‘Opinion’ Archives
Tax Assessment vs. Listing Price
The Camera recently has made an issue of the difference between the County Assessor’s valuation of our house ($835,000) and the listing price ($2.1 million). We bought the home in which we live at 1680 Wilson Court in 1988. The assertion made in [...]
“Council Seeking Budget Boost”… or not
I guess I’ve about had it with our local hometown newspaper. You can imagine my surprise when I saw the headline for a front page article in the Camera a couple of days ago. Council seeks a budget increase? A 27% budget increase, no less, [...]
Revenge Journalism
The day after Macon Cowles criticized and corrected a Boulder Daily Camera article about the proposed City budget (via the Hotline and reproduced below) the paper, in its front page article (Error Leads to Tax Discount, 8/24/2010) invented a scandal [...]
Partnering with Xcel
As Boulder considers the Xcel franchise agreement it is important to look at their past record and attitude. Consider Boulder’s Carbon Action Program. While Xcel offers a range of energy efficiency programs they are primarily concerned with the [...]
Boulder Tops the Century Mark
After 150 years, the population of the City of Boulder has finally surpassed one hundred thousand, according to a recent estimate by the U. S. Census Bureau. The report indicated that the city’s growth rate since 2000 was 6 percent, well below the [...]
Dithering Against Climate Change
In the US, buildings are responsible for almost half (48%) of annual greenhouse gas emissions; globally, the percentage is even greater. Since all of the buildings in the entire world are existing, if we do not make significant reductions to [...]
Smart Regs and Quality of Life
Sitting On the Three Legged Stool With the current debate swirling around SmartRegs, I support them, professionally and personally. However, there are some details in the regulations that need correction and further work. As is often stated, the [...]
Boulder Does the Right(s) Thing
Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759 I love this quotation. It runs through my head each time I am [...]
Smart Regs: Another Landlord’s Perspective
The Smart Regs proposal, which would require energy upgrades in over 19,000 Boulder rental properties, is likely the single most important opportunity to reduce carbon emissions in Boulder to date. The implications of climate change [...]
Smart Regs: A Conflicted Landlord’s Perspective
I own two small buildings within the Mapleton Hill Historic District--both acquired over 30 years ago with the intention that the income from them would support me in my old age (having neither a husband nor a corporate retirement plan). With that [...]
