[UncleTrail]

Only in Boulder

Pol wants legal protection for dogs to chase squirrels | The Daily Caller

" the city council considered changes to a program that allows dog owners - or "guardians" in Boulder parlance - to let their pets run off-leash on city-owned open space. Dogs that pass a voice-command test are given green tags that allow them to run free, but the tags can be revoked if dogs are deemed to be out of control.

"We have heard from so many dog guardians that they fear chasing a squirrel up a tree would cause them to lose privileges for their pet," Cowles wrote in an email to city staff. "Can staff draft an exception for chasing a squirrel up a tree?"

​

Dog Guardians? ROFL

If there were a Special Olympics for politicians Boulder would win every year.

 

[SkaredShtles]

"Special Olympics for politicians"... :lol:

 

[honkinunit]

Both the Boulder City Council and County Commissioners are not only whack, but dangerously out of control. The City Council just rejected a modification to their ethics rules to simply require a member of the council to divulge the property they have a financial interest in that is under the scope of their decision-making. In other words, they are free to make rules that benefit their property, with no one knowing that it is a conflict of interest. The discussions they had around this were positively Orwellian.

The county recently put liens on over 10,000 properties to pay for road maintenance on COUNTY-OWNED roads for which the the owners had already been paying taxes for decades. The County has siphoned off all the road maintenance money to pay for social programs, and now that the roads are in shambles, they simply created a special improvement district out of thin air and slapped every person affected with a lien. It is absolutely crazy.

This is what happens when one party holds exclusive control for decades. It is exactly the same as what you see in Chicago.

 

[smmokan]

The county recently put liens on over 10,000 properties to pay for road maintenance on COUNTY-OWNED roads for which the the owners had already been paying taxes for decades. The County has siphoned off all the road maintenance money to pay for social programs, and now that the roads are in shambles, they simply created a special improvement district out of thin air and slapped every person affected with a lien. It is absolutely crazy.

I'm one of those affected by this- I already had to pay the first half of this year's assessment because it was automatically added to our property tax. I'll be following the upcoming litigation closely, as I think Boulder County is going to lose the lawsuit since what they're trying is so obviously wrong. Aside from the fact that the county has been paying these taxes for decades (as you stated), their estimate for the work being done is so astronomically high that they're clearly working with someone to get more money than needed. It's not a huge amount each year, but the principle of what they did is so wrong that they need to get burned hard.

Oh, and the updated dog-leash laws are f*cked too. Charging Boulder County residents twice as much for the tag as City of Boulder residents? I have a TH right across the street from my house (in Niwot), but I have to pay twice as much to use it with my dogs? Go f*ck yourselves.

 

[UncleTrail]

The County has siphoned off all the road maintenance money to pay for social programs, and now that the roads are in shambles

Road Maint funding comes from gas taxes.

Are you sure you don't mean road capital improvements/upgrades?

We have the PPRTA down here. I think that's what they are doing in Boulder.

I take care of the gas tax reporting for EPC road maint. and it's pretty strict in how that money is used. Chip seal, cracks and overlays is about it. I don't think you could divert it to other things without CDOT coming down on you.

But yeah capital imps don't get funded from gas tax. That's what happens when developers get special favors and aren't required to perform road imps as part of the approval process.

Remember "you didn't build that"? Well the government doesn't build those roads either. The developers are supposed to pay for those upgrades. And the costs are (should be) reflected in the price of your homes and businesses. If it isn't, then whatever developer who built your home got a favor and you probably are getting burned with an new tax to pay for the road upgrades. Cronyism.

 

[honkinunit]

Road Maint funding comes from gas taxes.

Are you sure you don't mean road capital improvements/upgrades?

We have the PPRTA down here. I think that's what they are doing in Boulder.

I take care of the gas tax reporting for EPC road maint. and it's pretty strict in how that money is used. Chip seal, cracks and overlays is about it. I don't think you could divert it to other things without CDOT coming down on you.

But yeah capital imps don't get funded from gas tax. That's what happens when developers get special favors and aren't required to perform road imps as part of the approval process.

Remember "you didn't build that"? Well the government doesn't build those roads either. The developers are supposed to pay for those upgrades. And the costs are (should be) reflected in the price of your homes and businesses. If it isn't, then whatever developer who built your home got a favor and you probably are getting burned with an new tax to pay for the road upgrades. Cronyism.

The roads in question were built when the subdivisions were created, and then turned over to the county, who then assumed maintenance. The homeowners were assessed each and every year for said maintenance through their property taxes. The county took the money and diverted it to other uses, and now that the roads are falling apart, they created a "LID", and slapped liens on over 10,000 houses. No one slapped with a lien signed onto the LID, it was unilaterally created and overlaid onto every property in an unincorporated area that was shown as being in a "subdivision".

 

[UncleTrail]

The roads in question were built when the subdivisions were created, and then turned over to the county, who then assumed maintenance. The homeowners were assessed each and every year for said maintenance through their property taxes. The county took the money and diverted it to other uses, and now that the roads are falling apart, they created a "LID", and slapped liens on over 10,000 houses. No one slapped with a lien signed onto the LID, it was unilaterally created and overlaid onto every property in an unincorporated area that was shown as being in a "subdivision".

Holy cow. That sucks. I hope you win your lawsuit.

FAQs - Boulder county Fairness In Road Maintenance (FIRM)

 

[GL1]

Both the Boulder City Council and County Commissioners are not only whack, but dangerously out of control. The City Council just rejected a modification to their ethics rules to simply require a member of the council to divulge the property they have a financial interest in that is under the scope of their decision-making. In other words, they are free to make rules that benefit their property, with no one knowing that it is a conflict of interest. The discussions they had around this were positively Orwellian.

The county recently put liens on over 10,000 properties to pay for road maintenance on COUNTY-OWNED roads for which the the owners had already been paying taxes for decades. The County has siphoned off all the road maintenance money to pay for social programs, and now that the roads are in shambles, they simply created a special improvement district out of thin air and slapped every person affected with a lien. It is absolutely crazy.

This is what happens when one party holds exclusive control for decades. It is exactly the same as what you see in Chicago.

Well said and completely what I've seen as well in my life. Power corrupts...liberal and conservative alike. Crazy! And most of these now Democrat politicos in Boulder were railing against this kind of thing in the 60's and have now become their own little fascists.

I don't know what to say except don't get blinded by party lines, get involved, and don't buy property in Boulder.

 

[bipolarbear]

This rule is perfect. My dog always listens, until he sees a squirrel, deer, elk, bird, bear, chipmunk, or snake. Then he should be allowed to chase these animals as he pleases. But alas, I do not live in Boulder.