To the editor,

A vote for Kim Martin for the 9R school board is a vote for high educational standards in Durango.  She sets high expectations for herself and would strive for nothing less from teachers and students in the district. I think her years of experience and dedication to education make her an excellent choice in this important election.

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Bag fee is symbol of commitment

To the editor,

Some thoughts about the ballot issue on the check-out bag ordinance: I will be mailing my ballot with a YES vote for upholding the ordinance – a vote for environmental impact as well as a symbol of commitment.

 

Bag fees actually save clogs in sewer systems – yes, now happening in Durango; save the litter of bags caught in trees when blowing in the wind; save adding those bags to truck loads carrying garbage to landfills often miles from where the garbage can sits. In the scope of the garbage on Earth, this may be a drop in the environmental bucket, but which drop is it that makes the bucket overflow with impact?

 

Environmental impact is not all that’s involved, symbolic commitment is as well. Symbols of commitment surround us. Look at the American flag – freedom coupled with responsibility; your wedding ring, your religious/spiritual symbols, maybe your cowboy hat, your bumper sticker. Now imagine the symbol on your grocery receipt – 10 cents for a bag – commitment to the beauty of our fair city, our nation, our oceans, our planet, our children, their children and their children. It  is also a reminder to bring your own, clean reusable bag to the grocery store next time.

 

Let’s continue following our city councilors’ lead along with 100 plus other places in the USA that have an ordinance, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Washington D.C., and New York City. Durango is not working to make an impact in isolation. Please join me in voting yes for the wisely crafted city bag ordinance on your mail in ballot – coming to you the week of Oct. 14.

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Secure our emergency services

To the editor,

On Nov.5, voters in the City of Durango and much of rural La Plata County can secure the future of our emergency services.

 

The Durango Fire and Rescue Authority formed in 2002 by cooperative agreement of the City of Durango, the Animas Fire Protection District (AFPD), and the Hermosa Cliffs Fire Protection District (HCFPD). Since then, it has provided excellent emergency services but has been plagued by inefficient governance and potentially unstable funding.

 

Attempts to rectify the situation through creation of the Durango Fire Protection District (DFPD), succeeded only in forming yet another governing board, but without funding to take over consolidated management.

 

A new proposal seeks to reduce government by elimination of four boards, leaving only the elected members of the DFPD Board of Directors, and to secure a sustainable financial future for DFPD without increasing taxes. This outcome requires passage of three separate ballot issues, one in each fire district and one in the City.

 

- Animas Fire voters must approve paying property taxes to DFPD (instead of AFPD) at a rate of 5.7 mills, the average of the AFPD rate over the last 10 years. AFPD then would pay off its bond debt, transfer its assets to DFPD, and dissolve.

 

- Hermosa Cliffs voters must approve the same tax levy for DFPD, a small decrease for them. HCFPD would likewise proceed to dissolution.

- Durango voters must authorize the City Council to enter into a long-term contract for emergency services from DFPD, paying the City’s fair share of costs from general revenue, as in the past, and not from a dedicated property tax.

 

For details see www.durangofirerescue.org/public_ docs_district.html.

 

To ensure that city residents and businesses continue to receive the same quality services as the voting members of DFPD, the proposed contract includes strict performance guidelines.  Further, although the DFPD Board is drawn only from district property owners, not from Durango residents, the DFPD Board always has included strong representation from the Durango business community. 

 

The referendums have unanimous support from all the present governing boards. I urge voters in the City and in the AFPD and HCFPD to approve their ballot issues.

– Durango Mayor Dick White

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The real price of transit cuts

To the editor,

It was sad to read about the fiscal problems of Durango’s transit. It is important to note that there is only one system in the world that shows a profit, that being in China where passengers ride on the roof. All transportation is subsidized, including highways.

 

The past session of the State Legislature put exactly $0 into CDOT, leaving them with a budget of just 50 percent of what it was two years ago. Given the truth that public education is $960 million in the hole and nothing much going into highways, the end result is clear: sitting in a five-hour delay on I-70 this winter with a carload of dumb kids.

 

P.S. I love all of La Plata County

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Dump poo bags for composters

Dear Editor,

Why doesn’t Durango do away with those little green poop bags and replace them with composting bins that could provide fertilizer for the parks? It might cost more but it would be better for the environment. Instead of plastic they could use heavy-duty paper towels that could go right into the composer as well.