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Vail Daily letters to the editor

Vail Daily staff
Vail, CO, Colorado

Put funds to good use

This coming Tuesday, we have the unique opportunity to do something incredibly positive for the Vail community by voting to provide much-needed improvements to three cornerstone facilities within the town without raising a penny in additional taxes.

By voting for ballot initiative No. 1, we authorize the town of Vail to distribute the funds generated for the construction of the conference center to a trio of proposed projects and facilities that are utilized and enjoyed annually by both residents and guests.



In order to remain competitive with other resort communities across the nation, Vail must continue to make improvements to its existing facilities and all three of these venues are major drivers of summer and winter business for the town of Vail.

In addition, both the Vail Recreation District and the Vail Valley Foundation have committed to provide additional funding to complete the proposed enhancements to these facilities, thereby ensuring that the conference center funds will go much farther than they could on their own.

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One other important thing to keep in mind is that there will be no refund checks popping up in Vail mail boxes if the ballot initiative is defeated. Rather, the town of Vail would lower its lodging tax over the course of the next 20 years, slowly replacing that revenue with the conference center funds.

This vote is truly a win-win situation for all of us.

Ceil Folz

President, Vail Valley Foundation

Hitt the best of great choices

I have to agree that all candidates running for Vail Town Council are great in this coming election. But I have to put Farrow Hitt at the top of the list. I have know Farrow since he first moved to Vail many years ago. I have never know a more sincere, honest and giving man than Farrow. He represents the working class hero in Vail. A family man with an instinct to speak up for what is right and just for all Vail residents and businesses.

Many times I have made plans with Farrow, when he was on previous council, only to be told they would have to wait until after the council meetings were closed. Farrow takes this job seriously and I respect his dedication to this position.

Farrow will bring a fair balance to the council, which in these economic times is a must. The voters have the opportunity to bring him back on board, don’t miss this chance.

Buzz Schleper

Vail

Mayor’s dream slate

I want to voice my support for Margaret Rogers, Andy Daly, Greg Moffet and Ludi Kurz as they vie for the four open seats on the Vail Town Council.

I have had the honor of serving on the Vail Town Council with each of them at varying times over the past 10 years. I believe that as a group their experience and personal qualities will combine to make a strong, forward-looking town council that will continue to take Vail to even greater success.

I also want to urge everybody to vote “yes” on on 1 to approve the use the confrerence center funds for a better Vail.

Remember to vote on Nov. 8.

Dick Cleveland

Mayor of Vail

Moffet, Kurz for council

I’m writing today on behalf of Ludi Kurz (we’re not related), Greg Moffet and Vail Ballot Issue 1. For voters that want to build on the obvious momentum that Vail enjoys over other resorts in our competitive set in terms of sales tax, occupancy rates and events-attractions, this is the winning trifecta.

Moffet and Kurz are veteran public servants proven over time to be intelligent, effective and insightful custodians of the public trust despite the withering onslaught of those determined to slow progress and foster selfish agendas. Vail is thriving due in no small part to the contributions these gentlemen have made over decades of public service. The cause of common sense has been and will be well served by Ludi and Greg.

Ballot Issue 1, the conference center funds allocation issue, is also a winner. Contrary to what some would have you believe, this issue has been carefully vetted, well-aired and has been constructed with substantial input from the community over a period of years. Spending this money now on the improvement of community assets that will improve our quality of life, attract visitors and add to the quality and presentation of the Vail brand makes good sense and will be a smart investment over time.

Michael D. Kurz

Voters made educated decision

Congratulations to all the well-informed voters in Eagle County. When presented with facts, indisputable facts in fact, voters made educated votes. Regardless of how the election results had played out, we can all pat ourselves on the back for caring enough about our community, our children and our teachers to do our homework, draw our own conclusions, and vote accordingly.

This school district ballot issue just goes to show three things. One, that complete disclosure, just like in “truth in lending,” is still the best policy. Second, people took the time to fully educate themselves about the specific issues before signing on the dotted line. And last, but far from least, the little guy has a voice even when faced with big money and “Big Brother” (Orson Wells.)

Case in poin:, the issue committee, Citizens for Eagle County Schools (“Yes on 3B”) received a total of $17,600 in committee contribution funds per the state of Colorado, while the non-political local Eagle County families paid a total of $588 for their “No on 3B” yard signs.

It is apparent that fair and honest reporting still has the biggest educational influence, while the power of big money taking a stance on a ballot issue does not.

So thank you to the Vail Daily for reporting on the facts and thank you to the community for your genuine concern for our local families, our children and our teachers.

Marty Lich

Gypsum

How could you!?

I am shocked and ashamed of this community, voting no on 3B. After already shedding $9 million and 100 school jobs in this county, we have to take an additional $4 million in cuts next year, eliminating middle school sports and extracurricular activities, cutting an additional 60-80 teacher jobs and closing one to three schools.

The group that made all of the “No to 3B” signs spent more on the signs than they would in property taxes. Colorado is already 49th in the nation in education funding. The opposition to 3B group cited frivolous spending on food in events honoring teachers … $4 million worth?

On a $500,000 home, 3B would have been less than $8 a month, and since property values have dropped, the mortgage payment would still be less. I am sick.

This is one of the wealthiest counties in the country, and also has some of the lowest property taxes. I am absolutely appalled at everyone that voted “no” to this.

Kara Kuehnel Gypsum

See what I see?

Eagle County voted not to raise any of our taxes for the schools, fire district or transit. One of the main reasons that the school tax did not go through is a perceived lack of accountability, yet no one ran against the incumbent school board members.

The town of Eagle found it OK to raise other people’s taxes by increasing the hotel tax. The town of Vail is about to vote on whether to use the conference center money on local improvements or to reduce the tax load on others by lowering the hotel tax. We will almost certainly keep that money for ourselves.

Anyone else picking up on the irony here?

Chip Bartsch

Vail

Faith in ourselves

There is a great deal to be said for having faith. I have an abundance of it. However it is important that faith be well-placed as delusion is a slippery slope and in today’s world counter productive and dangerous.

Homo sapiens are today the top of the food chain, having reached this exalted position over billions of years due to the laws of random selection. A scientific fact.

Though it is very likely that the icons of two of the world’s major religions, Jesus Christ and Mohammed, were great thinkers who did walk this earth and who convinced many others of the value of what has become to be known as The Golden Rule, they were men, not gods themselves nor decedents of gods.

Planet Earth can be viewed as a lifeboat in a limitless ocean, its existence yet another example of random selection, capable of staying afloat only if everyone aboard trims ship and bails like crazy. The longer a large percentage of the occupants does little but continues to believe that one deity or another will swoop down and save us from ourselves and that there is an existence after death, the greater the chance that the fragile vessel that supports the lives of all living things will no longer be able to stay afloat and all will perish.

For believers with an open mind willing to be educated (there is still time), reference is made to the DVD entitled “An Inconvenient Truth,” by Al Gore; and the books “The God Delusion,” by Richard Dawkins, “God Is Not Great,” by Christopher Hitchens, and “Good Without God,” by Greg Epstein.

The survival of human kind depends on having faith in ourselves and in our collective ability to address and to solve the monumental problems facing people around the world, not in some myths with roots that predate the Dark Ages and today amount to nothing more than tax-exempt big business.

Peter Bergh

Edwards


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