1. Did every 7th grade teacher resign, quit, retire? No just 80% of the 7th grade teachers and about 15% of the total school district staff. How ASD will hire and retain teachers in a community were the average home price is close to $10m and decent subsidized housing is close to $1m is an unanswered question.
2. Our local governments are bankrupt? No, Snowmass Village, Carbondale, Aspen and the Roaring Fork Valley are not broke but after a record year of tourism and real estate sales BUT Snowmass Village is having to walk back plans for the town park due to rising costs, Carbondale is struggling to find funds for a new public pool, Aspen can't find money to rehab the Armory, and the Valley is having to cut bus service because they can't (afford) to hire more drivers at current market pricing. Weird to watch local governments struggle while the local economy explodes.
3.
Yea that is my 'local' gas station. Of course no locals use it unless in dire emergency because it is home of the most expensive gas in Colorado. Currently regular is a bit over $6 a gallon there. I asked if I could pay for my gas in bitcoin and was told 'NO'. I asked what I could buy with bitcoin and was told 'nothing'. Just want to note over the past 6 months the value of bitcoin is down 60% and the cost of gas is up 40%. That Conoco is a money sucking blackhole.
4. There are parking spots for sale at Obermeyer place for $250k per spot. Yup you read that right. For you out of towners Obermeyer place garage is exactly that-- a garage. You don't get a storage locker or anything else but a dedicated parking spot. And its a 0.4m walk to the Gondola from there. Local secret valet park at the little nell for $10 per hour. If you ski 3 hours 85 days a year it will cost you $2,500 or 1% of what you pay for a parking spot 0.4 miles away. Of course if Aspen real estate including parking spots continues to go up 40% a year well I guess you are better off parking at Obermeyer and walking, but not so much if real estate stops going up or perchance even declines.
5. Reminder, Aspen tourism and real estate are having record years and yet the Aspen Music Festival and school has to cut its enrollment because.......they can't afford to house musicians. In a similar vein Ski Co offered a 'tenants for turns' program that will provide you a ski pass or other ski co goodies if you rent a room to a lifty (or other ski co employee) for the ski season. Turns out the program was not that successful cause anyone who can afford to have a spare room in Aspen doesn't really need a ski pass or a voucher for $1,200 for use at Ski Co.
6. I hate this last one, but I feel like silence isn't an option. Listening to CNN today I heard Asa Hutchinson (Gov of Arkansas) say that yes in 2019 he did sign a bill that will make abortion illegal in his state if the supreme court overrules Roe. He did say he wished it included an exemption for rape and incest but he signed it anyhow. The interviewer asked how it was ok for an 11-12 year old girl who is raped by her father to have to carry the child to term and he said 'well I wish there was an exemption for that' BUT dude you signed the bill. If you really didn't like the law as written then VETO it. Asa was clearly uncomfortable---I think the GOP might be wondering what they have done by turning all sex that isn't to procreate into a potential crime scene. Back to Asa, he did say that he is working hard to improve the overwhelmed foster care system in his state, and trying super duper hard to reduce child poverty which currently stands at 26%. Maybe he will raise taxes to address the current dismal situation which will clearly not improve with women forced to carry children produced by rape and incest to term. Oh yea, and the father of said child will have an easy time providing child support from prison (which is where child raping incestuous men go).
I am gonna go for a run on the rim trail, no gas station bitcoin flogging, anti choice governors, local government challenges to deal with there. YEA
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