SoapBox
D-Tooned/by Rob Pudim
Knowledge is money News coverage of the proposed library district for the City of Durango and the Durango Public Library fails to reveal some key issues. Apparently a consulting firm is to be hired. Are these funds to come from the city’s general fund, and if so, how much will the consultant cost? Why not use this money instead to expand library hours to include Sundays? Apparently approval of the library district would “free up” money within the city’s general fund. Creating a new library district means imposing a new property tax on Durango homeowners. How much will this new mill levy cost individual homeowners? And who sits on this five-member panel who is making the decision on whether to hire a consulting firm or not? Who chose the members of this panel? A city library is a valuable public resource that is rightfully funded by general fund tax dollars. Shifting the cost of library operations to a new taxing district, and in the process raising property taxes on homeowners, erodes trust in our local elected officials. – Chris Paulson, Durango
Stop World War 3 With NATO leaders conducting discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which made a truce during The Olympics, our government workers in Ukraine are warned to get out while there is still a window of time to leave alive. Seems like this standoff will turn ugly unless Putin gets an agreement where Ukraine does not join NATO. I believe if Ukraine gets to be recognized as a sovereign country, in writing of course, without more years of Soviet killings, no cyber-attacks and can legitimately live without other horrors, they can do without joining NATO.
If Putin – the literally richest man on Earth – breaks the rules, then he can have all of his treasures taken away through sanctions. Oligarchs that are Putin’s buddies could also have all of their treasures taken away. Leave the rest of the little people in Russia alone that
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want to live in peace like everyone else on Earth and not have one trigger-happy shot fired ever again, which could easily end up becoming a Nuclear World War 3 with no last man standing. – Sally Florence, Durango
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6 n Feb. 17, 2022
telegraph
