8
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| #12 |
You're right sensetalk2000. Unfortunately, people don't always agree.
Pagosa Springs needs anyone it can get, other than the government, to invest in it's future. Of course, the last rich people that invested in Pagosa are renting out rooms for $500 a night, and have stolen thousands and thousands form our hardworking citizens. And did it knowingly.
Another paradox of Pagosa I guess.
Then, just yesterday, our town couldn't recognize a State Constitutional Amendment that has existed for almost a decade. As local business men and women are trying to boost our economy, the town council, once again, takes the, Durango can serve our needs, approach. "Patients can drive to Durango!" Although they know that Medical Cannabis is also being grown, distributed, and used in Archuleta County and the Town of Pagosa Springs, but have decided to "wait and see". These businesses would pay rent to landlords, employ people, and pay local sales taxes. These businesses are also operating free from any Federal Funding.
Business people, from other alternative healing centers, reported to the council that they pay over $5000 per month to the local municipalities in Grand Junction, Durango, and Loveland. Of course, Pagosa's tax base wouldn't be as large as these cities, but income is income. So, we have a legal business under a Constitutional Amendment by the voters of Colorado, pending leases - (one is 3 years), and several new jobs on the horizon, but the town council decided to wait and see if The State of Colorado does anything. The big news is that The State of Colorado already did something a decade ago; the voters approved the use of Medical Marijuana by patients, and the Primary Caregiver system.
First and foremost, the town has done a great injustice to "Patient Rights".
They recently approved the renewal of 3 liquor licenses, but want to keep medical "Patients" in the shadows. Secondly, the town has let down it's citizens. They are complaining about tax revenues being down, and people leaving the community, yet they can't seem to accept new tax revenue, businesses occupying vacant commercial spaces, and job creation. Our Mayor, Mr. Aragon, also told a participant in yesterday's meeting that he could not smile! The man asked, "you're telling me I can't be happy and smile?" The Mayor replied, "You're smirking!" The man said, "I'm just smiling. Are you telling me I can't smile in this meeting?" The Mayor replied, "Yes!"
This all happened in the first '1 minute' of the public portion of the meeting.
Incredible! The Mayor then said, "Let's open it up for discussion." When audience members raised their hands to speak, the Mayor confronted them with, "You have to follow our procedures!" Instead of the Mayor choosing to inform them that there would be a "Public Comment" portion of the meeting,
he just treated them poorly. It was Ms. Pierce that had to bring the clarity to that situation. She informed these folks, in a very professional manner, that they would have an opportunity to speak. Later a man spoke out of turn, and the Mayor had the Police Chief remove him.
Just another paradox of Pagosa. Maybe we should change the name to
Paradox Springs.
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Sherrill
Registered: 12/11/08
Posts: 98
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| #13 |
Some of this public forum's threads are becoming entangled. I finally see why. What do they all have in common?
Pagosa's government is apparent throughout our forum's threads. The Town Council and the Mayor, sometimes suddenly and unannounced, have a negative impact on so people's lives, sometimes directly and sometimes indirectly.
I see the common denominator in Pagosa's schizophrenic, immature nature and lack of direction. It begins at our "top" and trickles down.
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planatlaw
Registered: 10/15/08
Posts: 21
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| #14 |
There has been an anti-government mentality for quite some time. Reagan gave voice to that discontent when he said 'Government is not the solution to the problem; government is the problem.' As PJ O'Rourke opined - Republicans rail about bad government, and then once elected, prove their point.'
Locally, we are seeing the same thing. The BoCC cannot keep its own fiscal house in order so they go out of their way to find something wrong with the way PAWSD is handling their finances.
In actuality, people under stress need someone to blame, and government is an easy target for criticism. I would have to say, realtors, builders and those seeking to make a quick profit from cheap money and oil that allowed for a bubble in the housing market are as much to blame as is our local government because they are part and parcel a big part of local government.
Having said that, it's important to recognize greed is a base component of human nature and the only way to combat it and mitigate its impacts is to provide good policies and procedures carried out in a transparent and efficient way. Archuleta County does not have the leadership in place to do that right now, and as another saying goes 'Democracy is a system that makes sure the voters get no better than they deserve.' |
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