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Here are some of the stories we are following this week. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for up-to-the-minute news.
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Despite the deception from Governor Jared Polis, Colorado is, in practice, a sanctuary state. This recent report from Advance Colorado details how all the sanctuary policies that the legislature has passed and the governor has signed show clearly that we do live in a sanctuary state.
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As if to prove the point, Colorado will use taxpayer funds to file a lawsuit to stop the disclosure of Medicaid data that could help law enforcement track down illegal aliens. They see you as their personal ATM for all their sanctuary state hopes and dreams.
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Part of the Big Beautiful Bill that passed recently will eliminate taxpayer-funded Medicaid coverage for people who are able to work but refuse to, and for illegal aliens. There’s talk in Denver of holding a special session to see how they can make you, the Colorado taxpayer, pay for this instead. The Colorado government represents the citizens it wants, not the citizens it swore an oath to represent.
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Speaking of Polis and the costs of his deception, are you ready for rolling blackouts? This prediction will come true if we continue along the green energy path that Governor Polis is forcing us down.
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This week in People Who Have Too Much Time on Their Hands, one out-of-state group is pursuing a ban on fur sales in Colorado.
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If you had a second chance to vote on the taxpayer-funded school lunches for all program, how would you vote? You may get the opportunity to cancel this unsustainable and harmful program in November.
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Also in government cost overrun news, the wolf reintroduction program has, so far, cost $2.2 million more than projected. Don’t worry, though; they can just steal more from you to make up this deficit.
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One particularly malicious and radical Colorado legislator is raking in taxpayer dollars. Representative Lorena Garcia, who was appointed to her seat after the candidate who was elected resigned, runs a non-profit that you support with tax dollars. Thanks to taxpayers, she lives very well.
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The Colorado Court of Appeals recently sided with a lower court. It determined that the Flying W Ranch neighbors, who don’t like the larger-than-planned water tower constructed in their neighborhood by Colorado Springs Utilities, can pound sand.
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Tax revenue is declining in several Colorado counties. Sales tax collections decreased $3 billion in just one year. When the government takes more and more of your money up front, there is less money for them to steal in sales taxes.
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Residents in El Paso County are, rightly, concerned about the impact rampant development has on the water supply.
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The median home price in Colorado Springs has reached $500,000. If you were just starting out in life, could you afford to buy a home at that price?
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The Colorado Springs City Council is discussing a plan to make Downtown Colorado Springs more inviting. Maybe people would like downtown better if the government would stop coddling all the urban campers and drug users.
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The Colorado Springs City Council passed an ordinance to spend the new tax revenue they expect to receive from recreational marijuana sales. Some of this money may go toward increasing security downtown to manage all the taxpayer-funded street people.
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Will the latest effort to revamp the Colorado Springs City Auditorium be a success? The previous attempt failed miserably. Colorado Springs has voted to lease this facility to a local manager to see if this property can be used profitably.
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The City of Colorado Springs is being sued over the Pine Creek Village “affordable housing” apartment complex. Plaintiffs allege the city violated TABOR and other constitutional provisions in securing funding for this development.
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Do you get the sense that Colorado Springs government agencies offer more talk than action on issues that are critical to you?
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Colorado Springs is rolling out new changes to metered parking in the city, including upgraded, solar-powered meters.
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The Springs Rescue Mission is running low on money and has laid off 23 employees. Services will still be delivered as planned.
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Were you able to attend any of the Colorado Springs Parks Master Plan meetings? If not, we recorded the July 9th virtual meeting for you to review.
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Mayor Mike Johnston of Denver is still planning to lay off government employees, as the city struggles with a $250 million budget shortfall.
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Denver has a new big idea to help draw people downtown. They are considering constructing a nearly 700-foot-tall observation tower. All the drug-addled vagrants would look like ants from that height.
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Also in Denver this week, an RTD director has been removed due to behavior problems. Apparently, this director consistently acted very unprofessionally and was nasty to other staff members.
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Denver is also planning to build a fancy, taxpayer-funded bridge for all the vagrants to camp on.
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Sticking with the theme of the failure that is Denver, the Denver City Council has given preliminary approval for a measure to abolish minimum parking requirements for development in the city. This law would also allow existing businesses and housing developments to reduce parking. This is just another step toward eliminating your ability to drive an automobile and live as you please.
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But wait, there’s more! Denver is handing out taxpayer-funded grants so that people can do something “cool” with their neighborhood. This is despite having a budget shortfall of $250 million. How did we ever do cool things with our neighborhoods without taxpayer money in the past?
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A U.S. District Court judge has dismissed a legal challenge from the family of the alleged Boulder terrorist attacker. The judge says the family of this attacker can be deported.
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In related news, the Boulder illegal alien terrorist attacker is now facing murder charges, since one of his victims has died.
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The Department of Justice is charging hundreds of people in a massive, $14.6 billion Medicaid fraud scheme. This is a disgusting abuse of taxpayer funds. Why should we pay more and more in taxes when current public servants are horrible stewards of the taxes they already collect?
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Do you have the right to live wherever you want, even if you can't afford a particular neighborhood, and need taxpayers to subsidize your lifestyle? It likely won’t surprise you to know that some people are in favor of this.
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The Colorado Court of Appeals has decided that Netflix subscriptions are tangible personal property. So, Colorado can tax them. There’s no end to how hard they will scheme to take more from you.
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While the government is working against you, our friends at Advance Colorado are working for you. They are creating a ballot measure that would eliminate state income taxes on overtime and tips.
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The federal government has frozen $71 million in education grants. When you look at the details, these funds were allocated to after-school care, meals, and teacher training, not core education.
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Some Colorado organizations that stand to benefit from promoting the idea of an affordable housing crisis published a study that promotes the idea that there is an affordable housing crisis in Colorado. None of the solutions proposed include reducing taxes and letting people keep more of the money they earn.
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If you would like to help support us in our mission as government watchdogs by becoming a Newsletter Sponsor, we are offering two sponsorships for each weekly newsletter, at the nominal cost of $100 each. Funds raised from these sponsorship opportunities will help us to keep looking out for taxpayers.
Here are some upcoming meetings in the area. We hope you can attend one or more! If there are other public meetings you’d like to see announced here, please drop us a line. We are happy to include them in an upcoming newsletter. These might be government-related, candidate, or elected official meetings. Thanks!
Colorado Springs City Council Meetings
Tuesday, July 22, 9:00 a.m.
Colorado Springs City Council Work Session
107 N. Nevada, 3rd floor
Live stream link here
Agenda not yet posted
Tuesday, August 5, 9:00 a.m.
Colorado Springs City Council
107 N. Nevada, 3rd floor
Live stream link here
Agenda not yet posted
El Paso County Board of County Commissioners Meetings
Tuesday, July 22, 9:00 a.m.
El Paso County Board of County Commissioners
Centennial Hall
200 S. Cascade
Live stream link here
Agenda not yet posted
Tuesday, August 5, 9:00 a.m.
El Paso County Board of County Commissioners
Centennial Hall
200 S. Cascade
Live stream link here
Agenda not yet posted
Colorado Springs Utilities Board of Directors
Wednesday, July 16, 1:00 p.m.
Utilities Board of Directors
Blue River Board Room
Plaza of the Rockies, South Tower, 5th Floor
Live stream link here
Agenda not yet posted
Miscellaneous Meetings of Interest
Friday, July 25, 9:00 a.m.
Front Range Passenger Rail Board of Directors Meeting
Online Meeting - Registration Required
Information and Agenda
Monday, August 4, 6:00 p.m.
Law Enforcement Transparency and Advisory Committee
City Hall
107 S. Nevada Avenue, Suite 200
Also, online via Microsoft Teams
Information and Agenda
View the full Colorado Springs City Council meeting schedule here to see upcoming meetings.
View the full Board of El Paso County Commissioners meeting schedule here to see upcoming meetings.
View the full Colorado Springs Utilities Board meeting schedule here to see upcoming meetings. Please also follow CSU on their Facebook Page and on Twitter.
Don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube Channel. Since most of the City and County board and commission meetings are not televised or recorded, we are trying to remedy that. We now have a camera and tripod for volunteers to check out for future meetings.
If you have a tip about a story in the Pikes Peak region that you aren’t seeing reported, let us know. We will see what we can find out.
How to Contact City and County Officials:
City Hall
107 N. Nevada Avenue
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
(719) 385-5986
Contact City Council
Mayor's Office
30 S Nevada Avenue, Suite 601
Colorado Springs, CO 80901
(719) 385-5900
Contact Mayors Office
County Commissioners
200 South Cascade Avenue, Suite 100
Colorado Springs, CO 80903-2202
Phone: (719) 520-7276
https://www.elpasoco.com/contact-us/
Thank you!
Rebecca
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