Richard Juday http://www.richard-juday.net Longmont City Council candidate Sun, 27 Jan 2008 14:02:42 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 en Juday and Thistle: Intelligent Growth http://www.richard-juday.net/2008/01/24/juday-and-thistle-intelligent-growth/ http://www.richard-juday.net/2008/01/24/juday-and-thistle-intelligent-growth/#comments Fri, 25 Jan 2008 05:50:03 +0000 richard http://www.richard-juday.net/2008/01/24/juday-and-thistle-intelligent-growth/ In a piece printed in The Denver Post’s YourHub on January 24th, Richard Yale attempts to associate me with a plan in Boulder that has constrained growth there and — by Yale’s version of events — depressed housing prices in Longmont. There is almost a twisted and blinkered sort of logic buried in there, and I’ll try to tease it out. But the upshot is that Yale tries to tie me, and the New-in-November members of Council, to a failed policy of decade-long existence. In fact quite the opposite is true; the Intelligent Growth policies of the New-in-November Council members and me (should I be elected) are a hope of salvation from the depressed condition of the Longmont real estate market.

Here’s the short version of the back story. Limitations on growth in Boulder caused shortages and raised house prices. They had the additional effect of moving growth to outlying communities like Longmont. Yale tars me with a brush that should be applied to those earlier Longmont City Councils who had a development philosophy that was recognized and roundly repudiated by the voters in November. Longmont has been overly development-friendly for years, with the consequence that we have overbuilt, have half of all house foreclosures in Boulder County, and have seen serious decline in housing values. This did not happen between November and now, and yet in his article Yale tries to tie me to that situation.

You can find my opinions expressed at greater length elsewhere on this website, but in short I think that our growth should be managed with respect to what resources we have remaining, that new growth should pay its own way rather than burden existing citizens, that the City should aim for long-term dynamic sustainability (NB: that’s not the same as stasis), and that the City’s economic vitality must be encouraged so as to support those goals. And yet Yale ascribes exactly contrary positions and policies to me.

I am taking the trouble to respond to Yale’s piece because I received the following note from a puzzled voter. She had been confused by reading Yale’s piece.

Dear Richard (I am adding that pro forma but outside the quotation marks): “I am all for primary jobs in Longmont. Every time I go into Boulder, I wonder why we can’t get even a fraction of the growth, $$s, and respect. It seems that Longmont is hell bent on becoming the poor side of the tracks. I bought my home four years ago. It has lost 20% of its value. Boulder’s values continue to climb. The Thistle project is a nightmare to Longmont’s values. I understand this is something you have supported. What goes?”

I called her to discuss the matter. She agreed that the decline in her house value had occurred over a period of years rather than just since November. She understood that Longmont’s overbuilding and high foreclosure rate had occurred under previous philosophies of City administration. She liked the idea of managing growth within resource limitations rather than just permit sprawl. Altogether, she understood that Yale has seriously incorrectly attributed the failed policy to the New-In-November members of Council and to me.

I have heard complaints on both sides of the issue of falling house prices. There are those who espouse cheap houses so that anyone can buy a house, and there are those who would like to see the value of their house be maintained and stable. I think it’s far better for the community to bring in the primary jobs, and to do growth intelligently, so that house prices fall as little as possible during the existing home loan crisis and impending recession. I have also heard that “the house prices in Boulder are artificially high!” But think on that for a moment — if a willing seller and a willing buyer settle on a higher price in Boulder than the same house would sell for in Longmont, I kinda think that’s not artificial! And I’d certainly rather have my house price stay up rather than be on a plunging path.

]]> http://www.richard-juday.net/2008/01/24/juday-and-thistle-intelligent-growth/feed/ An interaction with voters http://www.richard-juday.net/2008/01/19/an-interaction-with-voters/ http://www.richard-juday.net/2008/01/19/an-interaction-with-voters/#comments Sat, 19 Jan 2008 20:19:24 +0000 richard http://www.richard-juday.net/2008/01/19/an-interaction-with-voters/ Dear Richard,

Thank you so much for your prompt, thoughtful response to my questions. I have forwarded them to 15 fellow-citizens.

Regards,

{Withheld}

—–Original Message—–
From: Richard Juday [mailto:rjpol@prodigy.net]
Sent: Friday, January 18, 2008 12:29 AM
To: {withheld}
Subject: Re: Where do you stand on…2 questions from a Longmont resident

Ms. {Withheld}:

Thanks for the opportunity to answer these questions in a voters’ forum. I would really have liked for there to be a public debate, but apparently this contest did not rise to the level of interest that would have precipitated a debate.

I would like to see Longmont form an IGA (intergovernmental agreement) in league against pressures from the likes of Wal-Mart. A revenue-sharing agreement would vitiate the pressure that BBI (big-box international) can apply with its threat to move a couple miles down the road so that the other city can have all the tax revenue that will ‘leak’ from this municipality. Frankly, BBI is often larger than the City of Longmont, and by forming an IGA one hopes to stave them off. I don’t like the idea of having several BBIs at each entryway to the City, and I don’t like having BBIs present in numbers that threaten the small businesses in town. That said, I think BBI has a place. This was brought home to me in conversations with the CNAs at the nursing home my mom lives in. The CNAs are not highly paid, and to have a really cheap place to shop is their monetary salvation.

As for West Nile, you are interacting with a beekeeper here. The things that knock down mosquitoes also knock down bees. Using larvacide rather than spraying of pyrethrins for adults has a far more favored balance between effectiveness and ecological cost. Using common sense in exposure to mosquitoes, and maintaining awareness of ‘hot spots’, are additional weapons that the public can use in moderating its own behavior. Some degree of self-reliance must be assumed; the Government should not be thought of as being an absolute shield against all misfortune, any more than you really think of the Government as omnicompetent and omniscient.

I hope this is responsive to your questions, and I’d welcome further interaction. Please come to Longmont Free University on Saturday between 3:30 and 6PM. I am having Open House for just this kind of give and take.

Richard

—– Original Message —–

From: {withheld}

Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2008 9:06 PM

Subject: Where do you stand on…2 questions from a Longmont resident


Hi,


I have 2 questions that I am addressing to all 4 of the candidates in the approaching Longmont City Council member election. I will be sharing your response with numerous friends (Longmont residents) who have similar concerns.

¨ Where do you stand on allowing big corporations like Walmart to take over Longmont and push out the small businesses? Are you for big corporate or small business expansion?

¨ Where do you stand on the West Nile predicament we have faced in the past years? Are you open and willing to explore and be creative with other options with the West Nile situation versus spraying and poisoning the entire community?

I appreciate your willingness to answer these questions. Your response will be helpful in choosing whom to vote for in the coming election.

Sincerely,

{withheld}

]]> http://www.richard-juday.net/2008/01/19/an-interaction-with-voters/feed/ Juday for Longmont Council http://www.richard-juday.net/2007/12/21/juday-for-longmont-council/ http://www.richard-juday.net/2007/12/21/juday-for-longmont-council/#comments Sat, 22 Dec 2007 07:55:36 +0000 admin http://www.richard-juday.net/2007/12/21/juday-for-longmont-council/ Press releases will appear here as they develop.

]]> http://www.richard-juday.net/2007/12/21/juday-for-longmont-council/feed/ Civic and campaign activities http://www.richard-juday.net/2007/12/21/richards-civic-activities/ http://www.richard-juday.net/2007/12/21/richards-civic-activities/#comments Sat, 22 Dec 2007 07:45:19 +0000 admin http://www.richard-juday.net/2007/12/21/richards-next-appearance/ Wednesday Jan 2nd: Complete the HOA Newsletter, send it to printer.

Thursday Jan 3rd: Lunch at noon, Rotary Club (guest as Council candidate)

Tuesday Jan 8th: Monthly meeting of Boulder County’s committee that allocates SCFD tax funds to scientific and cultural activities (in Longmont, includes the museum, symphony, Council for the Arts, etc.).

Thursday Jan 10th: Complete my individual review of WIRED proposals. This is a metro-Denver initiative to bolster the area workforce in four areas identified as having shortcomings: Biosciences, Aerospace, Information Technology, and Energy.Saturday Jan 12th: SCFD workshop. Present instructions to organizations on how to prepare an SCFD proposal to the County.

Saturday Jan 12th: 3:30 - 6PM First session, Meet and greet, grip-’n'-grin. Meet the Candidate, Longmont Free University, 505 Main Street. Public invited.

Tuesday Jan 15th: Meeting for group discussion and consensus to fund WIRED proposals.

Saturday Jan 19th: 3:30 - 6PM Second session, Meet and greet, grip-’n'-grin. Meet the Candidate, Longmont Free University, 505 Main Street. Public invited.Friday Jan 25th: A recall meeting of Longmont’s Economic Vitality Task Force to update our recommendations for the newly constituted City Council.

]]> http://www.richard-juday.net/2007/12/21/richards-civic-activities/feed/ New site live http://www.richard-juday.net/2007/12/21/new-site-live/ http://www.richard-juday.net/2007/12/21/new-site-live/#comments Sat, 22 Dec 2007 07:38:02 +0000 admin http://www.richard-juday.net/2007/12/21/new-site-live/ With the new year comes the official launch of the new website.  www.richard-juday.net has been moved onto a new host that provides much faster service, and it has been changed to be formatted under WordPress.  Additionally, it has new facilities including the reader’s ability to leave comments.

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