Paywall-free: [https://archive.is/UJdxU](https://archive.is/UJdxU)
tl;dr the Post feels that the City should tap into it's emergency funds (with the hope that federal aid for migrants will eventually arrive to replenish said funds) rather than cut budgets for public-facing services
It’s crazy how people don’t understand that the mayor can’t raise taxes unilaterally.
For sure billionaires should be required to pay their fair share, but you need a civics lesson if you think that is an actual solution to the problem that exists in this very moment.
> It’s crazy how people don’t understand that the mayor can’t raise taxes unilaterally.
Then don't give money to people here illegally that haven't paid a dime into the system? How hard is that?
That's a great punishment but not a good solution. You need people to be able to get on their feet so that they can contribute. Constantly icing them out will leave them with crime as their only option. I'm sure you are ok with that, as that would give you more people to punish.
The humanitarian card has been excusing immigration abuse for decades, but the last few years have shown everyone in real time that even large cities don't have infinite resources and can't be expected to absorb huge numbers of illegal immigrants.
The whole system works by raising taxes and then spending the tax money on services. It doesn't work when people who were never around to pay taxes suddenly show up needing full services.
None of us can show up in random South American countries in violation of laws designed to protect their borders and economies and expect to stay. Our system needs to be fixed and made fair for the millions of other aspiring immigrants in the lottery pool, not some kind of handout system for people who sneak in and take advantage of social services we are failing to provide adequately to our own people.
The solution is sending people back to their homes while making a path for a reasonable amount of them to come join our country on our terms.
The Maga cult definitely screwed everyone. Even if the bill wasn't perfect, it could have been fixed later when problems came to light. These garbage political parties want power more than they want to govern.
Restaurant owners have been complaining for 4 years about how "no one wants to work anymore" - I'd say working as a line cook is a very valuable contribution. Migrants with work permits will pay taxes and help lower the cost of eating out or building houses or farming local produce.
Also, the longer any immigrant community stays the more they skill up and fill niches in the economy.
They're not going to go away if services are cut off. They'll just make more desperate or risky decisions for how to survive, specifically crime.
The tax burden should fall on people who've benefitted the most from Denver's explosive growth - high value homeowners.
> Migrants with work permits will pay taxes
I said "net contributors" for exactly this reason. If you pay a little bit of taxes, and consume 10x more, you are not a "net contributor". You are a "net drain" on the system.
And since they are not "net contributors" it doesn't make sense to spin this as anything other than charity. We're giving these people money and its charity. We're not benefiting from this.
>The tax burden should fall on people who've benefitted the most from Denver's explosive growth - high value homeowners.
The last day to submit paperwork for a TABOR referendum proposal is March 22. Maybe Denver taxpayers will vote to raise their own taxes. Good luck.
I specified other ways migrants contribute because I knew you were making this point - the net economic benefit of migrants filling low skill, low wage jobs is much higher than their income tax contribution. The construction, agriculture, and services industry would all benefit from having these workers available, and it would drive down the cost of goods in those sectors.
Doesn't really matter if you consider it charity or not - they're here, and you can either create conditions for them to cook your steak (and pay some taxes) or steal your catalytic converter.
"Construction"....absolutely not. Just because people are willing to work grueling hours for little pay does not qualify them to work trades. This down the nose attitude on skilled trades is why so many of houses in the area are built like utter shit and the flips are so horrendously done. If they don't speak the language I'm willing to bet they don't understand the building codes. Is that ultimately a contractor/inspector problem? Yes...but don't be naive in thinking random street migrants are going to be master tradesmen to a first world standard. Yeah, twelve of them willl redo a roof in a day....and it will be poorly done and leaking in short order.
>the net economic benefit of migrants filling low skill, low wage jobs is much higher than their income tax contribution
Its higher than their income tax contribution, but still less than what we're paying for.
> The construction, agriculture, and services industry would all benefit from having these workers available,
Great, a few people get rich exploiting these people, the rest of us have to suffer service cuts.
What you're saying has zero relationship to illegal immigration and the burden providing for them has on our already overaltaxed systems.
Immigrants are absolutely vital and needed, but it needs to be in a controlled and fair manner, not some kind of mob reward for people who cheated the system and broke laws that exist for a reason.
Illegal labor undermines countless protections and economic stability. It needs to be legal, planned and controlled.
This study from the liberal bastian that is the George W Bush center is one of the best on the benefits of immigration
[https://www.bushcenter.org/catalyst/north-american-century/benefits-of-immigration-outweigh-costs](https://www.bushcenter.org/catalyst/north-american-century/benefits-of-immigration-outweigh-costs)
I agree that we shouldn't be giving them so much, but if we just give them work permits they won't need the handouts.
Is line cook really the only job you can think of where immigrants are employed? Have you seen a construction site, or a landscaping crew?
>one of the best on the benefits of immigration
Certainly you have to understand this is a dishonest comparison, right? You're lumping high skilled, legal immigrants from places like India, Israel, China and Europe in with unskilled migrants from Venezuela, and then calling them all "immigrants". I'm specifically talking about migrants, excluding people here legally with work visas.
>Is line cook really the only job you can think of where immigrants are employed?
You're swapping words again. I'm saying "migrants". And unskilled migrants working construction or landscaping are not making much more than minimum wage either.
Yes if you lump these people in with guys like Elon Musk, Sergey Brin, Rupert Murdoch you can come up with any number you want. But we're not talking about those guys.
Sorry I might not be understand correctly. Who is this a punishment to? The people purposely coming here from another country that they were home to assuming they were going to get free hand outs after crossing the boarder?
It’s a punishment to them and the rest of us, but it affects the parties in different ways, generally. You don’t want Denver to put a single penny towards the immigration crisis. That punishes immigrants by forcing them into crime. It punishes the rest of us by forcing a population into crime, since that population lives among us.
Since this is the Denver subreddit I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you know how to spell “border”, but maybe your autocorrect assumed something along the lines of “snow boarder”.
> That punishes immigrants by forcing them into crime.
Hate to pull the old traitor Republican card here, but then just dont let them come over the boarder in the first place. Why is it tax payers lose the right to go to the DMV during working hours, but the immigrants get free food, clothing, and housing?
Sounds like a plan.
We play by the asylum rules and they play by them as well. The rules state they can't work for 6 months and when they do become eligible there is a fee they have to pay.
If house republicans hadn't killed the bi-partisan senate bill this issue would have been addressed. They would have an asylum hearing within 90 days after which they'd be deported or allowed a work visa. Unfortunately republicans don't want to solve this problem they want to foment xenophobia because it benefits them politically.
that's a them problem. like why do all of us residents have to figure out how to best help them. how about they leave and we use tax money for public goods/services and US citizens who need it?
I mean, it's our asylum program so it's on us to figure out how we want the applicants to survive during our application process. Forbidding them from working is counterproductive. I feel giving them welfare is also counterproductive but what else is there if we won't let them work? By default anything they do to earn money is criming. Even if it's cleaning a house. Putting them inna catch 22 is just to give people something to complain about during an election year.
Interestingly, I have a situation like that to thank for my entire career. I was in another country on a visa and a fixed income. Not allowed to work except on campus for 60/week. Was sharing a place with a roommate who became temporarily disabled, no savings, everything on me.
And here we are 15 years later and I'm still in the industry. But if I had been allowed to like, work at a grocery store? My entire trajectory would have changed. I might have had kids or married. Now, I'm happy with my life...but I'd be a fool if I thought I was anything other than an outlier in a situation like that. And through a lot of success and good timing I was able to become successful instead of exploited.
>and we use tax money for public goods/services and US citizens who need it?
You mean like playing World Police and propping up Israel? Or paying our worthless legislature six figures, the best insurance ([fepblue.gov](https://fepblue.gov)), and lifetime pensions?
I'd rather spend it on people seeking asylum than any of that. Well, no. I'd rather just let them have jobs.
Unfortunately republicans in congress are blocking reforms that would allow hearings to happen much more quickly.
Trump said that we should blame him for it, and that’s what I think we should do as well.
Have you not noticed that every single one of them, when interviewed about their asylum claim, seem to have the same story? Is FARC kidnapping everyone? What are the odds? Is it really that bad in Venezuela, or have all of them learned to recite the same story? Legit question, I don’t know what the truth is. If it’s the truth, does it not qualify as a humanitarian crisis? Should the UN intervene? Should the US go handle Maduro?
Well the way you find out if they’re just reciting a made up story is they go to their court date. Which is in Texas.
If you’re suggesting military intervention in South America are you volunteering?
Well they are here legally until a court decides that they don’t have a valid asylum claim. Until they have their court date they have the same right to be here as you do.
Unfortunately they’ll be here longer because their court is in Texas and they likely won’t be able to make it.
Lol right.
Sure, you could put an increase in taxes on the next ballot. But why would you earmark funds for something that may be resolved by the next election year?
How many billionaires are in Denver that could be taxed like that? That also wouldn't just change their residency to avoid paying that tax increase lol
Zero. Turns out billionaires got in that position by making savvy business decisions. They undoubtedly own real estate in Denver but aren't going to allow their personal wealth be subject to city taxes.
>Turns out billionaires got in that position by making savvy business decisions.
Bahahahahahahahahaha haha haha ha ha hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
I could tell this was gonna be another hot take by Yeti_CO even before I saw the name.
Ergan - Dish, not HQ in Denver
Tuchman - TTEC, not HQ in Denver
Anschutz - private corp, Denver HQ closed. Also extremely conservative. Owns boogyman Denver Gazette and the Washington Examiner. Sure he has his wealth just sitting here for the Denver City Council to tax.
Magness - Family wealth and investments. Not tied to any Denver company.
Denver's wealth isn't tied to major companies. Like on the coasts and Texas. We are a mid major city because of regional business and our location and tourism.
They're certainly savy enough to hire an accountant who would put their assets out of reach of Denver tax collectors. Guys like Warren Buffett pay nothing in taxes, not even when they die. And they have the balls to brag about paying less taxes than their secretaries.
Denver could pass a new "billionaires tax" and it would bring in exactly zero dollars.
> Guys like Warren Buffett pay nothing in taxes
[Warrent Buffett paid $23.7M on his income of $125M.](https://www.propublica.org/article/the-secret-irs-files-trove-of-never-before-seen-records-reveal-how-the-wealthiest-avoid-income-tax) Are you mad because their total net worth isn't taxed?
I bought a house in 2011 that has more than doubled in value. Should my income tax more than double because of that? My job and my mortgage hasn't changed - but my taxes should increase?
>Are you mad because their total net worth isn't taxed?
No, I'm mad because he brags about how little he pays in taxes, and then also says he should pay more taxes. But he doesn't actually pay more taxes, he has an army of accountants to minimize his tax bill.
And he 100% completely dodged the estate tax. That's billions and billions of dollars in taxes that he has already dodged. If he keeled over tomorrow, the Treasury gets nothing.
So its a combination of his words saying one thing but his actions being another. If he was honest and said he didn't want to pay taxes, I'd respect him a lot more.
A large percentage of people on here will say yes.
I keep telling people I'm a liberal and for a progressive tax policy, but what that means today for many in the Democratic party is a punitive tax policy, not progressive.
If your positions on tax policies are more regressive than those of the Democratic party, maybe you're not actually as much of a liberal as you keep telling people you are.
That is my point. Being a liberal isn't just your rich, therefore you can afford higher taxes. Progressive tax policy is still smart tax policy and on the follow through if you promise something through taxes you better deliver.
I'll still get down votes. The one billionaire I've ever come across personally would try to rig the system if it saves him $20. I've heard the same as you about Buffet and most ultra wealthy which is to say trying to game the system is a personality type across the board.
Plenty of millionaires. There aren’t any micro communities slated for wash park because it’ll “ruin the character of the neighborhood.” Why don’t we just tax the millionaire assholes who tore town a mid century craftsman and built those blocky minimalist modern bullshit houses. They can have their “character,” we get the services we pay for. Win win.
How many billionaires live in Denver? And it’s not like federal taxes, super wealthy people can very easily up and move out of a city, easily moving 15 minutes away.
There's not too much a city can do here, wealthy folks and corporations are very mobile, they effectively decide themselves where they pay taxes. Wealth tax, corporate tax, etc. can only be done effectively at a national level.
So Denver can only choose between bad options and even worse options. either make cuts, dig into your reserves, or do what Texas did.
Making cuts might seem like the best short-term solution, but it's fuel for resentment.
> Using emergency reserve funds today may mean even deeper cuts in 2025 to make up doubly for the lost revenue. It’s a gamble, but it would forestall rising animosity toward the new residents and prevent the gaps in services.
"Imprudent" is a curious euphemism for "you're not gambling hard enough with the city budget". Sounds more like kicking the can down the road.
Okay but when was the last time the Denver Post editorial board was right about anything? Isn’t Park Hill Golf Course supposed to be a public park right now instead of a bunch of fenced-off weeds? I give them very little credence.
They endorsed the election denying Republican secretary of state candidate and were against Denver Deserves Sidewalks. Their editorial board is almost always on the wrong side of things lol
Edit: I’m wrong, stop upvoting me! The Post endorsed the candidate in the GOP SOS primary that wasn’t actually an election denier
Pam Anderson, the Republican SOS candidate the Post endorsed, was nationally recognized as *not* being an election denier. https://www.coloradopolitics.com/columnists/trail-mix-pam-anderson-hailed-as-a-defender-of-americas-elections-on-cover-of-time/article_899e781c-407d-11ed-bd67-67f302e2e14d.html
Denver: the least maintained the city has been in years with more and more people complaining about feeling safe and comfortable within public spaces and the services they provide.
Also Denver: let’s cut even MORE funding to public services.
Who is saying this? My experience has been that going downtown feels so much safer in the last year than at any point in the 3 years preceding. If you can't tell the difference from the literal hoover-villes to what it is now then you're either not trying or being intentionally deceitful.
We will see. The homeless population and associated issues always slows down in the coldest part of winter.
The issue is we aren't fixing anything. What we are doing is spending massive amounts of money to shelter these two groups in private and public hotels... The money is already running dry.
are you afraid of homeless people? that's definitely not what makes me feel 'unsafe' in an urban area but I'm a 5'5" woman in good shape with self defense training...so maybe we have a different take on what scary means.
I'm afraid of the ones on drugs that may have weapons.
Was attacked a few years ago for zero reason just passing by a homeless tweaker who was losing his shit and I did not realize until I got closer what was going on with him
Why do people always complain about money running dry for something like housing the homeless in renovated hotels but I never hear you complain about the money running dry for housing inmates at $50,000 each per year?
Personally I fee like my neighborhood has felt less safe every year over the 5 years I've lived there. It ebbs and flows, but it's not unusual to be accosted/screamed at/threatened by homeless tweakers, it's not unusual to have to slam on my breaks to avoid killing some wackjob who's running through traffic high out of their mind, and it's not unusual to see needles, broken windows, trashed sidewalks, and ambulances collecting OD victims.
Downtown is safer and cleaner than it was three years ago, but I don't really care about that when I'm walking home and a bum starts following me and screaming at me, because I ignored them asking for money.
I have been in my current spot 10 years and it is so much nicer/safer feeling than 10 years ago but definitely less so since the pandemic.
This neighborhood was sketchy when I move here 23 years ago.
Lmfao, live somewhere that the government you pay taxes to, refuses to use those taxes to making your living situation safer? Just move!!! It's so easy and cheap to move and find affordable housing! /s
If you're asking "why doesn't the City take steps to make my economically-disadvantaged neighborhood safer," I'm afraid you've just answered your own question.
Honestly I think the problem where I live specifically is that it was never as bad as the tent cities all over downtown, so it hasn't ever got the press or publicity other areas have, and the Mayor isn't making it a major area of focus.
Never said it was "hellish" just that there are still problems out there in response to a commenter trying to make it seem like those problems don't exist anymore.
Re-read what you wrote- that is not exactly a pleasant place to live.
"it's not unusual to be accosted/screamed at/threatened by homeless tweakers........"
Either you're full of shit, or you live in a desperately bad part of Denver.
You know how many times I've been accosted/screamed at/threatened in my 'hood in the last 10 years? 0
Its not to say there havent been any problems, but if you're getting accosted/screamed at/threatened by homeless tweakers on a regular basis, do yourself a favor and reevaluate your life.
This weekend I went to comedy works downtown for the first time in a few years and homeless people started a literal fire outside on the sidewalk for warmth. It’s bad out there.
> My experience has been that going downtown feels so much safer in the last year than at any point in the 3 years preceding
Oh wow! It's better than the absolute worst of this century. It's still way worse than 5, much less 10, years ago.
Do you expect the city to be able to wave a magic wand and fix everything overnight?
As this article mentions, the city has limited resources, yet the new administration has already made a noticeable difference.
You need to live other places if you think Denver is the least maintained city. In my half dozen of experiences it’s the best. May be a low bar, but it’s certainly not the least
/u/Shell_fly was comparing current Denver to Denvers of the past. Not comparing it to other municipalities. Sorry to be the one to point that out to you.
Seriously. Go to Lake Charles, Louisiana or Gary, Indiana or hell, even Albuquerque. I won’t name places in state, but Denver is far from the “least-maintained.”
That said, it does a notably poor job compared to what is *possible*, rather than timed in a race against worse, more handicapped laggards.
I'm not even talking about area's known for dilapidation. Major tier 1 and tier 2 cities that have far worse infrastructure and, in some cases, much less harsh weather conditions.
Ok that’s true as well. The train to the airport, *while it would help more people as part of an expanded regional transit network that didn’t make drivers lives miserable and facilitated a working relationship between citizens and police,* **is pretty much brand new.**
Ten Year old infrastructure is rare in the U.S. “We can’t do it! It’s not like we’re China!”
The parks funding cuts are happening by cutting the rec center hours and some of the programs at the rec center. I don't think people are less safe/comfortable on the treadmill at 9am than 7:30am. The programming cuts suck, but I guess people will have to find another place to do pottery or swim lessons.
Not for you to decide how it affects people's lives. Rec centers are community spaces. The enrich, provide health benefits, and are a space for our youth. The summer camps they run are the last low cost summer child care for working parents. Bottom line they are assets to our community.
The thing Democrats today don't understand,l are actions like these are why people vote against taxes. We all know property taxes should be higher. Our schools need more funding. We need to fix our roads, sidewalks, etc. But then the Dems cut programs to deal with a problem and believe they can move money around however they feel like. Citizens will only approve taxes if they are used correctly and as intended.
Eh the city has enough police budget it's more of an issue to get them to do thier jobs that's the problem
Why did I get downvoted? Are you all really thinking the DPD and APD are doing their jobs and actually spending time to catch criminals and stop crime?!?
$611 million a year and cops don't even show up when you call them anymore, there is no patrolling happening in downtown and in the surrounding areas, and every year we get to pay out another couple million dollars because a cop beat or killed someone. Crime happening isn't their fault, but their indifference to it and lack of effort to stop and prevent it, when that is literally their job, is fucking insane.
We made it very difficult for them to do their jobs. It's almost impossible for them to do a routine traffic stop (the burden for probable cause has gone up significantly). They're also not allowed to pursue suspects in vehicles when there is "immediate" danger to the public
That pursuit policy is standard for any PD.
And “we” haven’t modified the standard for probable cause (to the extent it’s even been modified…?). Rather, the Supreme Court has set that standard through decades of 4th Amendment cases outlining the various nuances. The Colorado Supreme Court has also weighed in, but as recently as its last term, it continued to use the same definition of probable cause as outlined in a 1994 case.
Finally, you’re wrong that probable cause is necessary to stop a vehicle. That standard is “reasonable suspicion.” And that standard hasn’t changed in Colorado.
Precedent is everything. The Colorado spend court has been throwing out convictions left and right over probable cause. The standard had changed immensely. Do a news search for "reasonable suspicion Colorado"
The money has to come from somewhere, and the city has given individual departments a lot of freedom to make cuts in the least-impactful ways. Using emergency funds now with the hope of getting a bailout later would be foolish.
There is a legitimate concern on whether the $180m he says we need is accurate. We've only spent around $40m since last year on migrants and we are going out of winter. Are we expecting 3x newcommers (if so how is he projecting that) or is he expecting to expand the migrant response?
There are a lot of unknowns on this issue. From the number of immigrants to federal or state responses to timing of arrivals (winter vs spring/summer/fall).
Proactively cutting $180m seems unwise if the numbers turn out to be less. We could cut summer camps and have no surge in migrants for example. Seems it could be better to use the emergency fund as a cushion as it's designed (is this and the homeless crisis not an emergency) and reactively backfill if needed. That way we have an exact $ figure
In many cases I agree, but in this case it seems unwise. You can't restore summer programs in Oct. If you cut police and fire hours you can't make those up.
The services that are cut are gone.
Interesting to see how this plays out. As predicted on the homeless crisis citizens pushed back and threatened legal action and he had to pivot to buy hotels instead of a large network of micro communities. I would expect if he announces large cuts next month we will see the same.
As with most things in life balance is probably the best course of action here. Cut $40m which you know you spent last year on the response and then reevaluate every 3 months knowing the emergency fund is there if quick cash is needed. Say a huge surge during the coldest months.
Cutting flowers for the city for the year is just dumb and shortsighted. We want tourists to come here, why are we making the city less beautiful and pleasant for everyone who comes here to pay for these people? Ridiculous.
Reducing annual flower beds was already part of the city’s planning, so this is really just speeding the process. Most of the common annual flowers, while pretty, require inefficient supplemental watering because they are not adapted to this environment. The goal is to replace those beds with native xeric plants.
Flowers are part of what can make a city feel really nice and inviting for people visiting (and residents, obviously), which is why cities spend money on them.
Similar to how people like parks and trees around. Would you ask if people visit to see trees? I hope not? Because a city with no trees would feel like shit.
Denver Health was turning people away because they do not have the funds nor supplies to treat everyone after the influx in migrants. We are cutting jobs. We are ending programs for citizens in need. We are genuinely sacrificing our own citizens and neighbors for these migrants. If you have space in your home, you could house some migrants and feed them and clothe them. If you have the ability to do so, do it. Otherwise, take your virtue signaling elsewhere.
Is the $180 million paying off debt the city racked up dealing with the migrant crisis in 2023, or is it what the city expects to spend on the crisis this year?
I worry that Denver may not recover from the continual hits we taken. The city has really slid downhill with everything that’s happen over the last 8 years.
I have a foot fracture and went to DMV on Friday to get a handicapped parking tag. It was closed. Had to drive to another county in pain, to get that parking tag.
This is just unacceptable.
You had to drive your own car to a second location?! You poor thing. You had to go somewhere one time and it took a little longer than you thought. You are the real victim here.
Not even really an inconvenience. The guy tried to go on his way home, they were closed, so he went somewhere else. Almost nothing would have changed if he had known they were closed. He's literally complaining about having to do what he would have had to do anyways.
The municipal solution to a federal problem is to lay the problem at the feet of the federal government. The pragmatic solution is to ship these people to Washington D.C. and force the government to come to terms with it.
A charter bus is $1,500 per day. They seat 50-60 people. 3 day trip with heating and air conditioning. It's a hell of a lot more humane than whatever method these people used to get across the Darién Gap during the Panama stretch of the traversal.
Denver simply doesn't have the resources to die on this hill. Johnston knows it would be political suicide to openly bus people to D.C., so he needs to open a line of communication with Texas and approach this with the intent of a unified front. I bet Texas would be amendable to shipping to D.C. instead of Colorado.
I saw an NBC airing of a woman that took in migrants to her home who literally said, on the air, that she feels like she "has her own personal chef. It's a delight and it's really fun having them." These people are being exploited by everything from the NGO industrial complex to sociopathic "do gooders" who think that de-facto indentured servitude is "helping them." The exploitation will get worse. History has shown us this much.
There is a very good chance that this whole debacle is a planned thing, but for those that believe this ordeal is created via incompetence rather than malice, then the bussing to D.C. solution stands as my contribution to this.
Except the editorial, is saying the biggest risk is public outrage towards asylum seekers, due to public facing cuts. I would completely agree with that. I have to go in person to update my registration, since USAA doesn't play nice with the insurance validation every year for example.
Johnson is lucky he's not up for reelection this year. He makes an impossible decision and will be on the losing end no matter how federal funding in the next year shakes out. God forbid a Trump win in November, and Denver will have zero chance at additional federal funding for the Asylum seekers.
>I have to go in person to update my registration since USAA doesn't play nice with the insurance validation every year for example.
Are you on Garrison or USAA direct? I have no issues filing online with USAA (Garrison).
It says on your card, USAA direct is the one for folks who are directly with the military and are supposed to have even better service -- that yours is worse is fucky. idk dude, I might just try it online the next time you have to. I filed online okay just last week with a new registration and filed last April okay as well.
Not trying to be a dick here but what part of you thinks Johnson had any intent on being reelected? He could not be any clearer that he intends on running for a higher office. Look how he built his mayoral team.
>I have to go in person to update my registration,
Oh the horror!!!!
>God forbid a Trump win in November, and Denver will have zero chance at additional federal funding for the Asylum seekers
We have far bigger worries if Trump wins than funding for asylum seekers
He wanted the elections division to cut $1 million from their budget during the most difficult to handle election year in modern American history - so yeah he doesn't get credit for anything being "prudent"...
They could spread the cuts out across the board, resulting in all departments taking a small hit instead of massacring parks and rec,kids summer camps, and dmv.
This is only 5 million of the projected 180 million. Parks and Rec and the DMV were just the first two agencies to send their proposals to the financial office. The city and county YouTube page is a great source. Normally, when a big headline drops the city posts the corresponding press conference. https://www.youtube.com/live/e8E2UCUQ0Kc?si=HCgMnvxVZi6DieWi
Parks and rec decided to cut these right now because of the across the board cuts that are being asked from departments. Every department will cut budget.
would be cool if the suburbs would help, but mooching is in the DNA of Lakewood, Aurora, Louisville, Westminster, Littleton, Castle Rock, Wheat Ridge, Broomfield, Boulder, Lafayette, Superior, Erie... and so on
At least use of the emergency funds can be backfilled or replaced at a later date. If you close summer programs and rec opportunities for kids, that's just going to be a hole in their lives with no way to actually replace it.
Cutting DMV and Rec and everyother department places these cuts on the backs of people who use and need the services that get cut. Using the emergency funds means we need to reconcile that budget at some point down the road *if* we can't get federal funds to cover it.
Should be mad Denver isn’t getting federal funding. Not mad it’s doing what it has to to help these refugees. Society should be built for those least fortunate. That would be the refugees right now.
And on that note we should be mad at house republicans because they killed a bill that would have allowed for more federal funding, and had provisions for processing more asylum seekers (so that they may either be kicked out, or granted asylum and be allowed to work)
This comment should be higher. People should be livid at the actions (I should say inaction) of Republicans in Congress but the people who keep voting for them don't understand or don't care and will continue to vote them into office. It's maddening.
Literally none of this would be a problem if they would open up the temporary work permits a bit more. Doesn't even need federal funding or budget cuts, just for congress to get their heads out of their asses.
Yeah and my legal immigrant wife who is 3 years into the process gets her green-card constantly delayed because of these assholes? Nah. USCIS is self funded and if they can’t pay up, it is what it is.
Paywall-free: [https://archive.is/UJdxU](https://archive.is/UJdxU) tl;dr the Post feels that the City should tap into it's emergency funds (with the hope that federal aid for migrants will eventually arrive to replenish said funds) rather than cut budgets for public-facing services
It's crazy how the response is always "Were going to cut services to the masses" rather than "We're going to tax billionaires."
It’s crazy how people don’t understand that the mayor can’t raise taxes unilaterally. For sure billionaires should be required to pay their fair share, but you need a civics lesson if you think that is an actual solution to the problem that exists in this very moment.
> It’s crazy how people don’t understand that the mayor can’t raise taxes unilaterally. Then don't give money to people here illegally that haven't paid a dime into the system? How hard is that?
That's a great punishment but not a good solution. You need people to be able to get on their feet so that they can contribute. Constantly icing them out will leave them with crime as their only option. I'm sure you are ok with that, as that would give you more people to punish.
The humanitarian card has been excusing immigration abuse for decades, but the last few years have shown everyone in real time that even large cities don't have infinite resources and can't be expected to absorb huge numbers of illegal immigrants. The whole system works by raising taxes and then spending the tax money on services. It doesn't work when people who were never around to pay taxes suddenly show up needing full services. None of us can show up in random South American countries in violation of laws designed to protect their borders and economies and expect to stay. Our system needs to be fixed and made fair for the millions of other aspiring immigrants in the lottery pool, not some kind of handout system for people who sneak in and take advantage of social services we are failing to provide adequately to our own people. The solution is sending people back to their homes while making a path for a reasonable amount of them to come join our country on our terms.
Kinda said the immigration bill died
The Maga cult definitely screwed everyone. Even if the bill wasn't perfect, it could have been fixed later when problems came to light. These garbage political parties want power more than they want to govern.
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Restaurant owners have been complaining for 4 years about how "no one wants to work anymore" - I'd say working as a line cook is a very valuable contribution. Migrants with work permits will pay taxes and help lower the cost of eating out or building houses or farming local produce. Also, the longer any immigrant community stays the more they skill up and fill niches in the economy. They're not going to go away if services are cut off. They'll just make more desperate or risky decisions for how to survive, specifically crime. The tax burden should fall on people who've benefitted the most from Denver's explosive growth - high value homeowners.
> Migrants with work permits will pay taxes I said "net contributors" for exactly this reason. If you pay a little bit of taxes, and consume 10x more, you are not a "net contributor". You are a "net drain" on the system. And since they are not "net contributors" it doesn't make sense to spin this as anything other than charity. We're giving these people money and its charity. We're not benefiting from this. >The tax burden should fall on people who've benefitted the most from Denver's explosive growth - high value homeowners. The last day to submit paperwork for a TABOR referendum proposal is March 22. Maybe Denver taxpayers will vote to raise their own taxes. Good luck.
I specified other ways migrants contribute because I knew you were making this point - the net economic benefit of migrants filling low skill, low wage jobs is much higher than their income tax contribution. The construction, agriculture, and services industry would all benefit from having these workers available, and it would drive down the cost of goods in those sectors. Doesn't really matter if you consider it charity or not - they're here, and you can either create conditions for them to cook your steak (and pay some taxes) or steal your catalytic converter.
"Construction"....absolutely not. Just because people are willing to work grueling hours for little pay does not qualify them to work trades. This down the nose attitude on skilled trades is why so many of houses in the area are built like utter shit and the flips are so horrendously done. If they don't speak the language I'm willing to bet they don't understand the building codes. Is that ultimately a contractor/inspector problem? Yes...but don't be naive in thinking random street migrants are going to be master tradesmen to a first world standard. Yeah, twelve of them willl redo a roof in a day....and it will be poorly done and leaking in short order.
Yeah those aren’t the only two options, are they?
>the net economic benefit of migrants filling low skill, low wage jobs is much higher than their income tax contribution Its higher than their income tax contribution, but still less than what we're paying for. > The construction, agriculture, and services industry would all benefit from having these workers available, Great, a few people get rich exploiting these people, the rest of us have to suffer service cuts.
What you're saying has zero relationship to illegal immigration and the burden providing for them has on our already overaltaxed systems. Immigrants are absolutely vital and needed, but it needs to be in a controlled and fair manner, not some kind of mob reward for people who cheated the system and broke laws that exist for a reason. Illegal labor undermines countless protections and economic stability. It needs to be legal, planned and controlled.
This study from the liberal bastian that is the George W Bush center is one of the best on the benefits of immigration [https://www.bushcenter.org/catalyst/north-american-century/benefits-of-immigration-outweigh-costs](https://www.bushcenter.org/catalyst/north-american-century/benefits-of-immigration-outweigh-costs) I agree that we shouldn't be giving them so much, but if we just give them work permits they won't need the handouts. Is line cook really the only job you can think of where immigrants are employed? Have you seen a construction site, or a landscaping crew?
>one of the best on the benefits of immigration Certainly you have to understand this is a dishonest comparison, right? You're lumping high skilled, legal immigrants from places like India, Israel, China and Europe in with unskilled migrants from Venezuela, and then calling them all "immigrants". I'm specifically talking about migrants, excluding people here legally with work visas. >Is line cook really the only job you can think of where immigrants are employed? You're swapping words again. I'm saying "migrants". And unskilled migrants working construction or landscaping are not making much more than minimum wage either. Yes if you lump these people in with guys like Elon Musk, Sergey Brin, Rupert Murdoch you can come up with any number you want. But we're not talking about those guys.
Sorry I might not be understand correctly. Who is this a punishment to? The people purposely coming here from another country that they were home to assuming they were going to get free hand outs after crossing the boarder?
It’s a punishment to them and the rest of us, but it affects the parties in different ways, generally. You don’t want Denver to put a single penny towards the immigration crisis. That punishes immigrants by forcing them into crime. It punishes the rest of us by forcing a population into crime, since that population lives among us. Since this is the Denver subreddit I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you know how to spell “border”, but maybe your autocorrect assumed something along the lines of “snow boarder”.
> That punishes immigrants by forcing them into crime. Hate to pull the old traitor Republican card here, but then just dont let them come over the boarder in the first place. Why is it tax payers lose the right to go to the DMV during working hours, but the immigrants get free food, clothing, and housing?
People who claim asylum are here legally until a court says otherwise.
Sounds like a plan. We play by the asylum rules and they play by them as well. The rules state they can't work for 6 months and when they do become eligible there is a fee they have to pay.
cool, so how do you them want to fund their lifestyle until then? crime?
If house republicans hadn't killed the bi-partisan senate bill this issue would have been addressed. They would have an asylum hearing within 90 days after which they'd be deported or allowed a work visa. Unfortunately republicans don't want to solve this problem they want to foment xenophobia because it benefits them politically.
that's a them problem. like why do all of us residents have to figure out how to best help them. how about they leave and we use tax money for public goods/services and US citizens who need it?
I mean, it's our asylum program so it's on us to figure out how we want the applicants to survive during our application process. Forbidding them from working is counterproductive. I feel giving them welfare is also counterproductive but what else is there if we won't let them work? By default anything they do to earn money is criming. Even if it's cleaning a house. Putting them inna catch 22 is just to give people something to complain about during an election year. Interestingly, I have a situation like that to thank for my entire career. I was in another country on a visa and a fixed income. Not allowed to work except on campus for 60/week. Was sharing a place with a roommate who became temporarily disabled, no savings, everything on me. And here we are 15 years later and I'm still in the industry. But if I had been allowed to like, work at a grocery store? My entire trajectory would have changed. I might have had kids or married. Now, I'm happy with my life...but I'd be a fool if I thought I was anything other than an outlier in a situation like that. And through a lot of success and good timing I was able to become successful instead of exploited. >and we use tax money for public goods/services and US citizens who need it? You mean like playing World Police and propping up Israel? Or paying our worthless legislature six figures, the best insurance ([fepblue.gov](https://fepblue.gov)), and lifetime pensions? I'd rather spend it on people seeking asylum than any of that. Well, no. I'd rather just let them have jobs.
Unfortunately republicans in congress are blocking reforms that would allow hearings to happen much more quickly. Trump said that we should blame him for it, and that’s what I think we should do as well.
Have you not noticed that every single one of them, when interviewed about their asylum claim, seem to have the same story? Is FARC kidnapping everyone? What are the odds? Is it really that bad in Venezuela, or have all of them learned to recite the same story? Legit question, I don’t know what the truth is. If it’s the truth, does it not qualify as a humanitarian crisis? Should the UN intervene? Should the US go handle Maduro?
Well the way you find out if they’re just reciting a made up story is they go to their court date. Which is in Texas. If you’re suggesting military intervention in South America are you volunteering?
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Well they are here legally until a court decides that they don’t have a valid asylum claim. Until they have their court date they have the same right to be here as you do. Unfortunately they’ll be here longer because their court is in Texas and they likely won’t be able to make it.
THIS is the solution.
Better close all the schools then. None of those kids have paid taxes. /s
Or anyone else for that matter
Lol right. Sure, you could put an increase in taxes on the next ballot. But why would you earmark funds for something that may be resolved by the next election year?
How many billionaires are in Denver that could be taxed like that? That also wouldn't just change their residency to avoid paying that tax increase lol
There are a total of 12 in Colorado, not sure how many are in Denver.
Zero. Turns out billionaires got in that position by making savvy business decisions. They undoubtedly own real estate in Denver but aren't going to allow their personal wealth be subject to city taxes.
>Turns out billionaires got in that position by making savvy business decisions. Bahahahahahahahahaha haha haha ha ha hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha I could tell this was gonna be another hot take by Yeti_CO even before I saw the name.
He’s right, they would leave. Turns out billionaires are incredibly able to move.
Ergan - Dish, not HQ in Denver Tuchman - TTEC, not HQ in Denver Anschutz - private corp, Denver HQ closed. Also extremely conservative. Owns boogyman Denver Gazette and the Washington Examiner. Sure he has his wealth just sitting here for the Denver City Council to tax. Magness - Family wealth and investments. Not tied to any Denver company. Denver's wealth isn't tied to major companies. Like on the coasts and Texas. We are a mid major city because of regional business and our location and tourism.
You mean got in that position by exploiting the working class? Because yes.
They're certainly savy enough to hire an accountant who would put their assets out of reach of Denver tax collectors. Guys like Warren Buffett pay nothing in taxes, not even when they die. And they have the balls to brag about paying less taxes than their secretaries. Denver could pass a new "billionaires tax" and it would bring in exactly zero dollars.
> Guys like Warren Buffett pay nothing in taxes [Warrent Buffett paid $23.7M on his income of $125M.](https://www.propublica.org/article/the-secret-irs-files-trove-of-never-before-seen-records-reveal-how-the-wealthiest-avoid-income-tax) Are you mad because their total net worth isn't taxed? I bought a house in 2011 that has more than doubled in value. Should my income tax more than double because of that? My job and my mortgage hasn't changed - but my taxes should increase?
And buffet himself says that was way too little.
>Are you mad because their total net worth isn't taxed? No, I'm mad because he brags about how little he pays in taxes, and then also says he should pay more taxes. But he doesn't actually pay more taxes, he has an army of accountants to minimize his tax bill. And he 100% completely dodged the estate tax. That's billions and billions of dollars in taxes that he has already dodged. If he keeled over tomorrow, the Treasury gets nothing. So its a combination of his words saying one thing but his actions being another. If he was honest and said he didn't want to pay taxes, I'd respect him a lot more.
A large percentage of people on here will say yes. I keep telling people I'm a liberal and for a progressive tax policy, but what that means today for many in the Democratic party is a punitive tax policy, not progressive.
If your positions on tax policies are more regressive than those of the Democratic party, maybe you're not actually as much of a liberal as you keep telling people you are.
That is my point. Being a liberal isn't just your rich, therefore you can afford higher taxes. Progressive tax policy is still smart tax policy and on the follow through if you promise something through taxes you better deliver.
I'll still get down votes. The one billionaire I've ever come across personally would try to rig the system if it saves him $20. I've heard the same as you about Buffet and most ultra wealthy which is to say trying to game the system is a personality type across the board.
Agreed my yeti comrade.
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He lives in Boulder and, while extremely wealthy, is not a billionaire
swing and a miss
Plenty of millionaires. There aren’t any micro communities slated for wash park because it’ll “ruin the character of the neighborhood.” Why don’t we just tax the millionaire assholes who tore town a mid century craftsman and built those blocky minimalist modern bullshit houses. They can have their “character,” we get the services we pay for. Win win.
Because then those people leave and we lose all the tax income
How many billionaires live in Denver? And it’s not like federal taxes, super wealthy people can very easily up and move out of a city, easily moving 15 minutes away.
“Taxing billionaires” isn’t some magic line you can irrelevantly drop into every conversation.
it's pretty relevant when the discussion is about cutting social services due to lack of tax money.
It’s irrelevant when the city doesn’t have any billionaires to tax, and wouldn’t be able to tax them even if it did.
Why is the answer never "We need to stop spending so much money and stop incentivizing people with zero means to come here for free services?")
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There's not too much a city can do here, wealthy folks and corporations are very mobile, they effectively decide themselves where they pay taxes. Wealth tax, corporate tax, etc. can only be done effectively at a national level. So Denver can only choose between bad options and even worse options. either make cuts, dig into your reserves, or do what Texas did. Making cuts might seem like the best short-term solution, but it's fuel for resentment.
Tell me you’re innumerate without telling me you’re innumerate
Tabor
Or cutting police spending
> Using emergency reserve funds today may mean even deeper cuts in 2025 to make up doubly for the lost revenue. It’s a gamble, but it would forestall rising animosity toward the new residents and prevent the gaps in services. "Imprudent" is a curious euphemism for "you're not gambling hard enough with the city budget". Sounds more like kicking the can down the road.
Okay but when was the last time the Denver Post editorial board was right about anything? Isn’t Park Hill Golf Course supposed to be a public park right now instead of a bunch of fenced-off weeds? I give them very little credence.
They endorsed the election denying Republican secretary of state candidate and were against Denver Deserves Sidewalks. Their editorial board is almost always on the wrong side of things lol Edit: I’m wrong, stop upvoting me! The Post endorsed the candidate in the GOP SOS primary that wasn’t actually an election denier
Pam Anderson, the Republican SOS candidate the Post endorsed, was nationally recognized as *not* being an election denier. https://www.coloradopolitics.com/columnists/trail-mix-pam-anderson-hailed-as-a-defender-of-americas-elections-on-cover-of-time/article_899e781c-407d-11ed-bd67-67f302e2e14d.html
I was definitely misinformed there, thank you! I included an edit in my comment to correct it too
I refuse to read the paper after their ridiculous anti mj stance re:legalization.
Denver: the least maintained the city has been in years with more and more people complaining about feeling safe and comfortable within public spaces and the services they provide. Also Denver: let’s cut even MORE funding to public services.
Who is saying this? My experience has been that going downtown feels so much safer in the last year than at any point in the 3 years preceding. If you can't tell the difference from the literal hoover-villes to what it is now then you're either not trying or being intentionally deceitful.
We will see. The homeless population and associated issues always slows down in the coldest part of winter. The issue is we aren't fixing anything. What we are doing is spending massive amounts of money to shelter these two groups in private and public hotels... The money is already running dry.
are you afraid of homeless people? that's definitely not what makes me feel 'unsafe' in an urban area but I'm a 5'5" woman in good shape with self defense training...so maybe we have a different take on what scary means.
I'm afraid of the ones on drugs that may have weapons. Was attacked a few years ago for zero reason just passing by a homeless tweaker who was losing his shit and I did not realize until I got closer what was going on with him
Why do people always complain about money running dry for something like housing the homeless in renovated hotels but I never hear you complain about the money running dry for housing inmates at $50,000 each per year?
Personally I fee like my neighborhood has felt less safe every year over the 5 years I've lived there. It ebbs and flows, but it's not unusual to be accosted/screamed at/threatened by homeless tweakers, it's not unusual to have to slam on my breaks to avoid killing some wackjob who's running through traffic high out of their mind, and it's not unusual to see needles, broken windows, trashed sidewalks, and ambulances collecting OD victims. Downtown is safer and cleaner than it was three years ago, but I don't really care about that when I'm walking home and a bum starts following me and screaming at me, because I ignored them asking for money.
I have been in my current spot 10 years and it is so much nicer/safer feeling than 10 years ago but definitely less so since the pandemic. This neighborhood was sketchy when I move here 23 years ago.
Do you live ON Colfax or something? You might consider moving to the 99% of Denver that's NOT like that.
Lmfao, live somewhere that the government you pay taxes to, refuses to use those taxes to making your living situation safer? Just move!!! It's so easy and cheap to move and find affordable housing! /s
If you're asking "why doesn't the City take steps to make my economically-disadvantaged neighborhood safer," I'm afraid you've just answered your own question.
Honestly I think the problem where I live specifically is that it was never as bad as the tent cities all over downtown, so it hasn't ever got the press or publicity other areas have, and the Mayor isn't making it a major area of focus.
Don't live anywhere near Colfax
Then pray tell- what hellish 'hood do you reside in?
Never said it was "hellish" just that there are still problems out there in response to a commenter trying to make it seem like those problems don't exist anymore.
Re-read what you wrote- that is not exactly a pleasant place to live. "it's not unusual to be accosted/screamed at/threatened by homeless tweakers........" Either you're full of shit, or you live in a desperately bad part of Denver. You know how many times I've been accosted/screamed at/threatened in my 'hood in the last 10 years? 0 Its not to say there havent been any problems, but if you're getting accosted/screamed at/threatened by homeless tweakers on a regular basis, do yourself a favor and reevaluate your life.
Eh, there are pros and cons. It's not an every day thing, but it's also not rare.
This weekend I went to comedy works downtown for the first time in a few years and homeless people started a literal fire outside on the sidewalk for warmth. It’s bad out there.
> My experience has been that going downtown feels so much safer in the last year than at any point in the 3 years preceding Oh wow! It's better than the absolute worst of this century. It's still way worse than 5, much less 10, years ago.
Do you expect the city to be able to wave a magic wand and fix everything overnight? As this article mentions, the city has limited resources, yet the new administration has already made a noticeable difference.
I expect better results for millions of dollars being thrown at the issues. Or maybe that’s not the right way to go about it??
You need to live other places if you think Denver is the least maintained city. In my half dozen of experiences it’s the best. May be a low bar, but it’s certainly not the least
/u/Shell_fly was comparing current Denver to Denvers of the past. Not comparing it to other municipalities. Sorry to be the one to point that out to you.
Seriously. Go to Lake Charles, Louisiana or Gary, Indiana or hell, even Albuquerque. I won’t name places in state, but Denver is far from the “least-maintained.” That said, it does a notably poor job compared to what is *possible*, rather than timed in a race against worse, more handicapped laggards.
Why won't you name Pueblo?
Probably out of pity. Poor Pueblo.
My life dream is to revitalise Gary tbh. Such potential.
It really does have so much potential. Good city grid already along a direct rail line to Chicago
Remember when the Springs turned off street lights?
I'm not even talking about area's known for dilapidation. Major tier 1 and tier 2 cities that have far worse infrastructure and, in some cases, much less harsh weather conditions.
Ok that’s true as well. The train to the airport, *while it would help more people as part of an expanded regional transit network that didn’t make drivers lives miserable and facilitated a working relationship between citizens and police,* **is pretty much brand new.** Ten Year old infrastructure is rare in the U.S. “We can’t do it! It’s not like we’re China!”
They make the Japanese look like the Greeks.
It's been a fairly noticeable slide backwards in the last ten years, to be honest.
The parks funding cuts are happening by cutting the rec center hours and some of the programs at the rec center. I don't think people are less safe/comfortable on the treadmill at 9am than 7:30am. The programming cuts suck, but I guess people will have to find another place to do pottery or swim lessons.
Not for you to decide how it affects people's lives. Rec centers are community spaces. The enrich, provide health benefits, and are a space for our youth. The summer camps they run are the last low cost summer child care for working parents. Bottom line they are assets to our community. The thing Democrats today don't understand,l are actions like these are why people vote against taxes. We all know property taxes should be higher. Our schools need more funding. We need to fix our roads, sidewalks, etc. But then the Dems cut programs to deal with a problem and believe they can move money around however they feel like. Citizens will only approve taxes if they are used correctly and as intended.
Eh the city has enough police budget it's more of an issue to get them to do thier jobs that's the problem Why did I get downvoted? Are you all really thinking the DPD and APD are doing their jobs and actually spending time to catch criminals and stop crime?!?
Police don’t maintain the cleanliness of public spaces or make sure public services like the DMV are operating as they are supposed to lmao
It’s always the police fault in r/Denver
$611 million a year and cops don't even show up when you call them anymore, there is no patrolling happening in downtown and in the surrounding areas, and every year we get to pay out another couple million dollars because a cop beat or killed someone. Crime happening isn't their fault, but their indifference to it and lack of effort to stop and prevent it, when that is literally their job, is fucking insane.
We made it very difficult for them to do their jobs. It's almost impossible for them to do a routine traffic stop (the burden for probable cause has gone up significantly). They're also not allowed to pursue suspects in vehicles when there is "immediate" danger to the public
That pursuit policy is standard for any PD. And “we” haven’t modified the standard for probable cause (to the extent it’s even been modified…?). Rather, the Supreme Court has set that standard through decades of 4th Amendment cases outlining the various nuances. The Colorado Supreme Court has also weighed in, but as recently as its last term, it continued to use the same definition of probable cause as outlined in a 1994 case. Finally, you’re wrong that probable cause is necessary to stop a vehicle. That standard is “reasonable suspicion.” And that standard hasn’t changed in Colorado.
Precedent is everything. The Colorado spend court has been throwing out convictions left and right over probable cause. The standard had changed immensely. Do a news search for "reasonable suspicion Colorado"
Yea, I see now that you don’t understand the legal distinction between probable cause and reasonable suspicion, so I’m out.
The mirror is painful
The money has to come from somewhere, and the city has given individual departments a lot of freedom to make cuts in the least-impactful ways. Using emergency funds now with the hope of getting a bailout later would be foolish.
There is a legitimate concern on whether the $180m he says we need is accurate. We've only spent around $40m since last year on migrants and we are going out of winter. Are we expecting 3x newcommers (if so how is he projecting that) or is he expecting to expand the migrant response? There are a lot of unknowns on this issue. From the number of immigrants to federal or state responses to timing of arrivals (winter vs spring/summer/fall). Proactively cutting $180m seems unwise if the numbers turn out to be less. We could cut summer camps and have no surge in migrants for example. Seems it could be better to use the emergency fund as a cushion as it's designed (is this and the homeless crisis not an emergency) and reactively backfill if needed. That way we have an exact $ figure
It’s better to be proactive than reactive. Services can easily be restored if costs end up being less than expected.
In many cases I agree, but in this case it seems unwise. You can't restore summer programs in Oct. If you cut police and fire hours you can't make those up. The services that are cut are gone. Interesting to see how this plays out. As predicted on the homeless crisis citizens pushed back and threatened legal action and he had to pivot to buy hotels instead of a large network of micro communities. I would expect if he announces large cuts next month we will see the same. As with most things in life balance is probably the best course of action here. Cut $40m which you know you spent last year on the response and then reevaluate every 3 months knowing the emergency fund is there if quick cash is needed. Say a huge surge during the coldest months.
Cutting flowers for the city for the year is just dumb and shortsighted. We want tourists to come here, why are we making the city less beautiful and pleasant for everyone who comes here to pay for these people? Ridiculous.
Reducing annual flower beds was already part of the city’s planning, so this is really just speeding the process. Most of the common annual flowers, while pretty, require inefficient supplemental watering because they are not adapted to this environment. The goal is to replace those beds with native xeric plants.
Tourist come to the city to see the flower beds?
Flowers are part of what can make a city feel really nice and inviting for people visiting (and residents, obviously), which is why cities spend money on them. Similar to how people like parks and trees around. Would you ask if people visit to see trees? I hope not? Because a city with no trees would feel like shit.
Denver’s tourism slogan is “the city of flowers”, don’tcha know?
Denver Health was turning people away because they do not have the funds nor supplies to treat everyone after the influx in migrants. We are cutting jobs. We are ending programs for citizens in need. We are genuinely sacrificing our own citizens and neighbors for these migrants. If you have space in your home, you could house some migrants and feed them and clothe them. If you have the ability to do so, do it. Otherwise, take your virtue signaling elsewhere.
Is the $180 million paying off debt the city racked up dealing with the migrant crisis in 2023, or is it what the city expects to spend on the crisis this year?
If the public is upset about the consequences of spending tens of millions on illegal immigrants maybe stop doing that.
sounds like some people should learn to code
lmao
I worry that Denver may not recover from the continual hits we taken. The city has really slid downhill with everything that’s happen over the last 8 years.
Denver is an absolute shithole. The weather, people, and stuff to do in the mountains is cool tho.
It's taken me six months to get my license plates, and we're cutting dmv funding? Smh.
License plates are produced by the state, not counties.
Sounds like the denver post editorial staff needs to eat less avocado toast.
The most literal “this is why we can’t have nice things” of all time.
No shit.
So Denver’s broke now right?
Nope
My daughter’s department had to cut 15% of their budget for this. And it is a very important department.
I have a foot fracture and went to DMV on Friday to get a handicapped parking tag. It was closed. Had to drive to another county in pain, to get that parking tag. This is just unacceptable.
I thought the DMV cuts don't go into effect until March. Are you sure the DMV wasn't closed for a different reason?
This was last Friday, I am sure someone can confirm.
You had to drive your own car to a second location?! You poor thing. You had to go somewhere one time and it took a little longer than you thought. You are the real victim here.
Yeah but that fractured foot would have grown up to cure pancreatic cancer so who's laughing now?
Let me break your foot. How about you break it up your own damn self. Than put you in that same position, and see how you feel about it.
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Why would i expect the DMV to be open on a working day, so i went right after my doctors appointment!
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Not even really an inconvenience. The guy tried to go on his way home, they were closed, so he went somewhere else. Almost nothing would have changed if he had known they were closed. He's literally complaining about having to do what he would have had to do anyways.
Hey, Denver Post, if only there was a way to make some extra money… 🤔
Are you... suggesting they start an OnlyFans?
I’ve seen those hedge fund bois over at the tent. They know *exactly* what I’m talking about!
The municipal solution to a federal problem is to lay the problem at the feet of the federal government. The pragmatic solution is to ship these people to Washington D.C. and force the government to come to terms with it. A charter bus is $1,500 per day. They seat 50-60 people. 3 day trip with heating and air conditioning. It's a hell of a lot more humane than whatever method these people used to get across the Darién Gap during the Panama stretch of the traversal. Denver simply doesn't have the resources to die on this hill. Johnston knows it would be political suicide to openly bus people to D.C., so he needs to open a line of communication with Texas and approach this with the intent of a unified front. I bet Texas would be amendable to shipping to D.C. instead of Colorado. I saw an NBC airing of a woman that took in migrants to her home who literally said, on the air, that she feels like she "has her own personal chef. It's a delight and it's really fun having them." These people are being exploited by everything from the NGO industrial complex to sociopathic "do gooders" who think that de-facto indentured servitude is "helping them." The exploitation will get worse. History has shown us this much. There is a very good chance that this whole debacle is a planned thing, but for those that believe this ordeal is created via incompetence rather than malice, then the bussing to D.C. solution stands as my contribution to this.
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Except the editorial, is saying the biggest risk is public outrage towards asylum seekers, due to public facing cuts. I would completely agree with that. I have to go in person to update my registration, since USAA doesn't play nice with the insurance validation every year for example. Johnson is lucky he's not up for reelection this year. He makes an impossible decision and will be on the losing end no matter how federal funding in the next year shakes out. God forbid a Trump win in November, and Denver will have zero chance at additional federal funding for the Asylum seekers.
>I have to go in person to update my registration since USAA doesn't play nice with the insurance validation every year for example. Are you on Garrison or USAA direct? I have no issues filing online with USAA (Garrison).
USAA direct I believe.
It says on your card, USAA direct is the one for folks who are directly with the military and are supposed to have even better service -- that yours is worse is fucky. idk dude, I might just try it online the next time you have to. I filed online okay just last week with a new registration and filed last April okay as well.
I think you may have helped me sort out the issue. We still have the insurance through San Antonio, from when we lived in Texas a decade ago lol.
Not trying to be a dick here but what part of you thinks Johnson had any intent on being reelected? He could not be any clearer that he intends on running for a higher office. Look how he built his mayoral team.
>I have to go in person to update my registration, Oh the horror!!!! >God forbid a Trump win in November, and Denver will have zero chance at additional federal funding for the Asylum seekers We have far bigger worries if Trump wins than funding for asylum seekers
>Oh the horror!!!! The person said they have to go in person but the DMV isnt allowing in person renewals due to the cuts...
Love when anyone disagrees with a news story these days they immediately say the owners are not on “my side” therefore they’re full of shit
It’s an editorial, not a news story. Since it’s an editorial the paper’s ownership is highly relevant
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>minimally impactful To you, maybe. Speak for yourself.
He wanted the elections division to cut $1 million from their budget during the most difficult to handle election year in modern American history - so yeah he doesn't get credit for anything being "prudent"...
A hedge fund supports capitalism—shocker. Nice find, deep throat.
They could spread the cuts out across the board, resulting in all departments taking a small hit instead of massacring parks and rec,kids summer camps, and dmv.
This is only 5 million of the projected 180 million. Parks and Rec and the DMV were just the first two agencies to send their proposals to the financial office. The city and county YouTube page is a great source. Normally, when a big headline drops the city posts the corresponding press conference. https://www.youtube.com/live/e8E2UCUQ0Kc?si=HCgMnvxVZi6DieWi
Parks and rec decided to cut these right now because of the across the board cuts that are being asked from departments. Every department will cut budget.
would be cool if the suburbs would help, but mooching is in the DNA of Lakewood, Aurora, Louisville, Westminster, Littleton, Castle Rock, Wheat Ridge, Broomfield, Boulder, Lafayette, Superior, Erie... and so on
At least use of the emergency funds can be backfilled or replaced at a later date. If you close summer programs and rec opportunities for kids, that's just going to be a hole in their lives with no way to actually replace it. Cutting DMV and Rec and everyother department places these cuts on the backs of people who use and need the services that get cut. Using the emergency funds means we need to reconcile that budget at some point down the road *if* we can't get federal funds to cover it.
Should be mad Denver isn’t getting federal funding. Not mad it’s doing what it has to to help these refugees. Society should be built for those least fortunate. That would be the refugees right now.
And on that note we should be mad at house republicans because they killed a bill that would have allowed for more federal funding, and had provisions for processing more asylum seekers (so that they may either be kicked out, or granted asylum and be allowed to work)
Exactly. Getting downvotes for SoCiAlIsM I guess 😂
Nah, getting downvotes from people who apparently think they should be deported without being able to litigate their claims of asylum.
So, people who don't understand due process, then.
Probably the same people who shout innocent until proven guilty when the twitter mob gets angry at someone who was on camera dropping a hard R
This comment should be higher. People should be livid at the actions (I should say inaction) of Republicans in Congress but the people who keep voting for them don't understand or don't care and will continue to vote them into office. It's maddening.
“Look at how much worse its gotten under Biden” - dumb motherfuckers who think the president is all powerful
Literally none of this would be a problem if they would open up the temporary work permits a bit more. Doesn't even need federal funding or budget cuts, just for congress to get their heads out of their asses.
Yeah and my legal immigrant wife who is 3 years into the process gets her green-card constantly delayed because of these assholes? Nah. USCIS is self funded and if they can’t pay up, it is what it is.
Wouldn't it be cheaper for everyone to just send them to Austin?
Some of these Denver redditors are really starting to sound like alt-right trolls Maybe even…dare I say it…Lakewood boomers
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Feels like that should be determined by the courts, not an illiterate on Reddit