Street Lights Turned Off To Save Money (Colorado)

kktv.com/news ^ | 1/31/2010 | Lauri Martin

[dragnet2]

Because of budget cuts here in Colorado Springs, you may notice the city is a little darker. In an effort to save $1.2 million a year, 8,000-10,000 street lights, about 30 percent, will be turned off over the course of the next 10 weeks.

The first neighborhood affected will be in the southwest quadrant of the city. After they finish those neighborhoods, they'll move to the north and to the east. The bottom line is, all parts of the city will be affected.

Some are concerned it could increase crime. A city spokesman tells 11 News tonight the police department weighed in on what lights could be unplugged.

[dragnet2]

Yes, yes, but their are the rulers of the local government kingdom.

[William Tell]

Colorado recently changed their law such that a person like me, who lives in Kalifornia and has a Florida concealed carry permit, may not carry in Colorado.

The people of Colorado are now protected against any threat that I may spend money in their state. There are so many states where I may carry, that I intend to bypass Colorado on a lengthy trip I have planned for April and May.

[Balding_Eagle]

Those law changes are a result of us having a weak kneed Republican for governor a few years back.

As a result, the Republican party was severely injured, Dems won the elections for governor and the legislature. A LOT of anti-freedom stuff has come down the pike as a result. Gun laws are but a small segment.

Being from California, you might be able to relate.

[dragnet2]

Restructure and reorganize how the City is run and figure out how to do it with approximately 1550 employees versus 1805 employees.

• Restructure the starting wages for both salary and hourly personnel across the board.

• Contract out everything that is practical with sharply negotiated pricing which gets you out from under the overtime, benefit and pension costs paid to City employees.

• Restructure your benefit and retirement plans to something more comparable to what is available in the private sector.

Did you/the letter writer get a response from the city government elite?

[dragnet2]

We know the arguments you’ll get: that we are only in the mid-pay range of other cities - won’t be able to hire and recruit - etc. etc. - baloney

Oh, and the Feds, cities, states and counties have beat this line to death, while at the same time expecting everyone in the private sector to work for less and less.

[LucyJo]

I guess they’ll soon be able to see if street lights actually affect crime rates.

[dragnet2]

I guess they’ll soon be able to see if street lights actually affect crime rates.

Good point Lucy....Watch crime drop.....lol

There will be lots of people watching that, because those that make streetlights, and the politicos that have millions of them installed, so they can get massive kick backs and charge double taxes....Lot of people watching that....lol

Those in Colorado Springs ought to take a hard look at who is running that show up there...This whole thing reeks...

Colorado shuts off their street lights, Cal release thousands of prisoners and many other states are following suit....These little local government kingdoms are rotten to the core.

[Balding_Eagle]

I’m not the letter writer, and I don’t know if he got an answer.

I no longer live in Colorado Springs, but they sure deserve an answer.

[dragnet2]

Agree...

Those in government really hate people that know how out of control government has become...The author was directly over the target.

[cookcounty]

How much does it cost, per light, to turn them off? (and then back on in a year?). I assume they are paying overtime to have them turned off or using contractors since the city has (of course!) pared the workforce to the bone.

[Professional Engineer]

A number of CA cities did this during the oil crisis in the 70s. They never turned them back on.

[cookcounty]

" a 70% overall payroll cost, $161M payroll for 1805 employees which equals $89,196 per employee and benefit and pension plans that are not only “Cadillac” but more “Ferrari” when compared to what is being offered in the private sector.

Holy Moly!! And in a city famous for its low cost-of- living. Where do I apply for a job???????

Dump PERA now, push them into Social Security and 401K's.

[cookcounty]

Many years ago, a "city job" didn't pay that well, but people went into it because they liked the relaxed atmosphere and decent benefits, but somewhere along the line, the "public servants" became the "public masters," pressuring lower-paid and harder-working private-sector citizens to cough up cash to cover the ever-expanding pay and benefits of the new ruling class.

Obama offering special tuition treatment "for those who enter public service" shows how very distant he is from real people. His only life experience is in government or quasi-government environments.

That's why he was so non-plussed by Joe the Plumber. To Obama, the guy was from some other planet.

It's time for a full-throated taxpayers' revolt against the "new ruling class."

[elkfersupper]

I'm going to turn off my license plate light to save money.

Good for the leech, good for the host.

[dragnet2]

A number of CA cities did this during the oil crisis in the 70s. They never turned them back on.

They can turn off the one down the road from me, anytime they want...I never asked for it, and I hate paying for the damn thing, as I provide for my own security around my compound, as everyone else should.

Of course, I also have an optical/digital imaging observatory so I am a little biased here...lol

[cookcounty]

“Stephen Bartolin, Jr., of the above letter to Mayor Rivera, is the CEO of the 5-star Broadmoor Hotel and Convention Center, which I can tell you from experience, is a very, very well-run operation, and a tremendous asset to the community of Colorado Springs. The man knows what he’s talking about:

http://www.broadmoor.com/

[Cvengr]

It really depends upon the street and environment.

If pedestrians or bicyclists are in the area of 50 mph traffic, and it appears safer than it really is, then street lights might be outstanding safety devices.

Quite a few studies out there by the IES in the early 50s -70s regarding street lighting and how to better identify traffic hazards at night.

The only real problem that pops up, is when streets and public culture have been designed and accustomed to driving and safety habits with street lights, and then somebody decides to simply de-energize them to save money, not investigating the impact and liabilities which such a removal might have been generated.

I know of one incident recently in SoCA of a bicyclist being killed by a driver at night on a semirural to urban roadway where lights were removed. The drivers change driving habits to 50mph rural driving on 2-lane roads, while locals were accustomed to bike riding in the late afternoon on connector roads between subdivisions, and winter hours merged with nightfall, generating an unsafe and fatal circumstance.

[dragnet2]

That leaves only one alternative. Deal with the expense side. A basic analysis of the expenses is that you have a 70% overall payroll cost, $161M payroll for 1805 employees which equals $89,196 per employee and benefit and pension plans that are not only “Cadillac” but more “Ferrari” when compared to what is being offered in the private sector.

The City of Colorado Springs are clearly raping the private sector working folk.

[dragnet2]

If pedestrians or bicyclists are in the area of 50 mph traffic, and it appears safer than it really is, then street lights might be outstanding safety devices.

I'll be brutally honest here...

A pedestrian or bicyclists are NEVER safe in or around 50mph traffic...regardless of lighting...

You're right about one becoming accustomed to lighting, however...As I said above, daylight or night, people walking, jogging, or riding their bike along *any* roadway in today's America, are taking their life in their hands...Many become very dead in the blink of an eye.

Yes, lighting will help possibly see a person, doing the stupid, walking along a roadway....But considering we have hundreds of millions of these lights...At what cost?

[dragnet2]

Just to get it straight, you are correct...I should have added that I “personally” feel it’s close to committing suicide...Just by walking along a roadway in today’s world, regardless of lighting...In my opinion....