Destiny Survival

            Earlier this week I saw a TV news item describing services to be cut in Colorado Springs, CO. I missed the intro to the story, so I didn’t realize where they were talking about until the reporter mentioned where he was reporting from. That made me curious because it’s hard to believe the second largest city in Colorado could be doing what they’re doing..

            I was glad to come across a story in “The Denver Post” entitled, “loss of city services: Colorado Springs cuts into services considered basic by many.” Because of severe budget constraints, the city is shutting off a third of their streetlights, selling police helicopters, curbing upkeep of parks and laying off several firemen, to name the most sensational cuts.

Buses won’t be running nights and weekends, and they’re relying on regional authorities to pave streets. Some residents see all of this as attacks on the needs of the working class. A property tax increase was voted down in November.

            Because some community pools and centers are closing, many wonder about day care costs, idle teens, and shut in elderly. Tourism will be negatively affected, too, and we all know what a cash cow that has become for so many places.

            There’s a growing distrust of government officials and how they spend their money at the local level. But Colorado Springs isn’t alone. Denver and Aurora have made cuts, too. This may be happening elsewhere across the country, but hasn’t gotten the attention of the broader media.

            Granted, there’s been plenty of press about how bad off Detroit is. And you can click here for an account of financial cutbacks in Los Angeles. However, Colorado Springs is in a rapidly growing area. I would have thought more people meant more tax payer revenue. Or is this a case of the illegal immigration problem taking its toll?

            I’m reminded of the words of the poet who said the world will end with a whimper, not a bang. Is Colorado Springs the proverbial canary in the coal mine? Are we seeing how our country dies—slowly and painfully? What if we have no apocalyptic catastrophe?

            What about what we’ll face in our everyday lives? If you’re in a neighborhood where street lighting goes out, and there are fewer police, are you braced for higher crime rates? Are you prepared with what you need for self preservation and self defense? Are you prepared to move elsewhere? What changes will you make in your own life to survive when basic services are cut where you live?

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