ISSUE # 75: Gone Skiing: St. ANTon

"Snow: A form of precipitation that usually occurs three weeks prior to and the morning of departure for your ski vacation."     -- Unknown 

HYDRO: SIGNATURES ARE IN!

It was incredible. Nearly 50 local citizens voluntarily circulated petitions and garnered 953 signatures that were turned in yesterday. While the effort does not necessarily stop the hydro plant in its tracks, this certainly IS a referendum on the hydro plant! Gone are Skadron's and Torre's claims that opposition to the hydro plant is from just a "vocal minority." And more importantly, gone is Mick's favorite claim that there is a referendum on the hydro plant since 77% of voters supported the hydro plant in 2007. That particular election attracted just 800 local voters, and yes, there was overwhelming support for a $5.5 million bond to build the hydro plant. But now, at $10.5 million in costs (and counting), more people signed the petition than turned out to vote (either way) in 2007! It's abundantly clear, there is widespread outrage against the hydro plant, its environmental impacts, its ballooning costs and the city's failed process of building yet another disaster!

Now it falls to council. They have two choices. They can simply repeal Ordinance 30 that rezoned open space land for industrial use. Or, they can put it to a vote. The latter is clearly the preferred choice, but will council have the guts to go there? By law, they must conduct the special election no less than 30 days and no more than 90 days from the clerk's verification of the signatures. (Mick had been whining about wanting to possibly conduct the vote in November, but think of all the damage the city could do in 9 months!? Besides, it's not a legal option to wait.)

Councilman Adam Frisch signed the petition, citing the escalating costs and the need for citizens to again weigh in on a project that is far different today than the one approved 4 years ago. Thankfully, one of our representatives sees the value of citizen input on the issue of this runaway train. Let's hope he puts his vote where his signature is - with the citizens!!

Kudos to locals Ward Howenstein and Maurice Emmer who led the heroic community petition effort. Howenstein said upon submitting the petitions to the city clerk, "While we believe that giving the citizens of Aspen a say in the hydro project was important, we are humbled and heartened by the overwhelming support and enthusiasm we have encountered from citizens, business leaders and organizations in the Aspen community who also believe the public deserves the right to vote on this important matter."

Stay tuned. This one is about to get good.

FEAR AND LOATHING

It's always interesting to learn who will and who won't sign a petition, and why. This one was unique in that it wasn't political. It was civic. All it asked was whether or not one felt that another vote is in order given the outrageous fiscal, environmental and public policy behavior by the local government concerning the hydro plant. As a petition circulator, I had some interesting responses. Some people are STILL very frightened of the city and what will happen to them when "Mick sees that I have signed."

One friend wanted to sign, but felt that his role on the board of an organization that gets money from the city would jeopardize those funds. Puh-lease! Others who have pending development approvals in the works were frightened that these would be jeopardized. A city employee praised the effort but feared for her job if she signed. And still others feared that their subsidized housing would be affected. This, in a democracy! Isn't that amazing? Or is it? What has happened to put this genuine fear into so many citizens? It is widely "known" that there are reprisals, but are there? Really? Please be in touch and tell me your story. I will not identify you in anything I write. I'm just very curious. Is this myth or is it reality?

NO "COLD BEDS" FOR MICK

He is on a roll. Mick recently proposed to council that the land use codes be changed to prohibit free market condos, townhomes and single family homes in the downtown core. He says it's to enhance our tourist-based economy. But I know better. HERE is a letter that I wrote to the editor last week. Class warfare is indeed alive and kicking in Aspen.

NO CARS FOR MICK EITHER

Clearly the cold weather is keeping mayor Mick at his desk, dreaming of new ways to thwart the free market, especially local businesses. Yesterday's paper outlined Mick's dream of paving part of Galena Street and eliminating parking altogether on Galena and Cooper. This would result in the loss of up to 80 downtown parking places. Mick, ever the economist, told the Aspen Daily News that bigger sidewalks and better lines of sight thanks to fewer parked cars could be a boon to businesses on Galena. Ya think?

The big picture is that Mick wants to link the soon-to-be-repaired parking garage to downtown retail. And estimated costs are projected at $4.4 million. (Here we go again!) We all know that Mick hates cars - and those who drive them - so fewer cars are somehow a win for him. It surely won't be a win for local businesses. The idea is to bring people to town. And no, I don't mean by bicycle.

I will report back on how council reacts to these ridiculous ideas. And I will name names. The madness must stop.

GET YOUR $50 FROM THE CITY

Free money. It's not too often one can write that in these parts! For Aspen residents who lived within the city limits for the entire year of 2011, you are entitled to a $50 food sales tax refund. This is the result of a sales tax referendum that was passed several years ago that imposed a 1% city sales tax. It was deemed that $50 was the approximate amount of sales tax that locals would pay annually on their grocery purchases. Here's your chance to get that money back (so it's not actually free). Don't miss the deadline. Print THIS form and mail it in by Monday, April 16.