COVID numbers continue to trend up but its snowing --hoping for a foot in the next 24 hours.
But that ain't the news---the news is we got vandalism to our gas service and 3,500 homes are without gas. This whole process started on Saturday with about 50 houses but as it became clear that the cause was vandalism Black Hills Energy acted out of an an abundance of caution and shut gas to pretty much all of Aspen. Those homes will be without gas for 12-36 hours to limit the chance of them exploding, and instead will run the risk of pissed off home owners, renters and lots and lots of burst pipes as temps drop in peoples houses.
Vandalism in Aspen to our gas lines---shouldn't that move us up the color wheel of danger?
How about the Sundeck at the top of Aspen mountain---25% of the staff tested positive but not to worry they are staying open with no change to their policies because......well they are quite proud that they were able to get so many tests done and 'box in' COVID. humm yea right. Is that acting out of an abundance of caution or an abundance of exhaustion? More to the point the optics of 100 more people testing positive over the next week is just par for the course, but if a house blows up due to gas pipeline that is front page news (and a major lawsuit).
So I vote that the county moves to Tangerine---a color not on the wheel of COVID but a lovely color non-the-less.
I would propose the following rules for Tangerine, no one outside of the roaring fork valley can ski here or visit. All restaurants are closed. All businesses are subsidized by a massive increase in real estate taxes (TABOR be dammed raise real estate taxes from 1-2k per million in home valuation to 15k per million in home valuation over $5 million). For example, if your home is valued at $10million you would pay 5k on the first $5million and $75k on the second $5million for a total of $80k. The emergency COVID tax expires after 1 year.
FYI Aspen real estate is off the hook. $3-4k per square foot in cost is not unusual, nor does it get you anything special. With unemployment in Pitkin County at over 10%, lines at the food bank stretching across town maybe its time to normalize real estate taxes for a year to transfer wealth from those who got it to those who need it. Then the town could protect lives and support livelihood as well. And maybe, just maybe our kids could go back to in person school. It might also reduce the increasing agro intensity in town---could that perchance limit infrastructure vandalism as well?
Tangerine---the tax the rich color (for just one year).
My daughter also suggested the following locals only tee-shirt and marketing message
ITS MY MOUNTAIN, your just skiing it
not bad if I say so
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