Beware: The anti-growth movement is a stalking horse for more government control over everyday life in Fort Collins.
Don't believe me? Just check out the tone of this column by longtime anti-business, anti-freedom activist Glen Colton.
Step 1: Declare a crisis.
Step 2: Declare that the people are on your side.
Step 2: Assert that only government can solve the "problem".
Go ahead, read the column. Then consider: If "growth" is the cause of all that ails society, well then bye gum, we need to do something to stop it, right?
What will that "cure" look like? Let me guess: Higher development fees to discourage people from coming to Colorado. Anti-job policies to eliminate the jobs that lure and keep people here. Attempts to force you out of your car, re-educate your consumer habits and even take control of what you throw away?
Maybe programs to limit the size of families? Don't laugh - we've got tiered water rates that punish larger families who have too many kids taking showers every day. (Or do you think that was just an unforeseen consequence?)
It's about control. And the "anti-growth" rhetoric is just another way of grabbing power from you.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Trash Math Letter
Good letter today in the Coloradoan from Eric Paul on the trash study issue.
We're seeing more and more of these letters as citizens begin to push back against spending $75,000 in tax dollars to study new and innovative ways to have the city tell them who they can do business with.
We're seeing more and more of these letters as citizens begin to push back against spending $75,000 in tax dollars to study new and innovative ways to have the city tell them who they can do business with.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Question.... and an Answer
Let's clear this up once and for all (thanks go out to commenter "Jack"):
State law makes it illegal to limit the commercial customers for a trash hauler. In other words, no matter what the city does with residential trash hauling, they can't tell a corner store in your neighborhood which hauler to use.
Trash haulers will be driving throughout the city of Fort Collins even if council creates districts, essentially rendering the whole "environment" and "roadway maintenance" arguments meaningless.
State law makes it illegal to limit the commercial customers for a trash hauler. In other words, no matter what the city does with residential trash hauling, they can't tell a corner store in your neighborhood which hauler to use.
Trash haulers will be driving throughout the city of Fort Collins even if council creates districts, essentially rendering the whole "environment" and "roadway maintenance" arguments meaningless.
"Trash Districting" Intro
One of the biggest Choice issues right now in Fort Collins is this bizarre push to either create "trash districts" or form a municipal utility to collect household garbage.
Basically, there are a group of busybodies who want to tell you which trash company you have to hire. They've got their organized operation, orchestrating pre-written letters-to-the-editor. They've created this perception that they speak for a large base of support (yet it always seems to be the same names on the letters). The City Council has given in to their noise campaign and set aside $75,000 in the new budget to "study" trash districting.
Unfortunately, their arguments rest on taking away our freedom as consumers to choose which companies we hire.
Unfortunately, their arguments rest on some distortions, fallacies and scare tactics.
Hopefully, this little blog will be a voice in the wilderness.
Basically, there are a group of busybodies who want to tell you which trash company you have to hire. They've got their organized operation, orchestrating pre-written letters-to-the-editor. They've created this perception that they speak for a large base of support (yet it always seems to be the same names on the letters). The City Council has given in to their noise campaign and set aside $75,000 in the new budget to "study" trash districting.
Unfortunately, their arguments rest on taking away our freedom as consumers to choose which companies we hire.
Unfortunately, their arguments rest on some distortions, fallacies and scare tactics.
Hopefully, this little blog will be a voice in the wilderness.
Introduction
Welcome to the Choice City, Fort Collins, Colorado.
Unfortunately, for some, the idea of "Choice" is meaningless.
In Fort Collins today, some of your basic freedoms are constantly under assault.
Busybodies on City Council and among some of the activist groups would just as soon dictate to you just about every aspect of how you live your life - how often you paint the house, how often you mow your lawn, even what foods you eat.
Hopefully, this blog will be something of a counter-point.
Over the next few months, you'll see quite a bit about the whole "trash districting" controversy here, and maybe that was one of the prime inspirations for this project. But the problem is much larger than a bunch of activists who want to tell you which trash hauler to hire.
So stay tuned.
Unfortunately, for some, the idea of "Choice" is meaningless.
In Fort Collins today, some of your basic freedoms are constantly under assault.
Busybodies on City Council and among some of the activist groups would just as soon dictate to you just about every aspect of how you live your life - how often you paint the house, how often you mow your lawn, even what foods you eat.
Hopefully, this blog will be something of a counter-point.
Over the next few months, you'll see quite a bit about the whole "trash districting" controversy here, and maybe that was one of the prime inspirations for this project. But the problem is much larger than a bunch of activists who want to tell you which trash hauler to hire.
So stay tuned.
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