A lot happened in 2013, of course, but what with super storms and high-profile deaths, it is too easy to overlook the fact that much of it was cause for hope. In many ways, 2013 can be seen as preparing the way for future good.
On the global stage, the world lost Nelson Mandela and gained Pope Francis. But, the end of a life that epitomized courage, freed a nation, gave hope to the world – and lasted 95 years – can hardly be counted as a loss. And for the spotlight to shift then to a world leader focused on a message of faith, humility and generosity is to follow success with inspiration.
There is reason for hope in Durango as well. Perhaps the most meaningful local event of 2013 was city voters’ rejection of the fee on disposable grocery bags. While well-meant and not particularly burdensome, the fee was widely viewed as the high-handed product of a City Council out of touch with its constituents. With that, city voters said “enough” to what many saw as top-down, nanny-state nitpicking.
What matters is neither bags nor the fee, but the fact that city voters asserted themselves. It was a reaffirmation that neither the city staff nor the City Council is ultimately in charge – the voters are. Reminding ourselves of that from time to time is not a bad thing.
The city made progress on several other key issues. On accessory dwelling units, it tried – and largely succeeded – to walk a line between legitimate, but conflicting, interests – particularly when confronted with the fact a great many ADUs already exist and are housing people.
Durango continued its popular efforts to protect and expand open space surrounding town, most recently by buying 32 acres north of Overend Mountain Park. And, it increased its presence in what many residents see as the city’s No. 1 job – offering and safeguarding opportunities for recreation.
In the latter roll, Durango has acquired and is developing the Oxbow property north of town as a park and river put-in. The idea is both to add floating distance and to take pressure off existing put-ins at 29th Street and 33rd Street. The city should rethink its plan to discriminate against Durango’s youngest, poorest and least influential residents by prohibiting tubers from using the Oxbow put-in, but that aside, the plan is a good one. (Banning tubers would be the only example of the city seeking to limit an activity that lengthens a recreational season.)
At the state level, 2013 was a mixed bag but is ending on a hopeful note. Colorado voters declined to increase their taxes and, in doing so, left the state’s schools in financial straits. The state Legislature passed a series of relatively innocuous gun-control measures, the overwrought response to which included several attempts to recall state legislators. The effort to recall state Rep. Michael McLachlan, D-Durango, failed for lack of signatures.
At the same time, though, the state’s economy is rebounding to the point that lawmakers in the 2014 legislative session may actually have some spending flexibility. And with that, the state may look to infrastructure needs and, we hope, education.
Issues remaining for local government include development along La Posta Road and how to address newly legalized recreational marijuana. There, too, though, relations between the city of Durango and La Plata County appear to be on a good footing and suggest hope for cooperative and mutually beneficial answers.
The world remains a dangerous and chaotic place. That does not change. And there is more than enough in each day’s news to give any caring person cause. But looking forward, optimism is warranted. Nothing is perfect, but our glass is more than half full.
