The City of Howard, Shame!!!

[mtcookson]

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

Doing a very quick search online I was able to find this: http://www.taylornews.org/mcc/2011/04/01/drive-by-shooting-in-elk-city-nets-3-arrests/

Elk City and somewhere in Elk County.

[thatsMRSc2u]

You're making yourself look like a fool.

My mom is far from a fool. Think you better check yourself with it.

There's a difference between being an optimist and simply being in denial.

Having a different opinion than YOURS does not make her in denial.

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

Yes I bet she will.

I've read ALL these friggin threads............I've got in a few pissin matches with you all when you get to spoutin and talkin about how stupid anybody who doesnt agree with you all is........the fact of the matter is you all would get a hell of a lot farther a hell of a lot faster by postin facts and saving the condescending bullshit.

Yall are like a bunch of vultures settin and waitin for the poor rabbits who think they actually have the same rights to their opinions as YOU do to speak up and you pounce on em and "leave em bloody" with your "razor sharp wit" and "superior intellects"  

You all forget most of these people you are pouncin on have been there a HELL of a lot longer than you have and the SAME shit different day stuff has been goin on since THEY got there. Callin people stupid or "fools" on the internet is not gonna change ANY of it. Yall need to respect your elders.

[Diane Amberg]

My goodness. So now most people in Howard are miserable? Ya coulda fooled me. Perhaps just being neighborly to each other would help that.
Of course I don't know what ordinances you few are complaining about, but most I am familiar with have to do with health and safety and curb appeal for property values according to the general value of homes in a general area or neighborhood.
I happen to like everyone who lives here in my neighborhood and would be totally embarrassed to have my place so tall and scraggly, and full of thistles, Polk, poison ivy, bind weed or other noxious weeds as to be a fire hazard, attract vermin, or be a general eyesore with junk or whatever in the front yard for my neighbors to have to put up with. I just wouldn't do it to them.
Why is permission to live that way considered "freedom?'' It's much easier to live that way out in the country on a large property. You have to give up some of that when you live in town cheek by jowl. Ya don't like it, live else where.You have the freedom to go somewhere else where people don't care about how their places look.
People who only want to be "left alone"don't ever do well in town. People who are so concerned should learn the character of the town before they move there. There are so few of you out there, I just can't understand how you can find so much to squabble about.  Bye now.

[Mom70x7]

Diane,

Some of the fuss is about where trash cans are placed. Most people keep them behind the house or close to the back door or garage. On trash days, either Thursday or Friday, the cans are moved out to the curbside for pick-up.

Some people have chosen to keep their trash cans by the curbside all the time instead of toting them back and forth during the week. Letters have been sent to some of them asking them to move the cans back during the week, to keep the curb appeal more aesthetically pleasing.

When we moved here some 20+ years ago, we received a letter asking us not to keep our trash out for everyone to see all the time.

I personally think people have a right to put their trash cans wherever they please.

I also think we should all make an effort to keep our neighbors as aesthetically pleasing as possible. I'm aware that (for some) is difficult because of financial and physical constraints, but that's not usually the problem with trash cans.

[mtcookson]

My mom is far from a fool. Think you better check yourself with it.

You check yourself. I did not call her a fool. I said what she is saying is making her look like a fool. She's simply misunderstanding what I had typed.

Having a different opinion than YOURS does not make her in denial.

If it were an opinion I would absolutely agree. Being that it is a fact that our local governments are wasting money and mismanaging everything you would have to be in denial to disagree with that statement.

Now... if it is her opinion that the government is doing things correctly by wasting money and mismanagement then there shouldn't be any reason for her to not be optimistic about the future (unless we can get some new people in there of course).

Yes I bet she will.

Soooo... when there are no services in the area and you have to at the very least head to Eureka or further to purchase your everyday needs you think she would? Like I said... doubtful.

I've read ALL these friggin threads............I've got in a few pissin matches with you all when you get to spoutin and talkin about how stupid anybody who doesnt agree with you all is........the fact of the matter is you all would get a hell of a lot farther a hell of a lot faster by postin facts and saving the condescending bullshit.

Yall are like a bunch of vultures settin and waitin for the poor rabbits who think they actually have the same rights to their opinions as YOU do to speak up and you pounce on em and "leave em bloody" with your "razor sharp wit" and "superior intellects"  

You all forget most of these people you are pouncin on have been there a HELL of a lot longer than you have and the SAME shit different day stuff has been goin on since THEY got there. Callin people stupid or "fools" on the  internet is not gonna change ANY of it. Yall need to respect your elders.

To my knowledge I've not called anyone stupid or a fool for disagreeing with me and don't intend to. Again, as above, I was saying her reply made her look foolish. I intend to point out the facts and of course have to put in my personal opinions when needed but I have no intention to call anyone here stupid unless someone is, without any doubt, being stupid. I only see misunderstanding and/or misinformation, not stupidity.

So living in some place longer than others somehow makes any of this different? If anything, that makes it worse since people who have lived here longer than others LET this happen by seemingly doing nothing nor bringing it up. Granted years back people didn't have this excellent forum to talk about this kind of stuff but now we do and hopefully now we can try fixing what has been breaking for years.

My goodness. So now most people in Howard are miserable? Ya coulda fooled me. Perhaps just being neighborly to each other would help that.

You know they are not? Really? I'm sure everyone has a HUGE smile on their face when they go to pay taxes that are probably at least two times more than many other areas in Kansas. Go into the tag office, register a new vehicle, and tell me you won't walk out of there feeling abused.

Of course I don't know what ordinances you few are complaining about, but most I am familiar with have to do with health

No

and safety

No

and curb appeal for property values according to the general value of homes in a general area or neighborhood.

Maybe at first, until they decided to do a piss poor jobs on our roads. I absolutely guarantee these new roads are going to lower property values even further.

Though... if my property values fall that means I should be paying less in taxes when they're based on value. Plus it will make it a little easier to sell in this horrible economy if I had to.

I happen to like everyone who lives here in my neighborhood and would be totally embarrassed to have my place so tall and scraggly, and full of thistles, Polk, poison ivy, bind weed or other noxious weeds as to be a fire hazard, attract vermin, or be a general eyesore with junk or whatever in the front yard for my neighbors to have to put up with. I just wouldn't do it to them.
Why is permission to live that way considered "freedom?'' It's much easier to live that way out in the country on a large property. You have to give up some of that when you live in town cheek by jowl. Ya don't like it, live else where.You have the freedom to go somewhere else where people don't care about how their places look.

You also have the freedom to leave or just not look. I'm not saying I leave my yard as a forest... though it did start looking bad there for a while when the heat got nasty... but anyway, for the city to threaten someone who simply can't mow their yard that is wrong. Someone from the city should have instead asked around and seen if anyone would donate their time to mow the yard.

People who only want to be "left alone"don't ever do well in town. People who are so concerned should learn the character of the town before they move there. There are so few of you out there, I just can't understand how you can find so much to squabble about.  Bye now.

So few of us out there? Uh huh... sure. Sorry, I should have made my statement a little more clear but when I say "left alone" I'm talking about the government leaving people alone. Ask people if they just want to live in peace and be left alone by the government I'm know a clear, large, majority would say yes.

[mtcookson]

I personally think people have a right to put their trash cans wherever they please.

Thank you!

I'm personally not saying people should just be throwing trash by the curb and having it piled there forever, that would indeed look bad. Having a couple trash cans at the edge of the street does not look bad to me and certainly would look better than a pile of bags on the street where animals could have a very easy time ripping in and getting some rotting treats.

Harassing people about simple trashcans being next to the street is absolutely ridiculous though.

A.D.D. moment: There are some trashcans I'd rather see in place of some pretty bad looking mailboxes.

[Ross]

You know they are not? Really? I'm sure everyone has a HUGE smile on their face when they go to pay taxes that are probably at least two times more than many other areas in Kansas.

Maybe at first, until they decided to do a piss poor jobs on our roads. I absolutely guarantee these new roads are going to lower property values even further.

Though... if my property values fall that means I should be paying less in taxes when they're based on value. Plus it will make it a little easier to sell in this horrible economy if I had to.

You are going to love this mtcookson.
The county assessor was just out here at my place measuring the partial roof I have over my deck.
It's been there for at least 5 years.
He couldn't or wouldn't say what was going on.
I do know they have a new system on their computers for calculating taxes
but I don't know if they have started using it.

But just the same, I think we should prepare fo larger county taxes coming soon.
Elk County appears to shooting for the number on position on the highest property taxes in Kansas.
Right now I believe we are number two.

You hang in there, you have every right to you opinion about micromanagement and poor management.

[Janet Harrington]

Go back to shaking your doors and making I.D. badges.

You need to know what you are talking about before you spout off as to what I do. I do not shake doors. I do, however; make ID badges. Guess you don't know everything, now, do you?

[readyaimduck]

The county assessor was just out here at my place measuring the partial roof I have over my deck.
It's been there for at least 5 years.

Going to call you out on this one Ross.
It is not the Appraiser (Assessor as it used to be) that jacks up your taxes.  Sure, if you add an overhang, it will increase probably $10 in taxes.

What the new system is now is a Marshall Swift Appraisal Program.  It shouldn't change a thing if all goes well.

If nothing has changed on your house, you have to understand that the cost index usually rises .02-3% for new construction costs and materials...then, coupled with the Mil levy....one might pay $100 year more in taxes when the appraiser hasn't changed a thing.

Now, about the fact that you went for 5 years without paying for that overhangd.....I would count my blessings my friend.
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[readyaimduck]

I think that if someone has a disability, cannot mow then they should be able to sign up on a list for the football players from high school to mow for free, as a community service/physical training/ and use the old 'push'mower to boot!
It is almost as if the city is penalizing someone for a disability, not a negligence (then, they would attach to the Real Estate Tax bill)
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