Letter to the Editor
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'Magic' toy store finds niche
(NCBR, Dec. 4-17, 2009)
Thanks to NCBR for publishing the article about the Science Toy Magic store which, I am embarrassed to say, I did not know of until now. I think some Christmas shopping decisions just got easier.
Henry Obermeyer
Wellington
Advantage, Signature under FDIC agreements
(Business Report Daily, Nov. 27, 2009)
As the numbers aren't enormous, the banks are still in a "pickle" and the quicker that the community shows a positive attitude toward the financial position we are all in, I feel the sooner we will be able to recover. The worst is still in the pipeline and we won't see a positive recovery for another few months at least. This problem is on the downhill slope, CRE loans are at the end of the troubles we've been experiencing. Hopefully, we'll all see some light at the end of this dark tunnel soon. My hat's off to Signature and Advantage for hanging in there. I would hate to see another New Frontier, but these two are in a different position than NFB was.
Barry Wilson
Denver
Conservation easements do not work
The Colorado Legislature passed a conservation easement program in 2000, with rules and regulations for landowners to qualify. To attract more participation in the conservation easement program, the limits were raised from $500,000 to $750,000 in 2006.
In 2007, after trapping many landowners and purchasers of tax credits, the Department of Revenue is notifying many landowners that their conservation easements have "no value."
The Department of Revenue is now demanding that the credits which have been sold be reimbursed in 30 days plus penalties and interest.
The landowners that followed the law in good faith are now losing property that has been in families for generations, and are subject to foreclosures and bankruptcies. After losing the property, the state of Colorado will keep the conservation deed for perpetuity.
After causing financial havoc to many taxpayers, rural counties and private landowners, Colorado U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet is now supporting legislation to lure more innocent landowners into the conservation easement program.
In Sen. Bennet's news release, he named as supporters of the legislation the Western Governors Association, the American Farm Bureau Federation, the American Farmland Trust, Ducks Unlimited, the Environmental Defense Fund, the National Cattleman's Beef Association, the National Wildlife Federation, the Nature Conservancy and many others (Lamar Ledger, Friday, Nov. 13, 2009).
These agencies have not shown any interest in trying to help rectify the problem at hand.
Land Owners United (LOU) is a legal organization of landowners that are affected by this travesty and are working to find a solution to the problem. Land Owners United has a membership involving approximately 400 conservation easements and are concerned about the impact this legislation will have on the taxpayers of Colorado.
There is no need for more legislation for new easements when the state of Colorado refuses to honor the conservation easements already submitted from 2000-2007.
J. D. Wright, President
Land Owners United
Fowler
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