Rob Douglas: Scott Ford is a model citizen
This week, the Steamboat Today reported that economic analyst Scott Ford terminated his relationship with Yampa Valley Data Partners because of political fallout resulting from Ford’s public statements to the Steamboat Springs City Council criticizing the timing and terms of the pending sale of the city’s downtown emergency services building.
Rob Douglas: 'Shambolic' America
The dysfunction of our representatives in Washington is a Colorado story, just as it’s a Steamboat story and a Main Street, USA, story.
Rob Douglas: Return to regular order
A seemingly endless series of Washington-induced fiscal crises is what happens when just three individuals — the president, the Senate majority leader and the Speaker of the House — continually thwart the regular order process that served Congress and the executive branch well for several hundred years.
Rob Douglas: Newtown and America's violent culture
America, especially in many of our urban neighborhoods, is a violent nation with murder ingrained in its culture. Will the eradication of 26 innocent lives in Connecticut finally shock us into action?
Rob Douglas: Time to speak up
Next Tuesday, the Steamboat Springs City Council will meet at 5 p.m. in Centennial Hall to decide whether to sell the city’s emergency services building on Yampa Street to Big Agnes, BAP and Honey Stinger. While Tuesday’s vote is the first of two that are required to consummate the sale — the second vote is scheduled for Jan. 8 — it is the vote that will, in all practicality, decide whether the sale is completed as currently conceived.
Rob Douglas: Monkey see, monkey do
One arena of government groupthink that has received far too little attention is the use of taxpayer funds to incentivize corporations to create or maintain operations in the jurisdiction providing the incentive.
Rob Douglas: Time for clarity regarding infrastructure expenses
Are the residents of Steamboat being presented with a straightforward, complete and timely picture of what future infrastructure expenses they will be asked to shoulder?
Rob Douglas: Barkey, Wiggins, Rae and 64
Last week’s decision by Colorado voters to legalize the recreational use of marijuana has triggered an avalanche of local, state and national reaction.
Rob Douglas: Mary Jane and the Republican Party
On Tuesday night, it’s a safe bet more than a few card-carrying members of the Grand Old Party sought tearful solace in the company of Jim Beam, Jack Daniels and Johnnie Walker.
Rob Douglas: Are we not better than this?
What are we to make of a society that stands mute while unborn children who test positive for undesired mental or physical conditions are at risk of being aborted by their parents?
Rob Douglas: Yampa Street deal unfair to citizens
It’s unconscionable to spend millions of dollars on extravagant new police headquarters when those funds could be used to prevent the need for property owners to pay for storm water infrastructure.
Rob Douglas: Roberts needed to go
This week, a desire by a majority of the City Council to fire City Manager Jon Roberts culminated with Roberts resigning. Truth be told, it was time for Roberts to go.
Rob Douglas: There's no free money
This week, while watching residents plead for the continuation of the Yellow Line as a “free” bus service, a variation of the adage “There’s no such thing as a free lunch” kept coming to mind.
Rob Douglas: People before buildings
The Steamboat Springs City Council should cast its eyes on the news release announcing TIC’s departure from Steamboat Springs. Specifically, they should examine TIC’s logo.
Rob Douglas: ‘Dealin’s done’
Steve Hofman and the other members of his Sleeping Giant Group might want to wander down to All That Jazz and pick up a copy of Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler.”
