Pinkham is leading a group of activist citizens who had hopes that they would actually contribute something to the community and its future. Unfortunately, from what can read in the EP Frail, they collectively can’t even see what is wrong, so how could they possibly fix it?
So, Pinkham notes that we should “retain the essence of Estes Park." Bill, please, that is what is wrong with EP, the essence. The essence is that we all live in a beautiful community with absolutely nothing going for it. The Town blatantly steals from the community, the “clubs” are filled with folks that think only of their single interest and not the town, the shop owners barely speak to one another, the CVB makes every attempt to hurt local business by competing with them and there is a hatred for some factors of our school population while real estate values are stagnant.
Dwindling disposable incomes? What a pile. People that settle into a community have the opportunity to spend more money in that community because they live there. The fact is we have a turnover of retirees, but we aren’t growing that population because the people that fit that category (lots of free time, active and still youthful, able to contribute but want to be stimulated) don’t move here because we aren’t an attractive community. All we offer is a beautiful geographic area, with a terrible political infrastructure. The Town wants to control everything and that makes business fail. The Town used to market a bit, but now they just use that money for the idiots that run the CVB. Those same idiots, using Town money, start competing businesses to those that were created by local business; such things as a wedding group. This is not only unfair, it is INSANE!
The people that move here are generally those that have visited since they were 2, they spent 2 weeks at a time and just loved it. They then move here and after 3 weeks find out how little there is for them for stimulation, shopping and activities and North Dakota starts to look good again. What will the Economic Advisory Committee come up with to help the Town prosper? Who cares! The Town won’t listen to them anyway and it will be another failed committee.
Isn’t it interesting that Pinkham actually believes that on the one hand locals won’t drive to the valley in the future because of increased energy costs, but people from Kansas will drive here because they will have more free time. Get your head out of your Butt.
