ISSUE # 20 ... MAYOR MICK'S ASPEN HOLIDAY WISH
November 30 A Tattered Christmas Stocking
Spring 2007, during the mayoral campaign "debates," Mick sent an early note to Santa, but fortunately Santa procrastinated. Then-candidate Ireland declared that "an economic downturn would be good for Aspen," while his opponent, Tim Semrau, thought this wish a terrible idea. Now Mayor Mick is likely staring directly at his fondest wish, hanging in a worn stocking on the mantle of any place he is likely to visit this year.
Known for his anti-second homeowner, anti-timeshare owner, anti-developer, anti-real estate broker, anti-private property rights sentiments, Mick is philosophically opposed to so many of the things that make Aspen the wonderful place it is. Many of the very things that enhance our coveted lifestyles as residents, Mick loathes. Making no secret of his favorite days being those with few people on the ski mountain and in the town, Mick may see his best season yet!
Please, No More Jobs!
Mayor Mick desires a downturn in construction, traffic, and development of fine homes. He eschews more fine restaurants, high end art galleries, fashion retailers and those god-forsaken jewelry stores in Aspen. He makes no secret of his considerable disdain for risk-taking entrepreneurs and their discriminating customers-particularly if those patrons are the godless second homeowners or the devils incarnate, timeshare owners.
For those who have not heard his rants against part-time residents, it's usually focused on a horrible thing called "job generation." He claims that second homeowners have wine stewards, pool boys, gardeners, chefs, and massage therapists as part of their household staffs and further demand the household-based services of countless other locals during their stays. His favorite statistics deem employment of almost 2 full time equivalent "staff" for every second homeowner. Mick's principal beef is that these homeowners create "jobs" without providing permanent housing for the service providers. He tends to forget the Affordable Housing projects' funding with the development mitigation fees charged when these homes are built and the 1% RETT on initial sale and every time they are resold. Never mind that his nonsensical employment statistics are completely misapplied. . . To date, this Council, lead by Mick, feels that job creation is shamefully undesirable.
Maybe Mick Is Right?
Maybe Mick is right about positive effects of a downturn -- but not for the reasons he hopes. Given that we will certainly have to buck up and weather this economic crisis, perhaps we will also have to face "reality" in Aspen -- which prides itself on not being part of the "real world." Perhaps the struggling merchants and service providers will remind us how important those returning vacationers (and 2nd homeowners and time share owners) are to our economic viability. Ask the business owners if they can exist without part time residents. Maybe we'll remember how they make our lives here possible.
This group of vacationers are not shopping on the internet for better deals at Vail, Jackson, or Stowe. They have an investment in Aspen. They will come back, but perhaps not as often and on a more conservative budget. But they will buy from the Aspen florists, Aspen wine shops, engage the caterers, buy groceries and presents, and tickets for a variety of Aspen entertainment. They'll eat in their favorite restaurants, drink in their favorite bars, and visit their Aspen hairdresser. They will be back, and many of us will be beyond thrilled to see them. And for those loyal Mick followers who cling to the desire to return to the "Quiet Years" -- this year ought to prove that despite their disdain for those who visit Aspen, those returning part time residents are the economic lifeblood of our community and the numerous non-profits serving the valley.
The 2009 City Budget - The ElephANT in the Room
Lost jobs, decreased wages, skinny tips, fear, --even in Aspen's wonderland, this could be a difficult season. The Ant wonders if working residents of Aspen will be as happy as Mick is with "no one on the mountain." Do they also hope that the second homeowners and time share owners stay away? Do they also share Mick's vision of "Aspen first as a community, and only secondarily a resort?"
Interestingly, Mick lives in such an insulated cocoon, that he has resisted efforts of Councilmen Romero and Skadron to avoid deficit spending in the 2009 operating budget. After some considerable pushing by those two, City management is now directed to develop a more "conservative" 2009 budget which assumes "flat" sales tax revenues! Nope, it' NOT a typo. Yes, "FLAT" revenues - numbers that mirror the record year of 2007,and 2008 budget.Are any local merchants deliriously optimistic enough to be budgeting2007 sales levels?
Amazingly, a 7+% increase in City operating spending is planned, even higher than the preliminary budget presented in a more favorable climate in early October. New City management positions, increased salaries, increased benefit costs, more housing, increased expenses - allin a $100 million+ budget for a town of 6000 permanent residents. The budget is clogged with fat. At the City, no one seems to care that by increasing taxes and fees on businesses, we become less competitive with other resorts. If nothing else, maybe Mick's desired downturn will expose the exorbitANT fiscal habits and delusion of City Hall!!.
Mick's Rationale for Increased Spending
The Mayor's rationale for increasing operating expenditures, not laying off non-critical personnel, and spending in excess of revenues, is that cutbacks are "too difficult to reverse" when good times inevitably return.
Ask any experienced executive (business, government, non-profit or institutional), and they will likely opine that organizations need periodic re-evaluation and right-sizing, especially in tough economic times. It's hard to find anyone other than the City Manager and our mayor who think that the "Aspen City government" and "waste" are not synonymous. (The scores of thousands spent on meals for meetings between City staffers, for starters. Plus the countless City credit cards in wallets at City Hall. . . now there's a story! Stay tuned.)
The Ant thinks that now is the time to acknowledge reality and become good stewards of taxpayers' funds. Time to quit looking at taxpayers and property owners (whether 2nd homeowners, time share owners, locals, or business owners) as perpetual and undesirable "Golden Geese."
A Lump of Coal
The Ant would prefer that Mick get a lump of coal (or Red Ants?) in his stocking -- rather than his fondest wish of a quiet ski mountain and town. (Mick seems confident that SkiCo would keep the mountains operating to his personal satisfaction with the miniscule revenue generated from local's deeply discounted season passes!)
But if he gets his wish this year, we hope that we emerge as a community with more appreciation for the visitors and part time members of our community who pay for the toys we enjoy, and leave them here for us to play with all year. We hope that the restaurants, bars, non-profits, and entertainment opportunities which their passions helped create and support survive and react in ways that remind us how interdependent we are with Aspen's part time residents and visitors. And let's not forget SkiCo, owned by the most benevolent investors imaginable.
AdvANTage?
In fact, there is an opportunity to emerge from Mick's wish with less disdain, less class warfare, and more recognition of the fabulous benefits of our mutual dependence.
Feel free to post your comments and perspectives below
And if we really get lucky, we could emerge with a more efficient, service-oriented and leaner City government. Something positive out of this frighteningly tough environment? That is The Ant's holiday wish.
Reader Comments (14)
Do you remember the TV series from the 1960s called “The Twilight Zone?” Host Rod Serling narrated unusual stories with sci-fi themes. One of my favorite episodes began with a man awakening to find that everyone in his town was gone, except for him. In the background, as he walked the empty streets, the high pitched Twilight Zone music eerily played “Dee dee, dee dee, dee, dee.
Have you walked around town this winter? Every time I see an empty store or a deserted street, my mind replays the same high pitched music — “Dee dee, dee dee, dee.
I skied down Spar the other day and when I looked up the mountain there wasn’t another person to be seen all the way to Crested Butte.
“Dee dee, dee dee, dee dee.
Clearly, Aspen is not immune from the national recession. Real estate sales are down and offices are closing quicker than a liquor stand in a Baptist Church. The potential ramifications of all this to Aspen residents, especially those who live in affordable housing and need to pay their mortgages, are obvious. You may not be a Realtor or a contractor or an architect, but you certainly could work in one of their offices, or serve them cold beer, or teach their kids to ski. The best data that I can get indicates that our economy doesn’t run on sushi or silver belt buckles. Whether you like it or not, 80 percent of Aspen’s economy is related to real estate, construction and development.
At a time when President Obama is doing everything possible to stimulate job creation in America, shouldn’t we at least do what we can to keep the jobs we already have in Aspen? Like our current politicians, I am not a big fan of growth.
Some of the buildings that popped up in town over the last few years are uglier than my high school girlfriend — and trust me that her face could have stopped an 18-wheeler. However, I believe that the potential development near Lift 1-A, which was approved by building a consensus between our politicians and local citizens, represents an improvement over the tired, run-down ski shacks in the neighborhood.
I also believe we have an unwritten covenant with our local workers to sustain our city’s economic vitality.
Although Aspen survived the “Quiet Years,” it will be a lot more fun to live in a vibrant, self-sustaining town, where our friends and relatives aren’t losing their jobs.
This letter is written as a simple request to our elected officials. Please acknowledge the danger of the economic cliff on which we all stand, and do everything possible to support our local economy.
This is not the time to shun the tourists, belittle the second home owners, or categorically reject developers.
Jerry Bovino
Aspen