Letter: Aspen Art Museum: We won’t forget

OK, count me as among the unwashed masses who believe that despite all the hype, the new art museum is simply out of scale and place. Rather than stand as a tribute to architectural excellence, more properly it is a monument to the hypocrisy and hubris of the Mick Ireland administration (Mayor Steve Skadron is excepted, as he wisely cast a dissenting vote on the proposal).

Aspen Art Museum CEO Heidi Zuckerman Jacobson is quoted as saying, “Eventually people will forget,” touting present accomplishments, but hopefully she is wrong. For when a future cohort of glitterati come hat in hand to City Hall asking for public funds to sustain museum operations, citing unforeseen expenses and a lack of endowment, we as taxpayers should remember the bill of goods that were sold. We should recall the representations of museum backers as to the complete financial independence from the city as a carrot to seek approval, recall the mysterious loss of parking places in the fine print and recall the heavy-handedness of former Mayor Ireland for the swap he stubbornly rammed through the council so that the property became available.

When that day arrives, as it will, let’s make sure that our elected officials have not forgotten and will not compound one bad mistake with another — just say no.

Neil B. Siegel

Aspen