ISSUE #282: Back to the Future (3/5/25)
March 5 "Is it ignorance or apathy?
I don't know and I don't care."
-- Jimmy Buffett
THE RESULTS
Mayor:
Rachel Richards 1435
Katy Frisch 1189
Ref 1:
NO 1062
YES 952
Ref 2:
YES 1369
NO 1276
Council:
John Doyle 1091
Emily Kolbe 1067
Christine Benedetti 1018
Torre 825
Wooley 630
Wilkinson-Ray 307
Voter Turnout:
2718 (for reference, 2023: 2810 and 2019: 2711)
Active Voters:
5691
THE POST-MORTEM
The disappointing results of yesterday's election illustrate the consistent apathy of Aspen voters as well as the huge power of big money in our small town issues.
The dreaded and tiresome Rachel Richards returns as mayor to further her 30-year career in elected office. She has been mayor once before, served three terms on city council and three terms on the BOCC. This time she promises to make her mayoral job a full-time one because she is currently unemployed. Impressive.
Many, if not all, of Aspen's ills (traffic, housing, class warfare) are directly related to her tenures and personality, yet when presented with the option for a new voice with new ideas in Katy Frisch, the electorate preferred a timeworn politico with out-dated ideas. Aspen simply refuses to embrace change and face the future, forever clinging to bygone days and dusting off failed policies in hopes they'll work next time.
This is specifically why we cannot figure out how to manage and supervise our housing program. It's why 1369 people voted for Ref 2 yet it admittedly will not fix traffic or congestion, nor will any "straight shot" be built in the next decade while the Castle Creek Bridge continues to deteriorate. It's why we are an anti-growth community yet are poised to add 600 new subsidized housing residents (and their cars) to our population (+10%) with The Lumberyard development. It's why we are screwed.
Rachel was inextricably linked to Referendum 2 which she spear-headed. It's not "old Aspen" who voted her in. Had that been the case, Torre would have similarly benefitted in his council race. Rather, the $200K+ donated by Bruce Etkin and Tim Presutti to concede the Marolt Open Space to CDOT, a state agency, in hopes they will build a 1998-era straight shot highway into town, affected the outcome in favor of Ref 2, and Rachel benefitted from this. One bad decision begets another.
As for council, since none of the six candidates reached the 45% +1 vote threshold, we now face a run-off between the top 4 vote-getters: Doyle, Kolbe, Benedetti and Torre, fittingly on April 1.
WHAT'S NEXT
There is one thing to do: ELECT EMILY KOLBE. I will remind you again, but a "bullet vote" for Emily advances her candidacy while not advancing another candidate's. It is IMPERATIVE that we get her on council and this is how we do it.
Please support Emily by donating to her run-off campaign:
And if you simply must vote for two, cast your second vote for Christine Benedetti.
DO NOT VOTE FOR INCUMBENTS TORRE OR JOHN DOYLE.
It's time for Ronald Wayne Maranian III (aka Torre) to move on. Aspen's highest profile housing cheat has already served 8 years on council and 6 years as mayor. Enough is enough. Let this - his 12th run for elected office - be his last. Back to the tennis courts and New York Pizza for Torre.
And John Doyle clearly has the electorate snowed. This vicious man has an uncontrolled temper, repugnant views and has recently threatened fellow councilman Sam Rose with the texts below when Sam did not endorse him. John is no leader and is distinctly unfit to serve another term on city council.
And because I promised, I have the video clip from October 2023 during the debate over hanging the flag of Israel on city hall in solidarity following the October 7 attacks. John shows his true colors. This platform will not allow me to attach it, but simply reply to this email and I will gladly email or text it to you.
