4 great articles in today's Denver Post (relocating, jobs, sick)

[jazzlover]

There are four great articles in the Denver Post today. They should be required reading:

Energy, tourism vie over Western Slope - The Denver Post

Dude ranch tradition disappearing - The Denver Post

The megapolitan west - The Denver Post

Urban sprawl drives up the cost of living - The Denver Post

After reading them, one can draw some pretty stark conclusions--all of which I have been saying for some time:

1. Colorado's natural and historical heritage is increasingly being squandered for energy and suburban development--and, indeed, the pressure to do this is accelerating.

2. Much of Colorado's population, living in suburbia and intoxicated on their own exhaust fumes, doesn't even understand what is happening or don't care anymore even if they do. They certainly do not want to hear that how and where they live is directly contributing to the destruction that is occurring all across the state, along with building a whole lot of fiscal and infrastructure ticking time bombs. That is an "inconvenient truth" that they sure as hell don't want to acknowledge.

3. Colorado's current living arrangement is going to be largely unsustainable within a very few years, yet we continue to expand it and even subsidize it.

It is a sickening scenario to watch unfold. Worse yet, anyone who dares suggest that our current direction is long-term suicide is pilloried as being "negative," ant-growth, anti-transplant, or just plain mean. We long-time natives and residents are admonished to just shut up because we are a bunch of dumb sweaty rednecks who are being "selfish" about wanting to protect what is precious about Colorado. That's tantamount to telling someone who is getting their eyes gouged out and their limbs amputated that they should just "quit being selfish," "get over it," and take one for the team. I, for one, am not inclined to do that.

Read the articles, and connect the dots. It all ties together, and the picture is not pretty.

[MN2CO]

Jazz, I don't blame you for feeling as you do - I'm sure I would feel the same way. For many years, MN was known as the welfare state - bring all your kids and live off the state - consequently, we got alot of crime along with it. No one was happy about it. But, but, but..............I'm still moving there. I sat quietly on the side because I knew you and others didn't want to hear of yet 1 more person moving to your beloved state. I will try to not leave a huge footprint because of it. Solution - don't know..............

[onthamove]

i dont get it this is the usa its all about FREEDOM if everyone wants to live in colorado they can, sure it'd become a *****hole overnight but i just do not understand everyones negative attitudes towards californians, they are just relocating in search of a better life and who can blame them with places like san fransico openly welcoming crime? Who wants to live there? I guess if you want a guaranteed 70 and sun 365 days a year then ok but people move to better and improve there situations. While some think colorado is bursting at the seems i have got to disagree in atleast some way. Outside of the I25 corridor Colorado is a open land with very few people. And i know the argument is that that the area the growth is out of control but people will be forced to move at some times and others will relocate into other remote areas of the state. The face of colorado may also be changing and that is sad but so is everywhere else time will do that. I cant say i have read the other article but i think the price of living has skyrockted everywhere its just part of the times and current cycle we are in. I feel for Jazz in that he can remeber a very different colorado and its not really a good kind of differrent. My question being outside of the I25 corridor colorado is far from bursting. from springs to collins may be out of control but other than that is the state truly that crowded?

[jazzlover]

onthamove,

What you, and many others, lack is historical perspective. Consider this:

It took Colorado from all of history to 1930 to reach 1 million population, then 40 years to reach 2 million, 10 years to reach nearly 3 million, only 10 years to add nearly another million and a half. See the pattern?

In 1970, when I was about your age, Douglas County had a population of 8,407. That's right--8,407. 2007: 272,117! That's "only" a 3,137% increase in less than 40 years! Is out of control growth a problem in Colorado? Duh!

Saying growth is only a problem on the Front Range is myopic. That's like saying cancer is bad only when it's in half of your body. First, growth is an issue statewide--many Colorado counties are growing faster than their resources can withstand. Just because a place appears "uncrowded" to Eastern or Midwestern sensibilities does not mean that it is not attempting to accommodate more people than available resources (especially water) can sustain. There is strong evidence that the southwestern US (including Colorado) is ALREADY overpopulated related to the available resources in the region. Second, those big metropolitan areas are also sucking resources (again, water) from a far-flung area of Colorado. Their impact reaches far and wide--to hundreds of miles from the "metroplex," if one takes time to actually look.

Admittedly, overpopulation is a worldwide problem, by no means limited to Colorado. But sticking our heads in the sand and failing to acknowledge and address the issue here will do nothing except assure that this precious place will get wrecked along with everywhere else. Hardly an admirable strategy.

Also, this is a good read: http://www.npg.org/poll0301/colorado.pdf

Originally Posted by onthamove

i dont get it this is the usa its all about FREEDOM if everyone wants to live in colorado they can, sure it'd become a *****hole overnight but i just do not understand everyones negative attitudes towards californians, they are just relocating in search of a better life and who can blame them with places like san fransico openly welcoming crime? Who wants to live there? I guess if you want a guaranteed 70 and sun 365 days a year then ok but people move to better and improve there situations. While some think colorado is bursting at the seems i have got to disagree in atleast some way. Outside of the I25 corridor Colorado is a open land with very few people. And i know the argument is that that the area the growth is out of control but people will be forced to move at some times and others will relocate into other remote areas of the state. The face of colorado may also be changing and that is sad but so is everywhere else time will do that. I cant say i have read the other article but i think the price of living has skyrockted everywhere its just part of the times and current cycle we are in. I feel for Jazz in that he can remeber a very different colorado and its not really a good kind of differrent. My question being outside of the I25 corridor colorado is far from bursting. from springs to collins may be out of control but other than that is the state truly that crowded?

[onthamove]

i take your point well jazz 3000+ % increase is insane, i guess the only question i have is how do you combat population growth? i mean you can never tell people that they can or cannot move to a certain state or region. how do you combat it? i mean their are some things you can't fight this may not be "unfightable" but how do you mitigate the growth? gonna give the npq link a read...

[onthamove]

overpopulation is a issue america faces not just the southwest
City Mayors: Fastest growing US cities

[Mr. Answers]

The last article is an out and out lie. The first few are kinda whiny. People seem to like Colorado and, naturally, want to move there. With them come jobs, tax revenue, and the sort of noteriety that gives Denver major conventions and events. Of course crime and pollution comes along with it. But most Coloradans have an only sentimental connection to the old west (which, notably, was most characterized by rapid growth and expansion). The enviro-crazies at the Post will publish this stuff from time to time. Fortunately, most people ignore it.

I miss the Colorado I knew growing up. But it has a lot more to do with political leadership and general attitudes now than the influx of people then.

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by Mr. Answers

The last article is an out and out lie.

Apparently you have never spent any time working in or with local or state government. I have. I found not one bullet point in that article that is not absolutely true.

[Noahma]

the only constant in life is change, Colorado will continue to change and nothing can stop it. It is our job to preserve what we can of the past but look toward our ever changing future.

[onthamove]

so Noahma are you saying overpopulation is not a problem?