‘Voices & Thoughts’ Archives
The Tax Hikes That Republicans Love
The Tax Hikes That Republicans Love A Commentary By Joe Conason Saturday, October 15, 2011 From the tea parties to the corporate boardrooms to the presidential debate platforms, we hear a familiar droning whine about taxes -- except the angry message is no longer simply that taxes are too high. Today, conservative politicians and pundits complain instead that some people, namely those too poor to owe federal income taxes, aren't paying enough. So what if those ... Full Story
Red Rock, I ran the numbers
I ran the numbers that were provided by Red Rocks Academy in the Berthoud Surveyor on the proposed charter school. As Red Rocks freely admits, the "money follows the student.” I have attached the spreadsheet of that money so that you can see the impact. Now, if a school has already been built, as have all the Berthoud schools, then there are fixed costs associated with their operation that must be covered. Fixed costs are just that: fixed. If there are no children in the school, they are the ... Full Story
The class warfare the rich don’t understand
Al Jazeera The class warfare the rich don't understand The Masters of the Universe evaded responsibility and defiantly demanded more sacrifice from their victims, says author. By Heather Digby Parton, Last Modified: 10 Oct 2011 09:43 "Those who own the country ought to govern it." - Founding father, John Jay There have been rumblings in the corners of the Tea party movement for some time, but the minute president Obama announced that he was going to ask wealthy Americans ... Full Story
No to charter school
Some people are in line to make money on this charter school project, but what it will do is to tear our town apart. Berthoud is too small for a charter school. Yes, they can probably do it. The school board will turn the application down and then the state will approve it. This is all planned out already. Why don't the organizers ask the people of Berthoud through a vote and let us see if they are really in this to help the people or just in it for themselves. If the school is built, ... Full Story
How much does a congressman cost
All Posts Editorial Opinion As we consider ways to cut costs, perhaps the congress should consider eliminating itself. At least some of itself. It is expensive to keep a congressman in office. How much does it cost to have a man or woman in the House of Representatives? The house publishes a Statement of Disbursements, which you can access by going to this site; http://disbursements.house.gov/. This document is over 3000 pages and covers the expenses incurred in running the offices of ... Full Story
Larimer County Issue 1A
Issue 1A on the ballot gets a thumbs up from me. Government was instituted to provide protection to the citizens. The Sheriff’s Office and the County Jail deputies have been doing that quite well in recent years. The sales tax that funds a significant portion of the jail expires very soon. That’s a problem! Without funding, the Sheriff will be forced to cut back on many of the effective programs from the jail. I’ve seen the kind of people who are kept in the jail and I ... Full Story
Waiting for the Other Shoe to Drop
We can't seem to be able to rein in unprecedented spending or come anywhere close to balancing the budget. But now watch for a huge push to expand the role (and budget) of FEMA in the weeks and months to come. FEMA still hasn't recovered what it laid out for "Katrina", but we've got fires, and twisters, and quakes, OH MY! Remember those days before FEMA existed? Hard to do so, isn't it? Just like trying to remember how our schools possibly functioned before the Department of Education, ... Full Story
Support the deputies
Did you realize that Larimer County’s Jail is one of the most efficiently and effectively run jails anywhere around? The jail staff has worked with the judges, the public defenders, the cops and the DA to make sure that they are using the best practices in operating the jail. The deputies at the jail need your help because much of their funding is scheduled to expire soon. Vote YES on 1A on your election ballot and assure that the deputies at the jail have the resources they need to ... Full Story
Answering Joe Dion’s Stomping Stamps
EBT means Electronic-Balance-Transfer. While, yes, the EBT card may hold "food stamp" benefits for some, others get cash assistance and can use the card, like a debit card, most anywhere credit cards are accepted. What Mr. Dion saw "Mr. EBT" doing at McDonalds˙ was not purchasing fast food with food stamps but with a cash allowance. Yes the entire welfare system is out of control. But the reader needs to take a look around the whole warren not just the one little rabbit hole he seems to ... Full Story
Obituary: Thomas Harry Durst
Thomas Harry Durst, 63, of Berthoud died October 4, 2011 at his home. He was born February 27, 1948 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Harry and Kathleen Durst. Thomas worked as an overland hauling truck driver for 41 years. In December of 1982, he married Virginia Clara Perrine in Easton, Pennsylvania. Thomas enjoyed western movies, horses, rodeos, NASCAR racing and the Green Bay Packers. His nickname was Rattlesnake. Thomas had been living in Berthoud for the past four and half ... Full Story
