Steve Pomerance

The way the decision process for the library district has been presented is that either (1) the City and the County decide to form the district, or (2) the advocates gather signatures to put it on the ballot. Then, in either case, there will be a districtwide vote on the increase in property taxes to fund the district, currently “up to 3.8 mills.” I recently found out that these signers do not need to include a single City resident; they all could live in the part of the district outside the City limits. Also, the tax increase could pass even if a majority of City voters reject it. For example, if Boulder voters reject it by a 500 vote margin but out-of-city voters support it by a 600 vote margin, then our whole library system could be turned over to the library district even though a majority of City of Boulder voters disagree! From my review, state law does try to address this issue. But so far there has been no significant public attention to this concern. So how about simply givi...

Recent months have been really scary. Everyone is threatened by the coronavirus. Testing is way behind where it should be. The stock market is dropping at record rates, and the economy as a whole is slowing dramatically. Many people are being pushed to the edge, both economically and health-wise. But within this bleak scenario, there are things to be thankful for. Our local and state governments are doing a very good job with the resources and technology that they can access. Walking in neighborhoods is a pleasure, with people greeting each other — at the appropriate physical separation. We have our open space, where we can get out and enjoy nature. I recently hiked the southern portion of the Mesa Trail and was greeted by truly spectacular views of the Denver skyline and the eastern plains. The air was clearer than I ever remember seeing in my 50-plus years in Boulder. I also had time to read a book that I’ve put off for years — “The March of Folly,” by Barbara Tuchman, first p...