Despite the ongoing cooperation kabuki presented by council and BoCC, for the entertainment of local builders and developers (under the aegis of economic development), little evidence exists that any actual cooperation is taking place.

No matter how many times Don Volger calls for another chorus of Kumbaya, no matter how many times Clifford Lucero raises his glass to toast the other fine fellows on the team, neither commissioners nor council members can erase the debacle that was the building/planning merger/ trainwreck.

With the Levine property having lost its liplock with the town for the livin’ large county, there’s bound to be a little push and bump going on in the schoolyard.

Oh, and the school — the one stood up and left with no love when the town sang, with a snarl, “I dont wanna do your dirty work, no moooore,” making it clear the school would have to collect their own damn taxes.

Well, school, the fire district got similarly dissed by the town, so don’t feel like you’re alone in all that. And if the Levine property decided the future looked more certain with the county, well, no one’s telling tales out of school (so to speak).

Yes, like the opening scene in Blue Velvet, look beneath the surface and you’ll see a chopped off ear and a lot of busy bugs.

So, before everyone’s all, like, snappin’ Z’s and gettin’ up in everyone else’s grill, maybe we should all take a deep breath, go to our happy place and say, “Community Development Corporation.”

Because nothing says Peace, Love and Understanding like CDC.

Not AEDA. The AEDA is a business consulting enterprise and... well, whatever else it does, it doesn’t do the CDC thang.

Nor is Region 9 a CDC. Region 9 is far too big to be a CDC and, although they do some things a CDC would do (if you pull the right strings), they’re more an AEDA on steroids and cases of Little Debbie Nutty Bars.

No, the CDC that should be getting us all cosmic and touchy-feely is the one where all the players (i.e. taxing entities) throw in a volunteer, and some scratch, meet once a week for a board meeting and then go hat in hand to Region 9 or Dola. Use the match for a grant to employ a full-time grant person (with mad grant writing skillz, yo) and the collective heads bring projects, ideas and funding options to the table.

The CDC lines up its needs, looks at what money is being shot from state and federal cannons and then cuts their stellar grant person loose, “Go do that voodoo that you do so well!”

See, then everyone’s on the same page, not stepping over each other for state, federal and stimulus money, not missing the boat on available grants because they’re out of the loop (because they have someone in the loop) and, yes, start feeling that tingle running up and down their leg.

Everyone is looking out for everyone and no one gets hurt. And maybe the result will be ARRA funds for green industry (and jobs), wastewater treatment, bike lanes, finishing the damn trail to nowhere, building some affordable housing, playgrounds, more white water, better roads, better schools, better than what we’re getting right now with all our so-called “cooperation.”

So get your CDC on, ya’ll, and keep on keepin’ on and keepin’ it real. We can do without the “Isn’t it nifty we’re working so well together,” cuz’, nuh-uh, no one’s buying it.

OK, you can go back to your sandbox.