one for you, nineteen for me

Here in the fair city/county of Denver (motto: "Mild today, snow tomorrow" -- we're covered in snow, and Monday it was in the 70s!), our tax rate is high. I can't even remember what it is; I think I have blocked it out. It's right around 9 percent of everything -- income, property, you name it.

Here are two things our tax money goes to:
1. Parks and Rec. Denver boasts an admirable amount of green space. Washington Park, which is close to our house, is something like 200 acres; and spacewise it's a chump compared with City Park. There's also an extensive system of rec centers complete with indoor pools, workout centers -- the works.
2. Invesco Field at Mile High. This is where the Broncos play. One thing you can say is, Denverites loves them some football. The Denverites who don't give a rat's tuchis about football pay for it too, though.

Here are a couple of things our tax money DOESN'T go to:
1. Public health. We have no health insurance and are woefully short on funds right now, but not so chronically short that we qualify for Medicaid. But because Denver doesn't have a health department, our only option is to go to a clinic that requires a $60 fee up front. My children need to see a doctor and can't go back to school until they have a doctor's note (don't ever get lice, that's all I'm sayin'), and we don't have $60. They haven't been to school all week, and I doubt they'll be back today. Welcome to Colorado!
2. Education. Speaking of school, due to some creative budget rejiggering on the part of Denver Public Schools, our school will suffer a $22,000 shortfall next year. In order to keep all teachers on staff, each of us is going to be required to pay an extra $100 per student (if you're keeping score, that's $200 for us, the ones who can't cough up $60 for a doctor visit). This on top of an endless stream of fundraisers in which we're expected to participate; and coming from a school that managed to maintain an 18:2 student/teacher ratio and a well-stocked library on nothing more than county funding and a fall carnival each year.

Maybe Denver's new motto should be: Fun, yes, but at what price?