Grand Junction Comments

By Voters already rejected this

July 3, 2009 6:46 AM | Link to this

The voters get it. Government has taken more than enough money from us. We have needed a new police station for 20+ years. It is not our fault they choose to spend it on $70,000 pieces of art or million dollar grants to MSC.
We are always told there is never enough money. The state and local governments always need more. Where did all the hundreds of millions that were taken from the public go? Think about it for a second. These confiscatory tax programs were not set up with horse and buggies in mind. The more we drive and use our roads the higher taxes we pay. Nicer homes and more growth mean more taxes. When voters rejected this last time, the sentinel glossed over the fact a pro-tax campaign was waged by the government and funded by tax payers (against their will). Why do they care this time?

By Dissapointed

July 3, 2009 7:00 AM | Link to this

I always thought police were good people and had a tough job. Then several years ago I tried to get to my house when there was some construction going on. There was no other way to get there than go thru this construction zone. SGT. * pulled me over and generated a couple hundred for the city. The cops, and * sat there laughing about how they had set up this trap. ** said,”Damn-it, one mile an hour too slow.” while he radared cars. No thoughts of public safety, just revenue generation.

By Get Over It

July 3, 2009 7:40 AM | Link to this

When are the people of this city and county going to growup? Sorry but the police need a new center. Can someone tell me why everyone is so afraid of growth? You have business after business planning on coming here then they pull out because of the unfriendly attitude. You push oil and gas out, and then complain about all the loss of money to the small businesses, no one want to come here. You want to keep the small town feeling, well your going to as everyone moves out to find a better life somewhere else.

Theis city needs more resturants, entertainment, and things for the kids, A amusment park would be great and bring in alot of needed revenue, these are just some ideas and with this you need a strong police force and they deserve a new center.

You complain about them. Try living in Denver or Lakewood and see how great of a police force we have here.

By Citizen

July 3, 2009 8:00 AM | Link to this

Point of order: The artist wants $70 grand, the city didn’t pay it. The city allows the artist to display the art for the purpose of selling it themselves. Occasionally, if the art doesn’t sell, the artist gives it to the city for free, or at a substantially reduced rate.

By Avoid facts?

July 3, 2009 8:02 AM | Link to this

Get Over It- You are not very smart. The first post encapulates the view most of GJ has. Government has taken more than enough money to pay for this 10x over. They just spend it on stupid stuff and then complain that we do not have enough for the essentals.

Let me give an example you can relate to: If you were to spend all your money on cable TV, cheetos, and big TVs. Then had none left to pay your rent.

By Tax em' all

July 3, 2009 8:14 AM | Link to this

Point of order on the point of order- it is an EXAMPLE. There is plenty of art the city has purchased at a higher rate than the artist could get on the free market. If the art would even sell.

By Citizen

July 3, 2009 8:50 AM | Link to this

Tax em’ all: Name one, and for what price, in what year.

By tired tax payer

July 3, 2009 8:52 AM | Link to this

Why not save a few dollars and relocated the 911 center to a newer building that has the proper electrical supply to support the new communications equipment that is long over due. With the departure of the oil and gas industry, there seems to be more real estate available for such a move. GJPD could solve a few issues with one simple move.

First locate a building large enough with parking for the employees. (The former Circuit City Building comes to mind).

Second, Lease or purchase said property.

Third, purchase new communication system and install it into the newly acquired building saving the time and effort to move it later.

Fourth, after the 911 center moves out of the current building, remodel the entire upper floor of the existing building for the police to use. Also keep the trailers on the east side of the buildings, but remove the ones from out front (they won’t be needed).

Save the tax payers of this community a large sum of money by simply doing this. Yes it moves the 911 center from the police department, but yet allows the police department to grow within the current structure with a much lower cost.

By Ltpar

July 3, 2009 10:05 AM | Link to this

Chief Gardner did an excellent job of pointing out a long time community need to the citizens of Grand Junction. It was included in the Police Annual Report more as a Strategic Planning issue, rather than support for a ballot measure. Now the ball is in the court of the citizens of Grand Junction who must decide if Public Safety is a high enough priority, for them to commitment to funding the facility. Of course, in these difficult and uncertain economic times, this might not be the right time to be considering any large projects. An exception might be if it could be funded with the “Obamarama” jobs creation Stimulus Plan. Do the local Congressional Representatives have any pull in Obamaland? Considering the wasteful junk that is being funded, it would seem that a needed Public Safety project would be a priority. Of course, when has rational thinking ever come into play in our nations capitol?

By "Can't Get Right"

July 3, 2009 11:57 AM | Link to this

The Chief wants new diggs, Lets see some real crimes solved first. Sure you read about someone busted for speeding, or yelling at ones spouse, You may even read about a kid busted with a bag of pot. Mesa County has a hudge Meth problem, I know law enforcement knows some major players in the meth world but thay are still out on the streets doing the dirty deeds. Why cant the law solve a murder unless it happens right under there nose? Where is Paige Birgfeld and who, is responsible for this, like we don’t know. I think rewards are for a job well done, lets see some well done work befor we hand out the rewards.

By mike

July 3, 2009 12:33 PM | Link to this

Yo Gardner:

Few dispute that you need a new police station.

Many dispute that the Taj Mahal II is the needed replacement.

Wake up and smell the voting booth.

By Citizen

July 3, 2009 3:44 PM | Link to this

mike: I dispute the need for a new police station. Why? How many private businesses are able to not only make due, but turn profits, using older buildings which might not be ideal, but are certainly workable. The electrical system is antiquated, people say, but so what? Electrical wires can be run in conduit externally— just ask the folks who lit up the US Capitol, which was built in 1793. Or how about the White House, which sports some of the most advanced communication and data infrastructure in the world? It was built a year before the capitol.

Perhaps the police need more office space, that’s fine. People have been putting additions on buildings for years. Adding stories, even. What I can’t fathom is the need for an entirely new building. Besides the multiple remodeling opportunities the existing structure offers, there are a huge number of perfectly capable buildings all ready for sale here in Grand Junction.

It’s time the city government started managing their affairs the way the citizens of this city have to, by adapting, upgrading, and making due with what they have. After all, if a private citizen wanted to add a few electrical outlets, they’d call a professional, or learn to do the work themselves. Only the irresponsible would move to an entirely new house.

By Good American

July 3, 2009 6:03 PM | Link to this

Per the new Dept of Homeland Security documents- All of you who question government are terrorists.

Read the MIAC report. DO NOT question your leaders. What are you Al Qaeda?

By Hammer

July 4, 2009 10:45 AM | Link to this

To get over it You are clueless! No one is afraid of growth. The fact of the matter is, everyone is tired of the local governments spending money on lower priority items than a new police station(public safety center). There has been a need for a new police station for many years, this didn’t just suddenly happen. The city for years has brushed aside the police force and spent for themselves at city hall. This has been going on as long as I have lived here 20+ years, yet, in that time we have seen a multimillion dollar remodeling of 2 rivers convention center, a new jail, courthouse, city hall…etc. several of these items should have taken a backseat to a new police station. How much money have we seen wasted replacing 10ft sections of curbing, pouring concrete in alleyways, repaving recently repaved roads, how many times have they “redone” the east end of North Ave., art on the corner, the silly round about on 2nd and colorado(I think), the unapproved city logo fiasco, let us not forget the coddling of 7th street and the downtown area…etc. The citizens of the area DID NOT chase away any incoming business and certainly did not chase away the oil and gas industry…our economy DEPENDS on new businesses and the oil and gas industry! It’s your local and state officials who chase these things away…they are also responsible for nothing to do for the youth of the area. When was the last time you heard a citizen say something like,”Oh just great their putting in another wal-mart.” or “I am glad the movie theater company decided not to move in.” Sorry, for the majority, we are happy to see these things come in, it benefits EVERYONE. So, it’s not about growth, it’s about the inability to prioritize, not letting your eyes get bigger than your wallet, and learning that sometimes you have to spend money on office space you are not going to occupy personally. The local Governments are like kids in a candy store…they see all the mints and gumdrops and buy all that they can, then they see the chocolate at the end and find they don’t have enough money. So, they go to Mommy and Daddy begging for more money so they can get chocolate too. For years Mommy and Daddy said, “yes, honey.” But, sooner or later they have to say, “no, you’ll have to decide what you want/need more.”

By Rathburn

July 4, 2009 8:09 PM | Link to this

Well said Hammer!

About 20 years ago my middle school toured the police station. Even then it was too small.