Taxing My Memory

Then recession hit. Climax closed down, the railroad stopped using the line full time and shut down the passenger service completely. The Frying Pan Arkansas project lost funding from the Federal Gov. The school enrollment declined and most of the good paying jobs were gone. Homes could be purchased for as little as $10,000.00 or less.

But Salida survived and grabbed it’s boot straps and began to draw tourists at an ever increasing rate. Once productive farm ground became more valuable for homes for retirees and 2nd home buyers. Mountain properties were more and more attractive to people form other states and Colorado’s own metro areas.Things were good again, not at the job pay level of the 50’s and 60’s, but livable.

Now here we are back in a recession. Surprise–Surprise. But the good news is it, at least in Chaffee County, is nowhere close to what happened in the 70’s. Sales tax revenues are off less than 1% for Nov. 2008 & Dec. 2008 compared to 2007. Maybe things will get worse but maybe not. They will be worse if we loose a positive attitude and let doom and gloom rule our actions .

Remember all things are relative to what we have become accustom.