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"We are in the process of creating what deserves to be called the idiot culture. Not an idiot sub-culture, which every society has bubbling beneath the surface and which can provide harmless fun; but the culture itself. For the first time, the weird and the stupid and the coarse are becoming our cultural norm, even our cultural ideal." -- Carl Bernstein |
Just who do they really think they are? Election season is upon us yet again and the true colors (and mental band-width) of our elected representatives are as visible as ever ... And it sure ain't pretty! Note: I will of course be sending a pre-election endorsement issue out by mid-October, so look for this before returning your mail-in ballots or voting early!
AT LONG LAST: THE HYDRO PLANT IS GOING TO A VOTE!
Finally! It's not exactly what we wanted, but at least we finally get to weigh in at the polls. Scared of placing a truly binding question on the ballot, the weaklings on council decided merely to ask an "advisory" question on whether or not to continue spending good money after bad on the beleaguered Castle Creek Energy Center a.k.a the Hydro Plant. But instead of asking a simple YES or NO question of the electorate, the boys could not resist lobbying for their YES preference in the actual ballot language:
Shall the City of Aspen complete the hydroelectric facility on Castle Creek, subject to local stream health monitoring and applicable governmental regulations, in order to replace coal-fired energy with renewable energy?
The city is legally forbidden to campaign for an issue so they wrote their propaganda right onto the ballot itself. It's ironic to note that they didn't want the project called by its formal name, the Castle Creek Energy Center because that sounded "so large." And, to justify the ever-increasing costs far beyond the original $6.2M budget, they've once again "green-washed" the lack of fiscal or environmental responsibility and instead advocate for one of the most ill-conceived and even worse-managed projects in local memory under the guise of global warming prevention. Their hope of course is that the electorate will buy their "it's SO green" BS a second time. The Red Ant ran a full-page ad in the local papers last fall on this very subject. View it HERE.
The city also argues that the Hydro Plant is a good investment, and according to mayor Mick, will remove "5 million pounds of coal from the atmosphere annually." Let's see. Hmmm, based on the city's (questionable) numbers, the project won't even begin generating positive cash-flow for at least 25 years, let alone a positive financial return. Some investment! And 5 million pounds of coal (another dubious number that even the energy provider in Nebraska cannot corroborate) will only be removed from the atmosphere if the Hydro Plant runs at its maximum capacity year-round, and if it offsets 100% of coal-generated energy all the time - not likely to ever happen!
The real outcome? The Hydro Plant represents the overpriced use of obsolete technology that will cost far more in the long run than other better clean power alternatives. It will not substantially reduce carbon emissions. And most notably, it threatens our local ecology to a far greater extent than the value of any alleged global warming prevention benefits it will generate!
The good news? The ANTI-hydro plant issue committee and campaign is officially up and running. This group, Citizens for Responsible Projects, is comprised of local fiscal hawks and well-known environmentalists alike, and enjoys the endorsements of national and regional environmental organizations. As you can imagine, The Red Ant is doing everything possible to build support for this effort! You know firsthand that I've been following and writing on this subject for over 2 years.
There are three very important elements that will determine the success of this campaign:
Mick and his "green at any cost" (environmental and economic) ilk are organizing as well, so this one will surely be a battle. Since they can't dispute the rational and proven arguments against the Hydro Plant, they have already resorted to name-calling and demagoguery. And the letters to the editor are highly suspect - while "signed" by local citizens, the vernacular and tone is unmistakable. Our boy Mick is a ghost-writer! Surprise.
We cannot let the Hydro Plant get "approved" by the electorate again. Recall that in 2007, the ballot language made the "vote for a hydro plant because it's GREEN" message sound far too appealing. And no one asked the important questions. We know better now. The costs - environmental AND fiscal - are simply too great. This is not a vote against renewable energy or even responsible hydro power. It's a vote against this Hydro Plant on Castle Creek!
Many of you signed the petition that I, along with about 30 others, circulated last winter. Will you please lend your name once again to the effort? If yes, simply "reply" to this email and tell me! No need to sign anything. If you are one of the 953 citizens who signed petitions which led to this ballot measure finally making it to prime time, or if you simply agree that the Castle Creek Energy Center's environmental/stream health risks and irresponsible fiscal over-runs are simply too great, please "reply" to this email to lend your name to the advertising and endorsement effort. There will also be stickers, yard signs, campaign buttons and other ephemera available soon. Please let me know what you need. I will forward it along. You don't have to be a local voter to oppose the Hydro Plant! The more the merrier! Please send your donation (of ANY amount) to:
"Citizens for Responsible Projects" P.O. Box 8916 Aspen, CO 81612
It's high time to cut our losses and shut this nonsense down, once and for all. Remember: IT'S NOT GREEN TO KILL A STREAM.
COUNCIL HATES FREE MARKET HOUSING - ESPECIALLY DOWNTOWN
First they pass an ordinance that limits the height of buildings in the downtown core to just 28 feet, ostensibly to eliminate any more 3rd floor penthouses. We've long known that Mick abhors the "cold beds" that he calls the free market units atop previously aging structures, never mind these same units financially fueled the redevelopment of tired (and often ugly) buildings that so many historic hysterics cling to as part of their love affair with the days of yore. But that was not enough. Now there's a ban on the construction of any new free market housing in the core. Subsidized housing, sure. But free market, no way. They don't want our kind.
But, the economic geniuses don't realize what they've done with their ill-conceived legislation. They've only made the rich richer. I hardly imagine that was their objective! In fact, we all know that the new laws are designed to be nothing if not punitive. But oops, those pesky laws of supply and demand will only serve to do one thing - make the fixed amount of existing inventory even MORE valuable. And when that inventory (residential and commercial) is more valuable, rents will go up. It's that simple. It's truly irresponsible. Watch and see.
ARBITERS OF GOOD TASTE? PUH-LEASE!
Yes, it's hard to imagine that city council views itself as judge and jury of what constitutes an attractive building, but as a wave of development applications reaches its final stages, the boys are weighing in and speaking out. It seems that Skadron is "outraged" and mayor Mick questions whether there is "a worldwide surplus of glass" as they recently verbalized their disdain for several proposed projects. And Torre doesn't want Aspen to become "the urban center of the Rockies." As if.
Now recall that it was the recent ordinance to limit building height in the downtown core that brought on this flurry of activity. There was a 2 month window in which applications could be submitted under the old rules, and 9 proposed projects are now in the works. No project is safe from this council, even if it's well within the allowable footprint, height or density; council is already exercising its right to "call up" several applications despite prior favorable decisions made by the planning and zoning and/or historic preservation commissions. Indications are that council is going to make these applications as difficult as it possibly can, but not because there is any question of legalities. Rather, it's an issue of taste. And let's face it, council doesn't have much.
A LAWSUIT OVER THE BAG TAX - TOLD YA SO!
It was just a matter of time. Those of us who opposed last October's ordinance that banned plastic bags at local grocery stores knew it all along: the 20-cent "fee" that the city claimed it was charging for the replacement paper bags is actually a tax! And that's exactly what a new lawsuit against the city, mayor Mick and the 4 councilmen alleges. (In Colorado, it's illegal for the government to charge a tax without the voting consent of the taxpayers.) The non-profit Colorado Union of Taxpayers filed the suit in late August.
In the name of "environmental stewardship," the revenues collected by the city are earmarked for "environmental programs" such as educational campaigns about recycling, providing reusable bags to citizens and/or funding recycling and pollution-reduction efforts. (In May and June, the first two months of the program, the haul was nearly $4000 - that's over 300 bags a day!) Never mind, the only plastic bags banned in Aspen are those at the grocery store. All other plastic bags are still a-ok.
As surprising as all this isn't, the bigger issue is how council would make such an arrogant decision to pass this ridiculous ordinance, despite numerous warnings of its violation of the law. Now the taxpayers get to fund yet another avoidable lawsuit, and will likely be on the hook for the plaintiff's legal fees as well when the city loses. How could this have been avoided? Simply: council could have just put the issue on the ballot and allowed citizens to vote. But remember, with this council, they know what's best for us!
The best coverage of the fee vs tax issue was in former city finance director Paul Menter's column in late August. Read it HERE.
MICK'S "TAX FAIRNESS" VIEWS
If you read The Aspen Times in August, you may have followed it. Columnist Charlie Leonard interviewed the mayor, and primarily focused on his recent public statements about Governor Romney's tax returns and what Mick sees as tax "fariness." What ensued was a classic back-and-forth between the two that vividly illustrated how Mick sees it as perfectly fair for him to live in subsidized housing despite being an able-bodied lawyer who, by choice, is simply not productive in his field. When Leonard suggested that "most responsible adults realize, barring a disability or temporary setback, that they have a moral obligation to themselves and their neighbors to pay their own way while still finding time for self-supported recreation," the mayor responded by listing all of the volunteering he has done in the community. And, classic Mick, he could not help himself and had to brag, "I doubt that all of the progress we made would have happened in my absence." Yes, this is the same buffoon who famously stated that as Aspen's mayor, he's an icon. ("Many of us, like myself, gain stature by going to enough meetings and eventually become recognized as part of history, ... or icons. People write books about us," he said. See it live at www.SickofMick.com) Just 8 more months of this imbecile...
Read Leonard's column HERE. Read Mick's response HERE. And then Leonard's letter to the editor that ended the debate HERE. A classic and telling exchange!
VOTING INFO
For information on voter registration, mail-in ballots and other vital voting info, please visit www.pitkinvotes.org
Several important dates:
October 9 Voter Registration Deadline
October 22 - November 2 8:30 am - 4:30 pm, M-F, Pitkin County Clerk's Office, 530 E. Main Street, Suite 101
November 6 Election Day. Polls are open 7 am - 7 pm
NEXT ISSUE: A HOUSING SUMMIT PRIMER
The long-awaited (threatened?) subsidized housing summit is on the horizon. What it will entail and what it will decide is anyone's guess. The program's a mess with more questions than answers, but please know that I have a subsidized housing-specific issue ready to roll just as soon as that date is set! Stay tuned!