Douglas Bruce says he would publicly oppose a proposed ballot measure in April to give City Council members a salary increase.
“For whatever that is worth,” said Bruce, an anti-tax activist who was convicted of tax evasion and other crimes last year.
But Bruce said he’s open to the idea of paying council members more than the $6,250 a year they get now.
Yes, you heard that right.
Bruce, who has clashed with council members in the past, thinks the council should get more money.
Bruce said he objected each time a proposal to increase council members’ salaries was brought to voters, primarily because Colorado Springs was paying a city manager under the old council-manager form of government.
But the switch to a council-mayor form of government “ostensibly” created some savings because the mayor is paid $96,000 and the city no longer has a city manager.
“Since we’re saving some money, I don’t have an objection to paying the council because there’s a savings in one area of administration or leadership and some of that can go to paying people who are undercompensated,” Bruce said.
“But, having said that, to sextuple their salary is absurd. I mean, that’s beyond audacious. It’s not even borderline greed. It’s wallowing in greed,” he said.
Bruce said he did some calculations and figures that council members should be spending about 20 hours a month in meetings “if they didn’t engage in these silly marathon spectacles about solicitation on the sidewalk and what do we do about homeless people and all these problems that they’re manufacturing.”
Council members have two informal and two formal council meetings each month, and they meet once a month as the Utilities Board.
Council members also serve on various boards, committees and commissions, but Bruce said that’s unnecessary.
“They don’t need to serve on all these boards and committees. They need to simplify city government. That’s why we have a mayor. The mayor is supposed to be the administrator,” he said.
Bruce also thinks council meetings need to be run more efficiently. He said council meetings should last no longer than four hours each.
“They have these meetings that are much longer than they need to be, plus of course they waste a lot of time on ceremonies,” he said. “They have these meetings and they have people twirling their batons or singing America the Beautiful.”
Bruce proposes paying council members $15,000 a year, or $62.50 an hour for 20 hours of meetings each month.
“That’s more than your average plumber or electrician or somebody that actually does something useful,” he said, adding that a 140 percent increase “would be enough.”
Are we consulting convicted felons for opinions now?
Does Felons in the making count, Bach , Leigh Duggan Ect ect.ect.
HO HO Ho and happy New Year!!!!
So, “Iilithia,” just exactly what felonies do you accuse Bach and Leigh and Duggan of committing, eh? Be specific now….and we also want to know when you’ll be taking your ACTUAL EVIDENCE to the District Attorney to have them charged with these felonies.
Put up or shut up.
You actually think this D.A. would prosecute a republican politician. He is to busy falsely prosecuting medical marijuana users and dispensary owners.
Thank you, Daniel Chacón, for sharing the opinions and insights of a brilliant man. I don’t agree with everything Douglas Bruce does but I always respect his passion for policing government and ensuring that it serves, rather than exploits, those who pay for it.
Thank you, Wayne Laugesen, for putting the accent over “Chacón.”
Funny thing, “IStan,”…….you see, Douglas Bruce was a Republican politician and he got prosecuted.
So with that incredibly obvious example, we all now know with complete certainty that you were telling a bald-faced lie when you asserted that the DA would not prosecute a Republican politician.
Typical democrat….too stupid to know just how transparent the lie was, even while in the middle of telling it.
The DA did not prosecute Bruce.
Who is Douglas Bruce and who cares what he thinks?
Lee is being accussed of unethical conduct and abuse of his position as a utility board member. Dougan is only a puppet for the Mayor and Darryl Glenn and has not got one original thought of her own. Lastly, Old man Bach is becoming very forgetful per reports from the media(stadium, fire codes). This City doesn’t need a Mayor with dementia.
Wow, how impressive….”DavidH” is not only a political commentator but he’s also such an astute medical doctor, obviously a specialist in neurology, that he can diagnosis a man as suffering from dementia without even examining him, and only from (unspecified) reports in “the media”!!!! Astounding!!!! Yep, you’re certainly quite good at “ac-cussing” people, aren’t you?
Amazing how political hacks will tell ANY LIE to attack their political opponents. Just never ceases to amaze.
(Still waiting on the ACTUAL EVIDENCE to be produced to bring those alleged felony charges…..what’s that? )
[sound of crickets]
Dougie is still around?
Guess the cold weather has slowed that bloated tick down, figured he would’ve moved on to another host once he was out of the joint.
Don, what are you Mayor Bachs defender? No, thats right he uses Colorado Springs police officers to bodyguard him at events while citizens cant even get a cop to take a stolen car report and our downtown is going to the squatters. Voting in Bach was bad for this City.
Who cares what Bruce says? He is a convicted felon, slum lord, and bully. Why is the Gazette wasting any time and space on this convicted felon? Bruce is no one. I am sure it will not be too much longer before he is bullying employees at the utilites and city administration building. He needs to crawl back under his rock. I would not be suprised to see him buddying up with Mayor Bach. They both seems to have similar personalities and questionable ethics.
Don, can you read “I said Felons in the making” As another post stated the DA is a joke. As are the other vultures in city goverment.
Put up or shut LOL Afraid of you
lilithia
So, “bob k,” you think it is perfectly acceptable to falsely call someone a felon, a criminal, when they are not? Just because you had a hard time getting a cop to take a stolen car report? Wow. I know 6 year olds smarter, and with more integrity, than that.
And so, “Iilithia,” you accuse them of being “Felons in the making,” but you can’t provide any evidence of such, in fact, you can’t even name a specific felony that you allege they are committing.
In short, you told a big, fat, totally false LIE.
LOL! I don’t need or want to make you “afraid.” What you’ve just done is to show everyone hear that you simply cannot be taken seriously because all you do is state falsehoods…..and then when it’s pointed out, you don’t even have enough honesty to admit what you’ve done.
Thanks for demonstrating what to expect from the typical democrat. Appreciate it.
Mssrs. Chacon and Laugesen,
I humbly suggest that office locales are better suited for the exchange of insights and personal asides by employees of the Gazette. While I appreciate your responses to readers’ comments, I regard the majority of employee exchanges in these public forums as being inappropriate and self-serving. Mr. Laugesen in particular writes to other employees about their articles, adding his two cents’ worth, despite having a daily column dedicated to expressing his many and varied opinions. Please consider limiting such comments, compliments, and contrasting ideas to your column, personal emails, or the office watercooler.
Hey Don, am I wrong or did Doug Bruce spend time in jail?? Yes he was convicted.
From a Republican: Quit giving Doug Bruce a mouthpiece. We have thousands of honest taxpaying citizens in this county who will give you our honest opinions. Ask us, not him…and if he speaks on his own IGNORE HIM!
Pat:
From another Republican: Douglas Bruce has been cleared twice, yes that’s correct twice by the Feds. Most state base their taxes off Federal taxes but that doesn’t seem to be true in Colorado.
The trial was the biggest reality show you’ve ever seen and quite frankly what our justice system has come to. Pat what is your opinion? Bet you don’t have the gall to spend time in jail for what you believe in.
Hey, Rose. Who cares? Completely irrelevant to the discussion of the LYING of certain people here.
And trying to change the subject away from that…pretty transparent and simple-minded, isn’t it.
It had been so nice not to see his ugly mug in the electronic pages of this rag. Too bad they still give this has been a forum to get his five minutes of fame — like anyone cares what he has to say.
The real Pat responded to my earlier post by writing “Bet you don’t have the gall to spend time in jail for what you believe in.” Let me tell you what I have to gall to do. I have the gall to have served this country for 21 years in the military so that our citizens (including you Sir) could protest our ideas freely. I’m a honest person who pays my fair share of taxes…unlike some. When I don’t like something I try to change it legally. Sometimes I may be able to influence something and sometimes I won’t…but then I’m not going to break the law because I don’t like it…that’s equivalent to “if you don’t do what I like I’m taking my ball and going home.” Let’s look at this honestly. The media likes to talk about Doug Bruce because he’s a divider and that makes things interesting. Back to the original subject, our council members need a raise. I’m looking to Mayor Bach for ideas and suggestions on this…not Doug Bruce!
Don, try again calling the kettle black ,Bach the joker and his croons one being Cox and the city council are all big FAT LIARS.
Cox to Retire oh no wait a minute No he did not retire we just renamed his postion to consultan and we are paying his same pay maybe a little more to be Bachs mouth piece.
So wrong on so many levels
How many felonies can be made out of this one!!!
Lilithia
Wasn’t one of the selling points for the strong mayor form of government to save the city money. Everybody was appalled to pay a city manager two-hundred thousand dollars a year and yet and we have surpassed that amount and more. Now the council wants a raise their salary which again pushes the payroll even higher. although I loathe Bruce, I would agree with his $15,000 idea.
Still nothing but big-mouthed LIES with no proof of anything at all from you, “Iilitihia.” Thanks again for proving how totally empty-brained liberals and democrats can be.
And I think you meant “cronies,” not “croons.” The latter usually refers to singing of a sort. But your old, tired, lying tune just doesn’t carry.
But the real wonderment is how you can complain about “big FAT LIARS” when you’ve so clearly demonstrated how well you earned that title, yourself, right here in front of everyone. Amazing.
Pat: I too served over 20 years in the military and places I know you never served. I agree the City Council needs a raise but not what they are proposing. $15,000 is a good salary for the City Council. Better time management of City Council meetings would also be a good idea.
We also need to look at over 2 million a year spent on outside attorneys by the city in the past. Now that we have an assistant city attorney, are we still spending 2 million on outside attorneys?
Hey Donnie,
I see you are up to you usual angry behavior. You seem like a very volatile person. There is medication available that may help that. The fact that Doug was convicted of a felony is complelely relevant because he is obviously an untrustworthy person without any integrity.Hopefully people will open their eyes and start to realize he is not someone to follow and is only looking out for himself. Have a nice day and try to get a good night sleep, you seem very cranky.
Donald, I am not sure if you read the rules for these posts I am including them for your review: Keep it civil and stay on topic.
No profanity, vulgarity, racial slurs or personal attacks. You seem like are a very angry man with a little tiny short fuse. I hope you are just passionate about your beliefs and not the abusive and irate man that it appears that you are. I am sure you have some good ideas and insights but I do not know why you can not convey them in a more civil manner. Have a nice evening.
NO personal attacks, she says….while she’s making several extremely nasty personal attacks. Typical democrat/liberal. Thanks for yet another demonstration of how your side lacks anything resembling reason and logic, and immediately reverts to sadistic name-calling.
LOLOLOLOL!!!!!!!!
P.S. It hasn’t escaped notice that neither you nor your fellow bigmouth-nobrain whiners have yet to offer even a SHRED of proof that those you attack have committed any felonies, as claimed. LIARS!!!!!
P.P.S. Since I haven’t used even ONE word that could possibly be defined as either “profanity” or “vulgarity,” your suggestion that I have done so is yet ANOTHER LIE, isn’t it. Wow. Those falsehoods just spew forth from the democrat hacks around here, don’t they.
I dont pay attention to Ramblings of a criminal, a perjurer, and a tax cheat
Donny, it said to keep it civil which is an area that you need to improve in. Once again, your very little fuse explodes quickly.
It appears that you are extremely volatile based on your posts, multiple exclamation points,anger, and sarcasm. You said, “Typical democrat….too stupid to know just how transparent the lie was.” Isn’t that an attack? I find your angry rants very amusing and childish but at the same time alarming. . I am also concerned that someone with a temper like yours may need therapy or the people in your life may be at risk due to your extreme anger and hostility, I can understand being passionate about a topic or issue, but you seem to be full of rage and almost violent over a difference of opinion. It is very shocking. to have someone react with so much rage over a difference of opinion which is very concerning. I do not agree with your opinion of Doug, the Felon, Bruce and you do not agree with my opinion end of story. Chill out, deep cleansing breathers, and have a nice day.
Wow, pretty lame attempt at amateur psychoanalysis without even a patient on your couch. Guess that line of lies probably works for you, Rosie, in other places, but it just doesn’t make it here. Sorry. Try something else, because in this discussion, your efforts add up to nothing more than abject, and quite hypocritical, failure. “keep it civil” – is that why you bring personal attack after personal attack? Is that why you vainly attempt to depict your verbal opponents as something less than rational, all the while violating those same “rules” you attempt to force them to follow, again and again?
What a joke. What you should be alarmed about is your own lack of ability to engage in reasoned discussion and your own inferiority complex in the face of your intellectual betters. So “chill out,” Rosie, grow up a little bit, and maybe go back to junior high school and get some education in how to talk about issues without ceaseless and baseless nasty comments about others.
Don, I hope you have a happier New Year and that you will find peace, joy, kindness, and rational behavior in the new year. May the peace and joy of the holiday season find a way into your heart and your overuse of excalamation marks, anger, and sarcasm subsides. Have a more peaceful, happy, rational, and joyful new year!
Unsurprising…..even when pretending to offer good wishes, Rosie-baby has to add the personal digs about “excalamation marks, anger and sarcasm” (It’s spelled “exclamation,” by the way).
Pity that’s the best you can do. But thanks for playing. Your consolation prize is to be overtaxed by the democrat spend-spend-spenders until you have nothing more to give. Welcome to 2013.
Your are very welcome and thank you for the heads up regarding the typographical error. Looking forward to a happy and prosperous year. Happy New Year!
Ah, what a pity that you’ve already demonstrated your total lack of sincerity and veracity……..