Know your vote
Almost a year ago, I wrote a post-election column for this paper about my parents, their “Greatest Generation” and the impression those folks might have of this country since 2016. Election Day this year, Nov. 3, would be my dad’s 101st birthday.
If I thought last fall that my mom would have expressed “horror and dismay” at what has transpired under the dark shadow of Trumpism in the decade up to then, I can’t begin to imagine how she might handle what has transpired with this administration in the past 12 months: the rampant greed and corruption, the unconscionable violation of civil liberties and human dignity, the contempt for the rule of law, the overt racism and xenophobia, the all-out and obvious effort to undermine the electoral process to tilt the outcome in their favor.
No question my folks would see us sliding into authoritarianism, as I think would nearly all of their Greatest Gen contemporaries. They were decent and caring people regardless of their beliefs or political leanings; they experienced first-hand the evils of fascism. I’m not sure they would know us anymore.
So, the question is: Do enough of us see what’s happening?
Clearly, die-hard MAGA supporters — like the recent Sun letter writer who said, “God did help us when Trump became president.” — do not, or choose not to. But what about those who I still believe constitute the great majority who subscribe to basic decency, the Constitution and the rule of law? Do we not see that an antidemocratic administration and elite cabal of the super-rich are willing to subvert those ideals for nothing more than power and personal gain?
Obscene amounts of money from wealthy individuals and corporations have been poured into political campaigns across the country, overwhelmingly for Republican candidates. Mendacious and defamatory attack ads against Democratic candidates — notably James Talarico in Texas and Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan — have been funded in their attempt to maintain a grip on the reins of power. And the Republican opponents they support, like Ken Paxton in Texas and Mike Rogers in Michigan, are often morally and ethically bankrupt individuals, willing sycophants to the administration and oligarchs.
Closer to home, these billionaires and their minions have sprung upon Coloradans a blizzard of ballot initiatives designed to benefit their special interests or ideology and not the greater citizenry. As Debbie Bruell pointed out in her recent letter to The Sun, Amendments 81, 82, 83, 84, 85 and 86, and Propositions 132, 133, 134, 135 and 136, have all been promoted and financed by far-right, mostly outside-money entities. They all contain insidious, misleading language masking their true intent.
Conversely, the wealthy are spreading misleading and false information on two tax-related measures — Proposition 137 and Proposition NN — that would be of great benefit to the general populace. Please educate yourselves. Vote FOR these two and AGAINST those others that have no place in our Constitution and laws.
And please, vote for candidates who will stand up to authoritarianism and the ultra-wealthy. Do it for my folks, for your children, for all future generations!
Ken Pletcher
Carbondale
RFSD mill levy
On this Nov. 3 ballot, the Roaring Fork School District (RFSD) Board of Education is asking you to consider a mill levy override (MLO). It is important that you vote YES! This measure would generate an additional $5.6 million annually for educator funds — going directly to salaries for teachers and classified staff (bus drivers, custodial, kitchen and specialists).
I’ve been in education for a quarter-century, a near high-water mark in any career, and I know many of the voters in the RFSD community. I have worked at Basalt, Roaring Fork and Glenwood Springs high schools. Additionally, I have worn the career hats of science teacher, substitute teacher, instructional coach, assistant principal and principal. My tenure in our schools and in this district has compelled me to share my “sagely” thoughts on our MLO measure.
As the former Principal of Roaring Fork High School, my most pressing responsibility was hiring, developing and maintaining quality teachers. All principals will agree, this is challenging work, especially in the small, albeit heavenly Roaring Fork Valley. Plainly stated, our teachers struggle to afford to live here, and many who live here cannot afford to stay. Those in the field of education love our communities and our kids, but for many the cost is untenable. According to a 2026 Colorado Legislature Survey, “The cost of living within RFSD has spiked 18.66% since 2023.” As John Stroud cited in the Sopris Sun, RFSD is the fourth most expensive school district to live and work in across the entire state.
Educational state funding is changing this year, and with the cost of living on the rise many districts across Colorado are attempting to navigate MLOs and other ways to improve education funding. Without the support of our community we will lose teacher superstars to other communities, including mountain towns with more competitive salaries: Aspen, Summit, Steamboat and Eagle County. I hope you get out and vote on Nov. 3, or vote early by dropping your ballot at a drop box or voting in person at an election center. However you vote, think of your neighborhood schools, the students we serve and the teachers who make a difference, when you vote for 5C.
Megan Baiardo
Carbondale
Godes for commissioner
Garfield County and its municipalities face many of the same challenges: a shortage of affordable housing, economic uncertainty, transportation and infrastructure needs and the rising cost of public services.
County and municipal governments also serve many of the same residents and businesses. In fact, most county residents live in our municipalities. By working more closely together, they can coordinate investments, share resources, reduce duplication and address regional challenges more effectively.
Jonathan Godes brings valuable experience from serving on the Glenwood Springs City Council, including four years as mayor. He understands the challenges of balancing budgets, managing growth and meeting community needs — and how county government can be a collaborative partner.
As Garfield County faces growing financial pressures, cooperation between county and municipal governments is more important than ever. Godes’ municipal leadership experience provides a valuable perspective on strengthening those relationships and developing practical, county-wide solutions. We need someone with municipal experience on the Garfield Board of County Commissioners.
Election Day is Nov. 3. Vote for Godes for Garfield County commissioner.
Colin Laird
Carbondale Trustee
No on 137
The science behind forest ecology, restoration and wildfire mitigation is complex and nuanced. I’ve struggled to express my concerns with Prop 137’s oversimplifications and the significant negative effects it could have on forest ecosystems and, in cases, make wildfire risks/hazards worse. Then, I got a pro Prop 137 mailer that leads with, “Prevent Wildfires.”
Wow. It’s hard to tell if they are naïve, disingenuous or cynical. Wildfires aren’t preventable, full stop. And, in the right place and right time, are essential for ecosystem health. Anyone that tells you they can/should prevent wildfire is manipulating your fear and seeding false hope.
There are so many things wrong with Prop 137. I speculate that is why they bundled the bad with the good, hitching the motherhood and apple pie of Great Outdoor Colorado funding to the turf wars and conflicts of interest built into the wildfire language.
Forests can’t be fireproofed, nor should we try. What we can do, and there’s decades of scientific research and lived experience supporting it, is harden homes and infrastructure to make them highly ignition resistant. This occurs upon the structure itself and within a 100-meter ignition zone. Yet, these cost effective and proven measures were intentionally excluded from Prop 137. And there are no sideboards/guardrails to keep these millions of dollars from being destructively spent in the backcountry far from communities, doing nothing to keep us safe.
I say go back to the drawing board and bring us a proposition that is based on sound ecological science, with language that prioritizes hardening and prevents misguided backcountry logging.
Sloan Shoemaker
Carbondale
Vote Republican
I believe this midterm election is about policy not personalities. I will vote for the party that shares my values. I will not vote for “no bail” laws that put criminals back on the street, nor Medicare for all that spends our tax dollars on undocumented immigrants, nor allowing boys in girls’ sports, nor allowing trans butchery of our children, nor drag queen stories for kids.
The Dems’ big tent welcomes socialists that want to abolish borders, prisons, the Senate, Ootus, the Supreme Court and police.
I will vote a straight Republican ticket.
Bruno Kirchenwitz
Rifle
Vote Kolbe
As voters consider their choice for Pitkin County commissioner, we encourage support for Emily Kolbe.
Kolbe has been an Aspen resident since the 4th grade and successful business owner for more than 20 years. Her experience, practical judgement and long-standing commitment to the community make her well qualified to help guide important decisions affecting our county, including the proposed airport modifications and other issues that will shape our future.
However, the commission seat represents more than Aspen. It also includes the rural communities of Pitkin County, including Redstone and the Crystal River Valley. Our small-valley residents have needs and priorities that are often quite different from those of Aspen. We are a community of working families, artists, shop owners, restaurateurs, retirees and senior citizens whose voices deserve to be heard.
What impresses us most about Kolbe is her willingness to listen. She understands that effective leadership requires hearing from all residents, regardless of where they live. Time and again, she has demonstrated respect for differing viewpoints and a genuine interest in understanding the challenges facing communities throughout the county.
Pitkin County needs a commissioner who can bring people together, balance competing interests and make thoughtful decisions that benefit the entire county. Kolbe has shown that she has the experience, integrity and commitment to do exactly that.
We are confident she will be a strong voice for both Aspen and the rural communities that make Pitkin County such a special place.
Frances and Tom Dudley
Redstone
Follow the money
The flyers in your mailbox attacking Amendment 87 argue that seniors and veterans will pay more if this progressive tax measure passes.
I guess if you’re going to tell a stretcher, it might as well be a big one!
I was reminded of the 2008 Garfield County commissioners election. Two seats were up for grabs, so a double Democrat victory could have reversed the sitting three-man Republican policy stranglehold.
But at the 11th hour, residents found in their mailbox a shadowy fake newspaper that called itself The Garfield County Post. We can only guess at who sent it. Nobody’s seen a copy since. It featured smear attacks on Democrats Steve Carter and Stephen Bershenyi, who both went on to lose, Bershenyi by a mere 50 votes. There was of course a great public outcry and much wailing and gnashing of teeth, even some crocodile tears. But what could anybody do? Freedom of speech can mean the freedom to lie and then hide in the shadows.
Moral of my sad tale: Don’t believe everything you read, and always, always follow the money.
Ed Colby
New Castle
GarCo is not for sale
As I go door knocking through our community encouraging people to vote, I’ve been surprised at how many voters don’t know about the Garfield County Commissioner race or the huge impact that county commissioners have on our daily lives.
This year, we have two candidates running for one seat on the three-person commission: Jonathan Godes and Eric Rudd.
Among his extensive accomplishments, Godes founded and served as executive director of the Early Childhood Network. He currently serves as executive director of the I-70 Coalition, working to improve safety and transit along the I-70 corridor. He has a proven record of thoughtfully and successfully dealing with the needs of our communities and working collaboratively across multiple municipalities and counties.
Rudd was raised in Carbondale. His family owns a Basalt-based development company where he has worked since college. He was appointed by the commissioners to serve on the county’s Planning and Zoning Commission for the last 13 years. Can there be any doubt that he takes his marching orders from the current commissioners and will continue to do so?
According to Colorado Secretary of State campaign finance reports, Rudd contributed $69,000 of his personal wealth to his own campaign as of Oct. 8, and there were still 26 days until Election Day.
For most Garfield County residents, that money represents years of savings or a down
payment on a home. For Rudd, it’s apparently what he’s willing to spend to buy a county
commissioner seat.
The current conservative commissioners have lined up behind Rudd as their anointed
successor, seeking to maintain their decades-long control over our county government. Considering the ongoing challenges our county faces related to housing, traffic and land use issues, will they suddenly improve with the addition of another member of the “good ole boys” club?
The current commissioners have picked their candidate, and he has the checkbook to finance the effort. But a county seat isn’t a business acquisition or something politicians get to hand down to their chosen replacement.
Choose carefully when you vote for commissioner this year. Garfield County is not for sale. It’s time for a change.
Ted Zislis
Carbondale
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