No good deed should go unpunished. Or at least that seems to be the mantra of the City of Denver.

Despite all the rosy declarations of statistical victory, Denver is still mired in crime and homelessness. Just ask the tens of thousands of people who will no longer work or recreate downtown. They see the reality of downtown with their own eyes and not through the smoke and mirrors of statistics and pious platitudes.

You would think that a venerable institution like the Salvation Army, which has been on the front lines of helping Denver’s homeless for more than 135 years, would be honored and appreciated by the city.

But the city declared the Salvation Army was no longer a welcome partner and blamed it for structural and security problems that the city was responsible for in three city owned hotels.

The Salvation Army has been a fixture in Denver since 1887 and stepped up to the plate when homelessness exploded in Denver during the Covid years. For five difficult years, the Salvation Army has shouldered the hard work of running shelters under former Mayor Michael Hancock and current Mayor Mike Johnston.

The organization undertook the responsibility to manage programs for the homeless in three city owned hotels where they housed 1,800 people every night and helped nearly 2,000 get stable housing.

But as usual, the city grossly underestimated the overwhelming costs of these homeless efforts and the Salvation Army suffered the financial consequences. The strain caused the Salvation Army to say it could not renew the contracts but the city said it had already decided to walk away and suggested the organization had mismanaged the programs.

The organization spent well more than $5 million in 2024 that was not reimbursed although the city says it will do so eventually. Given the city’s budget shortfall, the Salvation Army should not hold its breath.

One cannot think about the Salvation Army of Denver without invoking the memory of the late Merrill and Dorie Fie, who owned Deep Rock Water Company in the middle of Denver’s Five Points neighborhood. Merrill and Dorie were not only very generous contributors for decades, they were omnipresent on the Salvation Army’s front line as bell ringers for the “Red Kettle Campaign” during the Christmas holidays.

Their granddaughter, Elizabeth Stillwell, has continued the Fie family tradition by serving on the Salvation Army Advisory Board. Former Denver City Council President Elbra Wedgeworth and former City Councilwoman Debbie Ortega also serve on the board.

It must be difficult for Wedgeworth and Ortega to recognize this city government where they previously served with such distinction.

These leaders exemplify the very best of Denver which is in stark contrast to the small-minded bureaucrats who chose to shamefully smear the Salvation Army as the scapegoat for the city’s failures.

One thing is sure: after the current regime at City Hall is long gone, the Salvation Army will still be serving those who need help the most in Denver for many years to come.

Dick Wadhams is a former Colorado Republican state chairman.