Milias reignites the dialogue
Dec 7, 2024
Editor:
(Re: “Let’s rekindle constructive dialogue,” Dec. 4, Aspen Daily News)
I’m delighted that Scot Woolley has joined the Aspen community in reading The Red Ant newsletter. Its popularity has soared since I left The Aspen Times last winter, after revealing the paper’s casual relationship with the truth. As you are aware, it’s a free subscription and covers Aspen public policy, just as my opinion column did.
And welcome back Scot, from a decade in China! Apparently you have forgotten some critical American democratic principles during your time away; specifically that a “supermajority” is a major tenet of American democracy — starting right here at home where an Aspen City Council vote of 3-2 (60%) is necessary to pass anything.
Further, constitutional amendments in the state of Colorado necessitate 55%, while U.S. Constitutional amendments require 66%. The Senate requires 60% to move a vote through a cloture motion and also to end a filibuster. Both Colorado and the U.S. require 66% for impeachment. Such higher standards for approval are used in legislative processes to ensure broader consensus and to reflect a significant level of agreement.
When deciding the most important values-based decisions in this community, with rare exception, most have passed with at least 60% of the vote despite not being required to, notably including the 1982 vote when 91% supported a public vote on parks and open space transfers to be added to our home rule charter.
If condemning our currently protected open space indeed “serves the greater good,” then the democratic process of approving such a decision with a 60% voter approval should give each of us great reassurance.
I certainly do not want a 50%-plus-1 vote to enable the adaptation of our cherished and eternally protected parks and open spaces to “meet evolving community needs” and other non-descript vagaries. This week it’s a 130-foot freeway across Marolt. What’s next? A 2,000-space parking lot at Wagner Park? Subsidized housing, lot line to lot line, at Paepcke Park? A geothermal electric plant at Heron Park?
A 60% supermajority to change the use of local open space and parks is not only important, it is highly democratic and ensures that critical decisions are reflective of broad community consensus.
Elizabeth Milias
Aspen