ISSUE # 12 ... LOCALLY RelevANT

The Red Ant Democracy! .. Issue #12, Oct. 1, 2008

The Ant and Her Friends Sponsor a Citizens' Forum on the Issues

Thanks for all of the ideas! We've heard from many of you about your local concerns and have decided to spearhead a pre-election event for the entire community - a citizens' forum on the (local) ballot issues.

If you're like us, that sample ballot looks like mumbo-jumbo, making the issues hard to sort out. You may know what you want to vote for, but the legalistic ballot language confuses the issues. Yes can mean no, and no can mean yes.

And this year, looking at LOCAL issues in Aspen and Pitkin County, including RFTA, there are seven (yes, 7) tax measures. Each certainly has its merits - but in the current economic environment, how does one decide? What is necessary now? We are also undecided on a number of the issues!

It will be great to hear from experts, advocates and critics on important questions like:

-Burlingame Density (Ref 2G): Is more better at Burlingame? What about the original density limits promised to the current Phase I homeowners?

-Extension of the RETT until 2040 (Ref 2F): Why is this necessary now if the tax doesn't expire until 2024?

-Extension of the Affordable Housing/Daycare Tax (Ref 2E): Did you even know that this .45% sales tax is split between Daycare and Housing? Must the Daycare tax decision be tied to the controversial Affordable Housing fund?

So, The Red Ant and several friends are sponsoring a Citizens' Forum on the Issues.
Mark your calendar and plan to join us to be a well-informed voter:

October 22 at 5:30 pm
Place : Rio Grande Room
Format : Education on the Major Local Ballot Issues, featuring a 3 minute presentation by one "Pro" and one "Con" speaker (community/issue leaders) on each local issue, followed by Q&A from the audience.

BOCC candidates are invited and will be asked for their positions on the local ballot and other hot issues.

Moderator: Paul Menter, former City of Aspen Finance Director and current Finance Director of the Aspen Community Foundation

All are invited. Grassroots TV will film and re-broadcast.

The Red Ant and her friends are looking forward to hearing both sides of every local issue at this unprecedented pre-election event. It will be great to ask questions of the subject matter experts - and make up our own minds! See you there!!

Don't Vote YET

With early voting and absentee voting currently available, we urge you to wait until the Issues Forum. We will post and email a summary sheet of the pros and cons provided by the experts, as well as the BOCC candidates' positions. We'll make it easy to be better informed in the voting booth.

RelevANT Voter Information

In the upcoming election on November 4, it's just not a Presidential race. The local elections and ballot initiatives affect you, your wallet and the future of Aspen/Pitkin County.

Hopefully you've already registered to vote. The attached link enables you to confirm your registration:

https://www.sos.state.co.us/Voter/voterHome.do;jsessionid=00007HXsTLp-KmVIIJ_yyHEl9Yk:11p1kuu1d

If you still need to register, you must do so on or before October 6, 2008, either by using this document (link below) or by registering in person with the County Clerk (Pitkin County: 530 E. Main Street, Suite 101):

http://www.aspenpitkin.com/pdfs/depts/5/voter_reg_eng.pdf

And, if you split your time between Aspen and another home, please consider making Aspen or Pitkin County your legal residence. Given our small voting population, your vote REALLY counts here. Visit this link to learn the requirements:

http://www.aspenpitkin.com:80/depts/5/elections_regist_to_vote.cfm

Make your vote count!

Comments

[Sherlock S]

Dear Red Ant;

I enjoyed reading the add in the Aspen Daily News, Wed. Oct. 1, 2008. Gram Slaton is under the misconception that the Wheeler can have an expansion and still meet an endowment goal of $70 million by 2018. Gram is dreaming. He says that " the community for over 33 years has been calling for the Wheeler Opera House to be expanded." Wrong! A few interested members in the art community might be interested, but they certainly do NOT represent the community! Besides, what does Gram know, he is only the new guy on the block!

The extension of the Aspen City Council Ordinance No. 67 changed the wording. The original ordinance refers to" renovation and reconstruction" of the existing Opera House without any mention of "expansion". That what we voted on.

Any desired expansion by Gram and his board cohorts, should go to a vote of the entire public, and then we would know if any expansion should be done.

We have two perfectly good theaters out by the school district, where parking is readily available. If any expansion were to take place next to the Wheeler, where would people park?

This expansion idea is fool hardy, especially at this time when fiscal conservancy is a key issue.

Gram needs to to drop this crazy idea, and put his new role of executive director of the Wheeler to better use, or go back to where he came from.

Sherlock S