Dear Editor:

“Economic development spending tops $300k” (Sopris Sun, Jan. 27) was one of the many often published news stories leaving the savvy, well-educated reader shaking his or her head while thinking, “What foolishness!”

Carbondale wasted more than $300,000 during a three-year period for economic development from 2002 through 2005 with most of the bucks going to a 25-month economic director who was paid $127,500, excluding tallied benefits, and who spent $108,000 “for related projects and expenses.”

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The Carbondale economic development director sum total waste was $235,500 with the director grinning like the Cheshire Cat in “Alice in Wonderland” and the infamous, prodigal Aspen downtown catalyst who earned $60,000 for a year to stimulate Aspen’s Downtown Commercial Core retail trade.

Carl Jung and Edgar Cayce would agree with me that you do not let sick, deficient patients, in mind, body, spirit and intellect, diagnosis their own problems and administer remedies to themselves.

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Let me close on this money note: Business capital formation, proper risk taking, business acumen, salesmanship, understanding economic geography, anti-nepotism and anti-cronyism would be the master keys for the “Great Leap” forward for Carbondale, Aspen and the rest of the Roaring Fork Valley and the I-70 Corridor.

Emzy Veazy III

Aspen and Burbank, Calif.