Say hello to my little friend

To the Larimer County Commissioners:  At the regularly scheduled town board meeting this evening in Estes Park, the trustees were "encouraged" by the mayor to send a message to the Larimer County commissioners, by voting unanimously to support Visit Estes Park's 2021 operating plan.  Woefully low-bar challenge accepted. 

In the next few days, expect a cheerleader-type letter signed by all board members as well, as dangled promised dissenting opinions from one or more county commissioners was seen as misguided and terribly unfair, practically eliciting a Bronx cheer (is that an emoji, like "thumbs up"?) as a precursory rejoinder. 

Whipping up a forced "we all think alike" enthusiasm among the board was, in my opinion, probably not necessary, as two of the board members sit on the VEP board, with allegiance already baked in.  Two of the newer board members haven't been involved in local politics long enough to know VEP's sordid history, or confidently pick Elizabeth Fogarty out of a line-up.  Some or all of the remaining board members have long axes to grind related to previous town board members and current county commissioners.

Look, the problem is simple, in my opinion: VEP is provided with way too much money, and lacks qualified individuals to know how to properly dispense/squander this money without causing anger among town and county taxpayers, whom VEP doubly disrespects because they proudly claim they are ripping off tourists, not locals. No one has strength enough to oppose them, or their parasitically-affixed lodging lobby, which is by far the strongest of the five ruling mob families (lodging, illicit drugs, bootleg liquor, gambling, prostitution).  You could cut into their supply and the embarrassment caused by wasting millions of dollars each year by reducing the pillow tax to 1%, but they would likely find an illegitimate source, or set up a begging booth outside Safeway.  Employees and VEP board members have gotten very used to their gangster lifestyle, with the three-martini lunches and all the free passes and swag handed out at major professional sporting venues.

Singing:  "We'll be seeing you in all the old familiar places/the owner's box at Broncos games dispensing bribes to wealthy races"

Personally, I don't care if you get rid of VEP, or cap them at the knees by halving the pillow tax, or attempt to send a message by driving a stake through their heart, but when you had the chance last time, you caved to the "let's give them one more chance" plea, and if you couldn't kill them last time, there is no hope of killing them this time out, or probably ever.  Certain Estes Park organizations are compelled to make perpetual (and completely unnecessary) burnt offerings to the devil for the illusory promise of future financial success, which would be amusing if public citizens' hard-earned money wasn't always the item being sacrificed.

 

For the life of me, though, if these past two years were devoted entirely to plotting a move to return deposed leader Elizabeth Fogarty to power (and the proposed budgeting of a paltry $1000 by the hastily-appointed internal CEO search party indicates this was the VEP board's sole aim in 2020), you will witness rioting in the streets by a small group of folks who simply will not tolerate open abuse and blatant swindling of town and county government funds.

 

Ms. Fogarty's overthrow was not, as Ms. Fogarty's supporters are wont to scream, simply small town politics. Well, it was, since it occurred in a small town, as does the current petty and poorly disguised attempt to lead her back from exile to her former throne of power.  But please remember that it also involved relatively blatant large-scale graft and corruption during her tenure, a situation not typical (or at least not publicly chronicled previously) in poor little ole Estes.  

Morally and ethically, decent folks in the time of COVID will not tolerate someone who got caught with their hands, face, and entire head in the cookie jar (who not only did NOT apologize for cookie gluttony when caught, but rather demanded and received another truckload of cookies on their way out to satisfy an inexhaustible appetite for cookies) somehow restored to the position of chief cookie dispenser. 

 

Note: Cookies in the above example equals money, scads and scads of taxpayer money. Cheers and stay well. And vote your conscience, because God knows, few people on the Estes Park town board did tonight, or even know what one is - A guiding servant, never a master.