Hello from Colorado Springs. We picked the hottest days of the summer to
take a trip, thinking that it would be cooler at our daughter's house
but, no luck, it is just a hot as in Mariposa. It is about 1200 miles to
Colorado Springs. We decided to try US Hwy 50 for a change. Now I know
why it is called the loneliest highway in the world. But it does go
through a interesting couple of old gold mining towns like Austin and Ely
Nevada. Copper mining going full bore in Ely. A lot of these old mining
and farming towns along the way have many empty buildings. Sad to see. We
don't know how fortunate we are to live in a lively town like Mariposa,
many years removed from the mining days, but still connected to the past.
Grand Junction, Colorado has about 100,000 residents. The economy is
driven by wine grapes, melons, tourists, and small high quality
manufacturers of candy and many other specialties. There is a great energy
in this town. The downtown main street is being revamped with planters,
trees, and a huge civic attempt to save the city core. Arts and culture
seem to drive a lot of the local activities with galleries, theaters and
intense historic preservation. Preservation takes place one building at a
time and to let one slip away is to our detriment.
Rural America, at least along Hwy 50, is a junk yard. Farms in Nevada and
Utah are collections of just plain junk. Old trucks and farm equipment
accumulated around unused barns, indicate the loss of younger farmers to
the cities or a pure lack of hope. Beautiful pastures unused, although in
south-central Colorado, these meadows are grown for winter hay. Wal-Mart
everywhere. Future civilizations will uncover these mammoth edifices and
wonder what was going on. A curious thing though are the help wanted
signs every where. Everything from fast food restaurants to stores, to
construction sites seem to need help. Why? What is going on? Can't young
workers, or even workers of all ages pass the drug tests?
I know the difficulties that were had in our lodging industry to fill the
needed slots at the beginning of the season. An yet, I see plenty of
young people hanging around town with little to do, seemingly. They have
money and no work. It that the fault of the parents? I don't know.
Something is wrong here.
Riding along these endless miles gave me a chance to think about a number
of things. We are working very hard to increase the tax revenues for
Mariposa County, but for what reason. First of all, our efforts will give
our major industry a stability to provide jobs and a measure of growth
badly needed. Also, these efforts will give Mariposa County Government
revenues to meet its obligations, present and future. Not being able to
provide the services that the tax payers expect deems government a
failure. Beyond that, our county government has made obligations to it's
employees for future benefit far beyond the ability to discharge. This is
true not only of Mariposa County, but the State of California as well.
There are two ways this can go. One way would be to strengthen our
economic base to provide the revenues needed to discharge the promise of
government to provide the services expected; or the other is to go
further in debt to only delay the inevitable failure of our county and
state. I am one of those who remembers the Depression and the effects
that it had on people and families.
At the core of our difficulties seems to be the shift not only of
responsibility but the initiative for sustaining a healthy economic
climate from the private to the governmental sector. Today if a merchant
wishes to enlarge his business, move to a more favorable location or
develop innovative concepts, he or she must ask governments permission.
This results is a process that not only diverts capital from the project,
but in many instances indirectly denies opportunity. I am aware of a
number of projects that have either been delayed or lost by the
difficulty of moving ahead. One of the principles of the free enterprise
system within our democracy is that one can go as far as his or her
talents and energy can take them. Today only those who have the resources
to threaten the system, are able to move ahead. Take for example
Wal-Mart. The building of Wal-Mart Superstores are generally opposed in
the small communities that they attempt to enter. Wall Mart has the
resources to overcome the objections to their presence. Seldom does the
small businessman have the resources to continue the fight. Generally it
is time that is the culprit. Investors have just so much capital or the
availability of capital, so the delays rob them of the will or ability to
continue forward.
Soon we will be back home to continue the effort to make our county a
more economic unit capable of serving both the public and private needs.
Next June there will be an election for Supervisors.
It is very important that a dialog begin soon to both help understand and
advance the economic needs of our county. At a national level we are
still being burdened by a government that is ignoring the basic needs of
our society. Even though I am the product of the free enterprise system
especially through my training and years in the medical field, I am of
the opinion that we can no longer maintain the health of our society
without some form of national health care. It is quite apparent that
only a segment of our society can share in the advances made by our
health care system. For any in our society to be left out is a crime. We
take care of the elderly and the very poor, the prisoners and the illegal
better than we take care of the working population. Time to ask our
Congressman what he intends to do about this difficult question.
Leroy Radanovich
Leroy Radanovich Email:
Leroy Radanovich
To Read More By Leroy Radanovich:
Leroy Radanovich's Mariposa Life Archives
To learn much more about Mariposa County along with
historical photos:
A signed copy of "Images of America" - Mariposa County,
By Leroy Radanovich can be purchased at his web site:
Radanovich Galleria & Books
This is a early day photo of the Mariposa Mine in
Mariposa County
that is mentioned in the article to
the left by Mr. Radanovich.
This photo and others can be purchased in various sizes.
All prints are archivally printed on fiber based paper, given a selenium wash which renders the photographs permanent with a
warm tone ready for framing
Radanovich Galleria & Books
Mariposa in 1920
This photo and others can be purchased in various sizes.
All prints are archivally printed on fiber based paper, given a selenium wash which renders the photographs permanent with a
warm tone ready for framing
Radanovich Galleria & Books
Mariposa County Courthouse written by Leroy Radanovich and
Scott Pinkerton is a book about the oldest courthouse in California that is still in use today.
The book is signed by Leroy Radanovich.
To purchase the book:
Radanovich Galleria & Books
Mariposa in 1860
This photo and others can be purchased in various sizes.
All prints are archivally printed on fiber based paper, given a selenium wash which renders the photographs permanent with a
warm tone ready for framing
Radanovich Galleria & Books