Bob De Vries: Survey native-born
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Steamboat Springs — There have been many surveys regarding a new recreation center. Here are two questions I would like to see:
- Survey all adults born and raised in Steamboat Springs to see if they want to spend $34 million.
- Survey all the children who want a recreation center and ask how many of them are going to stay in Steamboat Springs and help pay for it.
My wife and I raised three boys here and all of them have successful careers somewhere else. Between friends, school, sports, hobbies and part-time jobs, they didn't have any spare time.
If you don't have all the facilities here that you had before, maybe you should have stayed there.
Bob De Vries
Steamboat Springs
Comments
jack legrice 5 years, 7 months ago
RIGHT ON Bob!!!! Vote no on the rec center.
doug monger 5 years, 7 months ago
Yes indeed, not to mention that we have millions of public lands to recreate on many of them right out the front door. If you can't find a place to recreate in Steamboat I would contend that you are really not looking, and are more readily looking for an excuse.
Bog 5 years, 7 months ago
I don't really care one way or another about the rec center, but I am sick of the "superiority complex" of people who are born here feeling they are something special.
I have lived here 15 years after moving from Denver, at what point do I become a local? If your biggest accomplishment in life is being born here, perhaps you need to begin achieving on your own rather than gloating about your parents living here when you were born.
The Hermacinski for City Council ad (I don't know her) shows a picture of her great grandmother in Routt County 1924, and her slogan is about being a native. This is why I should vote for her? Perhaps natives should wear t-shirts in addition to the bumper stickers so that we can bow to them on the streets.
I moved to Colorado when I was six, have now lived here 36 years, but I guess that doesn't count since I was born in North Dakota. Let's stick to the issues and people's experience, not just their birthplace.
steamboatskier 5 years, 7 months ago
bog raises a great point. I was born and raised here, but that should have no reflection on whether the recreation center should be built or not.
Utimately, it should be up to the tax payers, but the amount of money spent should also be up to the tax payers, as well.
another_local 5 years, 7 months ago
By the way I met Cari Hermacinski for the first time at the candidate event in the park Friday. I was impressed. Also, if you have seen her other ads, I think you might change your views. The others I have seen do not harp on the "native" card.
steamvent 5 years, 7 months ago
Cari Hermacinski's ad doesn't claim status as a native as much as declaring that she returned here to raise her family and wants to ensure we don't all screw up why we all came here ... whenever it was.
Matthew Stoddard 5 years, 7 months ago
As a non-native living here 29 years, what percentage of my vote counts compared to a 20yr old that was born here? I've been here 9yrs longer and I'm 20yrs older.
Then, let's go onto this one:
What if that same 20yr old was born here, but his/her parents only moved here 1 year before the birth?
What about the parents who were born here, moved away and had kids, then moved back after 10yrs?
Or, what about the 20yr old who was born here, but then his/her parents move away after the child is 18yrs old and the child still lives here?
How much weight do those scenarios carry in voting terms, Bob? (BTW- with all that extra stuff, did your children develop ulcers?)
corduroy 5 years, 7 months ago
I find it really funny how we all argue about who is more of a local or whatever To me, if you live here year round, you're a local. Those who come and go with the seasons, aren't.. Doesn't that make sense?
id04sp 5 years, 7 months ago
If we don't have what you want, Delta is ready when you are. Don't expect the rest of us to fund something that only a few percent of the county population will actually use.
twostroketerror 5 years, 7 months ago
How to spot a local? Simply look for the oversize SUV with the solo driver on a cell phone, sporting a 'local' sticker on the back, an amazing refusal to use their turn signal (I live here, you know where I'm going!) and driving 30-35 through downtown. Easy enough.
addlip2U 5 years, 7 months ago
Oh my :-( ""For the record, the June 2007 survey showed, "Generic support for a recreation center remains consistently high (60%) -- same as last year." The August 20-22, 2006, Poll Findings of 300 voters in the City of Steamboat Springs found the following: "In general, do you support or oppose the idea of having the city of Steamboat Springs build a recreation center?" 65% said Support; 26% Oppose; 10% Don't Know."""
WOW, a survey !!!! of 300 votes....that really makes a credible representation of the nearly 10,000 population. NOT.
BoulderGrad are you familiar with statistical analysis to get a proper (survey) number and demographical representation to make the survey and its resulst credible?
Who ever authorized the funds to proceed to develop plans on a survey of only 300 participants was irresponsible to us tax payers. That survey carry no merit.
And neither does the rec center to be built with tax payers money.
jeannie berger 5 years, 7 months ago
I will repeat myself by saying that I was one of the "300" surveyed in June of 2007. Not one of the questions on the phone survey asked the "generic" question of whether or not I supported the building of a new rec center. How can this be an honest survey regarding the support of a new rec center when that wasn't one of the questions? Please explain this to me Bouldergrad.
retiredinss 5 years, 7 months ago
In reading these comments it appears that very few have actually seen the June 2007 survey results. If they had they would know that the question of the lowest cost option, about $15 million, barely made a majority approval. Once the price climbed to the $34 million with all the options, the against had reached between 65 and 70%. This was a survey of likely SS voters, so should come pretty close to showing what folks who go to the polls believe.
jeannie berger 5 years, 7 months ago
Where can one go to see the survey results?
retiredinss 5 years, 7 months ago
To dreamriver23-
I suggest that you address that question to City Council, the City Manager and/or the Parks and Recreation Department. These were the folks involved in commissioning the survey.
jeannie berger 5 years, 7 months ago
Thanks retiredinss.
colobob 5 years, 7 months ago
It's not so much an issue of wheather or not you were born or raised here, its more a matter of why you moved here in the first place. Most people came here for the small town atmosphere along with the outstanding OUTDOOR recreational opportunities that Steamboat has to offer. Now there are those moving here that want to turn this place into a place similar to one they came from............., one with all the amenities. Again, it makes you wonder why they moved here in the first place.
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