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Incompetence or cover-up?

I managed, with some difficulty, to locate the new “Fact Sheet on City of Aspen Entrance to Aspen Ballot Question” in Town Hall. “Surprise” is a modest word to describe this irrelevant and irresponsible work of mis- and missing information.

Whether you are for or against the straight shot, you, the voters of Aspen, should be outraged by the process that is leading to the vote in November. A student in the Aspen school system would get an F if they handed in a paper like this, asking for the facts on an issue.

Why is it so difficult for this city government to inform the public on the conditions and details of a project that they are asked to vote on? How can a voter intelligently decide which way to vote when a vast cover-up by their elected officials leaves everyone in the dark?



In this so-called fact sheet there is an amateurish and inaccurate map of the proposed project. No facts about how deep, how wide, where the approaches to the tunnel begin, the slope of the ramps leading to and from the tunnels, how wide the bridge will be, how many lanes on the road and tunnel, how many lanes on the bridge where the traffic lights will be (no offense, Richie Cohen, but even you don’t know for sure where or how many traffic lights will be in place), the fate of the present road from the roundabout to Cemetery Lane (rumor has it that it will remain in place as an emergency access), the fate of the two-lane road from Buttermilk to the Maroon Creek Bridge, the plan for alternate bike and pedestrian routes, the accommodation of a landing area for paragliders and hang gliders (yes, these sports bring in and support tourism in Aspen), and the actual condition of the present bridges.

There are likely additional details and information that need to be revealed to the public. Either the current city government is grossly incompetent or they are covering up.




You, as voters, should refrain from voting for the straight shot until you know much more. Save yourself the anguish and anger of getting something you didn’t want and didn’t know you were voting for.

The safest vote is for maintaining the S-curves. At least then you will know for sure what you are getting.

Tom Waldeck

Aspen