Dave Larison: No new open space tax

To the Editor:

Funny how it seems that every talking point from recent letters and opinions supporting a new county open space sales tax comes right out of the open space propaganda handbook.

“If we don’t buy more open space in Boulder County, we’ll have Los Angeles-type sprawl…more strip malls and prairie palaces…open lands will be carved up and sold to developers!”

Sorry enviros, but the bogus “protect from development” strawman no longer stands, nor do all the other disingenuous arguments urging more open space purchases.

There is no risk of intense open land development in Boulder County on urban borders or in rural areas.  The draconian land-use laws instituted by the commissioners won’t allow it, and the economy won’t support it.
Heck, Rocky Mountain Christian Church can’t even expand on its own land and is implausibly being taken to the Supreme Court over the matter.

Look at the 700-acre Loukonen land along Foothills Highway west of Longmont that Boulder County has recently agreed to buy as open space for $17 million.  If I were to drive by the Loukonen land as it’s privately owned today, it would look no appreciably different than when BoCo buys it as open space.

It will still be off-limits to the public. The elk herd will still migrate over the land in the winter just like before.

So why should BoCo shell out $17 million to buy this rural land at taxpayers expense, taking it off the property tax rolls and increasing county debt?   If anything, my quality of life will be diminished due to the important factor of my pocketbook being squeezed once again.

Realistically, there is no threat of the Loukonen land ever being developed.  The county purchase would only go to further Ron Stewart’s bloated open space kingdom.  It’s more government intrusion into our lives and markets.

Speaking of taxes, do people realize that if County Issue 1B were to pass, the result would be local consumers having to pay a total of four open space sales taxes to Boulder County?  Many cities in the county have at least one open space sales tax in effect as well.  Don’t forget that you pay total sales tax on every retail purchase, phone bill and restaurant meal.

Why should the poor family buying school supplies at Walmart or a meal at McDonald’s be hit with five or more open space sales taxes?  Talk about terribly regressive taxation on lower-income families, all for a luxury government program at the expense of much greater needs.

It’s become more apparent now than ever. Open space is the great fleecing of county taxpayers by radical Boulder environmentalists.

Dave Larison
Longmont