I think I'll step into the ring now. My name is Carl and I moderate a recreational RV & camping forum elsewhere. We have over 3,500 members. It is an active group. A number of our members have had difficulty with Van Horn, enough that at one point several years ago I started asking questions. So I called and asked questions about the law in question. I think every restaurant but one didn't like it. In our conversations they told me how it was hurting their business. A couple other stores were indifferent, and a gift store (or was it two? I forget asit’s been a couple years) also commented on the loss of business. The motels, of course, fully support the law. And the same for the RV parks (no surprise). And I lost count how many of the anti-RV law supporters were outright lying about it. As I said in the forum earlier, I suppose I should back up on that. Perhaps one or two RV'ers did open their black water tanks going through Van Horn, as stated by the majority of motels there. I doubt it happened because that can get someone in some very deep crap, no pun intended. But doing that in parking lots? I seriously doubt that happened, but then I could be wrong as well. However, there was a point where I felt I had to draw the line. A man, I presume the owner or manager of KOA, and I didn't start the recorder in time. He threatened me, which under those conditions was, in both the eyes of Colorado and the feds, a felony because it was done while using a telephone communication system and crossing state boundaries. Why the authorities did nothing is clear- I heard the threat, but I didn’t get it recorded in it’s entirety. And the cops in that town refused to do anything, as I found out they also have an anti-RV law. They just don't enforce it. Well after that each and every time I tried to call the man back, all I got was voice mail, and he never returned my calls. To make threats of physical harm via telephone is pure cowardice. Whoever that man is, I certainly feel sorry for him. If anyone doubts this, which they may if they wish, last I knew it’s saved on the Boondocking group site at Yahoogroups.com. The site I moderate. I was, shortly after that event, in contact with puranga7@hotmail.com and brenda@vanhorncvb.com and both ladies are well aware of the recordings made. I have yet to hear anything from anyone regarding those. Something that is over looked, and I presume one reason why Brenda is/was employed, is the socio-economic impact of such laws. Many RV’ers understand this because they know where they spend their money. You name it, they buy it there - Maybe at the pharmacy, certainly at the ice cream shop, restaurants, gas stations, auto-repair and yes even a hardware store. Heck, even a dentist and doctor’s office! If there is a business there, I betcha that they make some money from RV’ers. Except for maids and janitors, of course. And in Van Horn I see the same attitude that I have seen in many communities. People are afraid of growth. They are fearful of the possibly deleterious impact of “new comers” on their small town. They are afraid their little spot in their heaven on Earth is endangered and they want to keep it like it has always been. In communities like Van Horn you have either growth or death. Either the town grows or it dies. It is a rare case that a small community can be self-sustaining enough to keep it where it is without financial difficulty. A small town can subsist in what I know as “en limbo”, which is a place of non-growth for the community, and where it stagnates. There it is only a matter of time that unless some unforeseen miracle happens, the community will begin it’s own death throws. And from what little bit I have seen so far I think that's where Van Horn is now. There was a song written by a country western star a while back, I think the title is something about “the bus don’t stop here no more”, or something like that. My apologies for not being up to date on the song, but the song is still accurate. At some point even the bus will no longer stop. At some point even the post office will close. If your community does not grow it will die. Will it turn into a “Hooverville” of the Great Depression? Possibly. There is only so far until even that would be an improvement. So where is Van Horn? Look at the posts already made and judge for yourself. I was praised in the minute RV community where I moderate, and I was repeatedly attacked for being judgmental and ignorant by people that love Van Horn. And to the extent that calls were made to my then-landlord and to the city in which I lived. I suppose if they had any real “just cause” to have a beef with me, they’d take it up with me. But they don’t and I betcha they likely won’t. FredSmith, your attacks on those whose opinion you do not appreciate is really infantile. Unlike your statements like “...A quick check on the internet will show that almost 92 percent of all towns nation wide have this same ord.” the comments in this thread have foundation. The problem lies within a community whose members are willing to lie to protect the self-destructive laws passed.
Fred, you also said “There are many empty lots in Van Horn as the town is pretty run down, But it's sort of like you parking on my yard I don't want it, You may be nice polite,,just nap and go,,or you may throw your trash out, pull your tanks open and I have to clean it up. Problem is,,I don't want to clean it up.” See? RV’ers by large will not park in empty lots without permission, provided they even consider it. And if they do they won’t litter. They won’t pull their tanks open, and expect you to clean it up. You know what I see? I see a man that is using lies and falsehoods to protect a nonsensical law.
Fred, you then said “Now I'm not a local here, This will be my last post as I feel its like whipping a dead horse, The city does not like outsiders as a rule and I am one.” Well sir, if you are a sir and if you are Fred Smith, if you’re not a local there, then why are you talking like a local? I know this from the conversations I had there Fred. Same lies, same falsehoods, same nonsense, now by a man claming that he’s not from there. You’re right- Van Horn doesn’t like outsiders.
Fred, if you are who I think you are, then you are the man that tried to cause me trouble in my then-home. You failed then and you will fail again. When you say stuff like “But the law is the law to everyone. It is not to target r.v.'s like so many proclaim” and “to get on a forum (of any sort) and target one man, or one business for something they had nothing to do with, (By the way if anyone on here does come by the VH KOA and meet Mr. Mcbride You will see what I mean I've known him for around 12 years or so and a better person would be hard to find) well that's just rude, and a little unfair to the man” it shows that there is a very strong chance that I’m right- that you are a local. And that’s fine if you are. But instead of attacking those that attack someone that I am inclined to think is a friend of yours, shouldn’t you instead try to help fix the problem instead of make it worse? I have been RV’ing since ‘94 and I lived 8+ years “full time” in a travel trailer enjoying America. And I have met some very rude RV'ers in my life, as I have been assistant manager at one RV park and maintenance manager/supervisor at two others as well as a campground host for the BLM. In my travels I have been astonished to find that not only are there rude RV’ers, but rude RV park owners, rude store clerks, you name it. I am still humored when I remember how some RV park owners talk down to RV’ers. And on the other side of the coin I remember one instance a boss of mine nearly had to call the police on an RV’er that was such a major jerk, it wasn’t funny back then but it sure is now. I bet the owner disagrees though! I will say that in general I like Texans. They’re no different than Kansans, Nebraskans, Coloradans, Missourians, Okies, or even Californians. Even though I rag on them and folks all around make fun of out of staters, just like we get made fun of in those places. Humor is nation-wide and you’ll find good and bad everywhere. If anyone has any questions about this, please feel free to get a hold of me. Threats or outright harassment like what I got for a while will be reported and pursued.
And if you have ANY proof of anyone that has commited such acts as opening their blackwater tanks on private property, get me that proof and I'll post it in our forum. We don't need RV'ers to be going out and doing that to private property they are already trespassing on. It gives the good RV'ers a bad rep. You know, like the one RV'ers appear to already have with Van Horn.
Regards, Carl, Moderator
Boondocking at Yahoogroups.com
