OPINION: A drunk tank shall go forth
As previously reported in this column, Sheriff Terry Maketa is a hero for thinking outside of the box to create a much-needed detox center for greater Colorado Springs.
His efforts have been met with anything but a spirit of cooperation. The city's own hospital system has been sluggish in responding to the sheriff's pleas for modest financial assistance that would save the hospital money. And the city-owned Colorado Springs Utilities slapped Maketa with a $233,000 estimate for the cost of hooking up the detox center to existing water and sewer lines. Imagine what it must be like to relocate a new business to Colorado Springs.
In an April 9 editorial, this column suggested the city find a way to give Maketa his hookup without an exchange of taxpayer cash. After all, the city will need all sorts of friendly cooperation from the county if it's to build the Southern Delivery System pipeline that's needed for Colorado Springs.
Finally, the city has come around. It has agreed to give Maketa his hookups without an exchange of cash. Instead, the county will pay the city by providing it with $234,150 worth of services needed from the county in order to complete the pipeline.
It's just another example of a transaction that only involves winners. It's a win for Maketa. It's a win for drunks in need of a tank, and a win for people who love them. It's a win for people who don't want drunks sleeping on sidewalks. It's a win for an entire region that will benefit from more water in Colorado Springs and other communities.
Losers don't trade. Winners do. Cooperative trade is a win for everyone involved.
