The City of Howard, Shame!!!

[Wilma]

It continues to amaze me that people continue to live in a town that they are so dissatisfied with.  Hasn't anyone heard about moving?  Oh, yes, it is easier to just stay put and put down everything good, isn't it?  How about doing something useful about what  you don't like?  How about running for city council or county commission?  This forum isn't the best place to spread your discontent.

[srkruzich]

It continues to amaze me that people continue to live in a town that they are so dissatisfied with.  Hasn't anyone heard about moving?  Oh, yes, it is easier to just stay put and put down everything good, isn't it?  How about doing something useful about what  you don't like?  How about running for city council or county commission?  This forum isn't the best place to spread your discontent.

?  Lets see if i get you right!

Good = mismanagement of funds...
Good = Jacking taxes up to fund mismanagement of funds
Good = closing schools because of the mismanagement of funds
Good = Threatening disabled and handicapped citizens with fines
Good = co-mingling taxpayer monies with private business and no accountability invovled
Good = wasting tax dollars to call people about their trashcans.  (Someone was paid to do that)

Hmmmm All for the kids right!?  All for the Good of who?  Howard or elk county? 

Sounds like all the good thats being done is killing the county

[mtcookson]

It continues to amaze me that people continue to live in a town that they are so dissatisfied with.  Hasn't anyone heard about moving?  Oh, yes, it is easier to just stay put and put down everything good, isn't it?  How about doing something useful about what  you don't like?  How about running for city council or county commission?  This forum isn't the best place to spread your discontent.

Moving would be easier if the economy wasn't in the tank but perhaps some people don't want to move to begin with, maybe they like being in a small town or don't want to move away from family. This forum is a great place to talk about all of the wrong things going on, it informs others living here about the problems so that hopefully it will bring the people together to help fix the problems or, when the time comes, vote in some new people that will actually manage this area correctly and help fix the problems.

[Wilma]

So are you going to go public and try for an office where we can all complain about you?  I moved here knowing that there were rules and regulations connected to living in a small town.  By moving here, I agreed to live by those rules and regulations.  The city ordinances are not made to torment a few.  They are made for the safety and wishes of the many.  You all know that I don't like looking at unkempt property.  I also don't like looking at someone's trash cans setting by the curb day after day.  I don't like the occasional dog that is running loose.  I drive the streets, also, just not as often as most of you.  I look at it as the price we have to pay for the benefits of living in a small town.  We all have to do our part in keeping the environment as pleasant as possible for our neighbors.

If you think Howard is bad, try living in Sedgwick County and doing as you want in regards to your own property.

[flo]

this whole thread is ridiculous.  I know personally what it is not to be able to mow.  When I moved here, I done the mistake to buy a house on the wrong side of the street and have a ditch that needs mowed with a push mower.  I tried it once and couldn't handle the mower on those slopes.  My neighbor (now deceased) gladly mowed it free of charge.  Come Christmas time I sent a card with a heartfelt thank you and made a donation to the West Elk Teachers Org. for scholarships in the name of my neighbor.  Last summer I had the same problem, no one to mow my ditch.  Another neighbor gladly took it on and I do the same donation in his name. Both refused payment for this service to me.  They were just being good neighbors.  There is not a doubt that if my whole yard needed mowed, he would do it.  I bet there are a few in this city that have been sentenced to "community service".  This is the sort of thing they could do.  As for Elk Konnected - I do believe they have organized clean up crews more than a few times, and not just for Howard.  I don't know a lot about that organization, but there is always something in the paper about what is happening and it is all good and a service to Elk County.  I also know for a fact that Diane makes donations to causes in Elk County so that remark to her was completely uncalled for.  This bickering among citizens is part of the problem around here.  Instead of saying "so and so or such and such" could have mower this lady's yard.  Instead of passing the buck, why don't YOU do it yourself.  Then you can post it on here so everybody can pat you on the back and give you ALL the credit for openly doing a good deed.  To sum it up, I think THERE ARE TOO MANY CHIEFS AND NOT ENOUGH INDIANS IN ELK COUNTY.  (or people that want to be the chief)

[mtcookson]

So are you going to go public and try for an office where we can all complain about you?

Heh, if I were ever to get into a public office and change things the way I'd like (the correct way) I'm sure I'd have a handful of complainers (when are there not?) while the majority would enjoy getting some of their freedom back as well as saving a decent amount of money.

I also don't like looking at someone's trash cans setting by the curb day after day.

What if I don't like the look of your house? Does that mean you need to remove it and have a better looking house built?
How about someone's car? I think Pontiac Aztec's are absolutely hideous (as do many, many others). Should they be required to get rid of it for a better looking vehicle? No really, it will help improve the look of the town getting rid of such a hideous vehicle.

Seriously... people only want to live in peace and be left alone, is that so much to ask?

You know actually, if you have such a problem seeing trashcans how about we just get rid of the trash service altogether so that people can take their trash right to the dump. I'm sure that would go over extremely well with the majority, no longer having to see trashcans ever again.

I drive the streets, also, just not as often as most of you. I look at it as the price we have to pay for the benefits of living in a small town.

The price we have to pay being MORE than is necessary for sub par roads and services? Seriously?? If this area were managed properly and money wasn't constantly wasted we could easily have nice roads, better services, and lower taxes. Mismanagement and wasteful spending is exactly the reason we do not.

The city ordinances are not made to torment a few.  They are made for the safety and wishes of the many.

If they were made for the few, the ordinance would never be able to legally pass. Enforcement of the ordinance(s) on the other hand currently seems to be targeting only a few, not all as is required by law... you know, equal protection under the law.

As far as being made by the wishes of the many... I highly doubt that. There were probably a hand full of complainers and city leaders saw a nice way to make some money or maybe just wanted to fix the squeaky wheel.

Oddly though it seems as though one particular ordinance wasn't even enforced till around last year or so... around 10 years, if I remember correctly, after the ordinance was created.

If you think Howard is bad, try living in Sedgwick County and doing as you want in regards to your own property.

Living in a small town to do what you want with your property is the very reason for living in a small town. Howard seems to want to change everything to act as if it were a large city, you know... because who would want or even need freedom? Freedom... what a ridiculous thought.

this whole thread is ridiculous.

No, not even close. This thread is bringing to light some of the ridiculous things the City of Howard has started doing lately. Unless everyone just wants to lay down and let the city do whatever it wants, this thread is not ridiculous by any means.

We actually need more of these threads to teach the people who actually live here what our leaders are trying to do to us.

[Patriot]

We actually need more of these threads to teach the people who actually live here what our leaders are trying to do to us.

You're right, mtcookson.  What a concept, open discussion and debate.  Messy, at times, but necessary.

Now add the management of Howard to that of the county, 4 other towns and 2 school boards.  It all adds up, and it all affects the taxpayers directly and all residents in one way or another.  Never EXPECT that which you don't INSPECT.  'Elect & forget' can never be an good option in a free society.  Looks like the folks in Elk County may have been doing that for way too long.  The voters nationwide obviously have.

[flo]

Socialism - the equal sharing of misery

Yep, that's what you are trying to do here.  How bout some comments about the GOOD things about living in small town America?  Howard being one of them.  When did you last hear of a drive by shooting in Howard?  You hear plenty in the city.  When was the last time you heard of a bank being robbed in Howard? there's one robbed just about every day in the city.  When was the last time you went to the city and half the people there smiled and waved at you?  You'll see that every day in Howard.  You can choose to be a pessimist or optimist, a doer or a complainer, but you can't do it by yourself so you try to enlist others to join in your misery.  I choose to be an optimist and a doer (what I can) and will continue to wave and smile and thank the person who held the door open for me when entering the PO or grocery store.  That's something else you won't see much of in the city.  Our city council and county commissioners are hell if they do and hell if they don't.  Remember this? You can satisfy all the people part of the time, you can satisfy part of the people all the time and then there are those that you will never satisfy, regardless of what you do. 

[srkruzich]

IF i remember right someone said something  about a drive by shooting in elk not too long ago!

[mtcookson]

Socialism - the equal sharing of misery

Yep, that's what you are trying to do here.

I... uh... wow... that's just so laughable that the only response I have is to teach you what that statement means.

Under socialism the government attempts to keep everyone as equal as they can. Since it would be impossible to give every single person a nice living with a nice car and house and food always on the table everyone has to settle for much less, everyone ends up being equal in misery (except for the actual socialists in power).

What am I trying to do here? Well, oddly enough I'm actually trying to point out that our local government is doing an excellent job at making everyone here miserable (well, except for a few, it seems, who love being controlled by their government).

How bout some comments about the GOOD things about living in small town America?  Howard being one of them.  When did you last hear of a drive by shooting in Howard?  You hear plenty in the city.  When was the last time you heard of a bank being robbed in Howard? there's one robbed just about every day in the city.

Probably because around here, someone will shoot back.

When was the last time you went to the city and half the people there smiled and waved at you?  You'll see that every day in Howard.  You can choose to be a pessimist or optimist, a doer or a complainer, but you can't do it by yourself so you try to enlist others to join in your misery.

Seriously? How am I "trying to enlist others to join in my misery"? You're making yourself look like a fool. I'm POINTING OUT that our local government is trying to make most people here miserable. Its taking some effort to keep myself from laughing out loud over your statements.

I choose to be an optimist and a doer (what I can) and will continue to wave and smile and thank the person who held the door open for me when entering the PO or grocery store.  That's something else you won't see much of in the city.

There's a difference between being an optimist and simply being in denial. Unless you're just being optimistic in the hopes that the local government(s) will try taking even more power there is absolutely no reason to be optimistic with our current leadership. They are only going to drag us deeper and deeper into debt, continue to mismanage anything they can get their hands on, waste money, and cause us to become even more miserable.

When the town(s) and county goes completely broke and people are forced to leave... will you still stick around? Doubtful.

Actually, when it comes to doors and big cities I've had quite a few friendly people hold the door for me or others in larger cities. I almost always hold it for someone if they are near. Sure, a lot of big cities have their seemingly unfriendly or uncaring residents but not all of them are that way.

Our city council and county commissioners are hell if they do and hell if they don't.  Remember this? You can satisfy all the people part of the time, you can satisfy part of the people all the time and then there are those that you will never satisfy, regardless of what you do.  

Sure, you can do things that satisfy a whole group or a single person but if they continue to do things that HURT everyone they are not doing anything right.

If the government listens to people that are delusional and irrational and does things that clearly, factually, historically, ABSOLUTELY DO NOT WORK... the government then is as delusional and irrational as the people they should not have listened to. Sometimes you just have to leave the squeaky wheel alone and focus on the bigger picture, you know, like when everything around the squeaky wheel is on fire.