YOUR AD HERE »

Andrew Kole has paid his dues

Dear Editor:

Is this your vision of the Promised Land?

I arrived in Aspen unexpectedly in 1991 and, like many, never left. Soon after arriving a local told me to remember, “Aspen is the only capitalist city in America run by a communist government.” I thought he was joking until this administration came to power. I have continually heard people from both sides of the political spectrum tell me they approached the city council only to come away feeling the council had already made their decision regardless of the common sense of that position. Worse yet, it has been stated by some participants in the Aspen government process that they came away feeling they were belittled by council members, particularly our present mayor, if he disagrees with their position.



Years ago, I did some lobbying at the state of Connecticut. I was consistently impressed by the sincerity of the individuals on both sides of the aisle, but like Mick, they often had already decided that they were going to take you to their vision of the Promised Land. I appreciate Mick’s sincerity but I have a real hard time with the apparent closed mindedness of Mick, his council and his voting block. My sense is they are trying to turn Aspen into Carbondale and though I love Carbondale, we already have one.

All of the above is why I am voting for Andrew Kole. As Dave Danforth said two weeks ago in his editorial about Marilyn Marks, Andrew has paid his dues. Anyone that personally knows Andrew or has watched his program knows about his sincerity but also recognizes his open-mindedness, intelligence and consensus-building abilities. To me that is, by far, the more appropriate approach for the government of Aspen then our present council’s, “We always know what is best for you approach.”




Howard Nitschke

Aspen